Orange-bellied Parrots are on their way

Posted at 29 Apr 2025 at 11:08h in News, OBP Recovery by
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It’s that time of year when the Orange-bellied Parrot (OBP) makes its migration back to mainland Australia from its breeding grounds in Tasmania. At the time of writing there are no confirmed sightings of OBPs on the mainland for the season yet, but that first email could come any day now.

In December, once the birds have arrived back at Melaleuca, Tasmania, to breed, volunteers record the number of birds that have arrived. Last December (2024) 92 OBP were confirmed. That’s 10 more than the previous years, and the highest number of returnees in 17 years. So there’s no better time to get out there and search for an OBP.
Volunteers are needed to search for the parrots at the following locations:

  • South Australia
  • Southwest Victoria (SA Border to Warrnambool)
  • Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria
  • Port Phillip Bay/Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
  • Western Port and Bass Coast, Victoria
  • South and West Gippsland, Victoria
Orange-bellied Parrot at their summer breeding grounds, Melaleuca Tasmania. Photo: Huon Douglas

In the coming months Jess will be holding a couple of ID workshops in southwest Victoria, and there will be opportunities for online workshops as well.

This years survey weekends are:

  • May 17 & 18
  • July 26 & 27
  • September 13 & 14

If you would like to take part in any surveys in southwest Victoria or take part in the ID workshops, please get in touch with Jess by email via

The OBP project is supported by the Victorian Government’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action

Jess Bourchier