Wrapping up the 2020 OBP season

The days are getting longer and the Orange-bellied Parrots are slowly making their way back to Tasmania. Despite the challenges of 2020 we’ve had a great OBP winter season.

We would like to thank everyone involved. Without you we would not have had a confirmed sighting in our region. Without you we would not have been able to cover as much ground as we did. Without you we would not have identified as many new survey sites as we did.

All reporting of possible sightings gives us a chance to find and explore new habitat and we are looking forward to next season when we’re hopefully less restricted and can be out and about surveying old and new priority sites.

Although the season is coming to an end, it is not too late to still be out there looking for OBPs. While the birds will slowly make their way back to their breeding grounds in Melaleuca, they could still have a stopover and a last feed near you before they’re heading off on their big journey across Bass Strait.

If you are not confident that you can identify an Orange-bellied Parrot have a look at the following ID video we’ve created, below. This video will teach you what you have to look for when you see a parrot in the wild. It might also get you interested in joining the OBP community in south-west Victoria for the next winter season. And it should make you more confident if you are new to the bird-watching community and just not sure how to tell different Neophema species apart.

If you would like to stay informed about what is happening in the world of the little green parrots, send us an email and I’ll add you to the project email list. You’ll be the first person to find out about how you can get involved in OBP surveys in south-west Victoria in 2021.

Thanks again for everyone’s support and enthusiasm and see you all for the next season!

The OBP project is supported by Glenelg Hopkins CMA and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

Nicole Mojonnier