Brolga once again flocking back to Green Swamp!

It’s that time of year again when we start to see Brolga flock to certain sites around south-western Victoria. Since the hydrology of Green Swamp (near Glenthompson) was restored just on a decade ago, we’ve seen flock numbers slowly increasing here too. Last year was a bit of an anomaly, probably because there was so much water across the local landscape, and we didn’t see local concentrations to the same degree that we are used to. But, as things are now drying down to approximately what we now consider “normal”, we are also starting to see the gathering flock grow at Green Swamp. Since it was restored in 2014, this site has gradually become one of the most important flocking wetlands for Brolga in this part of the species’ range.

I first noticed them last week and counted sixty. The highest number I’ve seen is over 100, and in 2022 total counts actually got much higher – up to an amazing 260 birds. Based on previous years, I’d say these early numbers are higher than usual. I have seen a few turn up from early February before, but numbers don’t really tend to hit the fifties until early March. Based on this, I’m expecting we’ll have some pretty impressive numbers out there come late March and early April, so keep an eye on the coming newsletters for updates.

We all know that restoring wetlands is great for Brolga, and we are always keen to talk to landholders about how we can help them restore wetlands on their properties. If you are interested in learning how you can make your wetlands more Brolga friendly please contact Ayesha Burdett – (0429 021 500).