LAST CHIRP
ORIGINAL SOURCE AND IMAGE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, LAND, WATER AND PLANNING VICTORIAFIFTEEN CAPTIVE-BRED Orange-bellied
Parrots, released at two locations between
Werribee and Geelong, Victoria, in April
this year, hold the hopes of their species.
The Orange-bellied Parrot is one of
Australia's most threatened species. This
is only the second time since 2004 that
Orange-bellied Parrots have been released
on the Australian mainland.
And new radio transmitting technology
is tracking every move that the little grass
parrots make over about three months
from their release.
The species naturally migrates between
the mainland and Tasmania, spending
summer breeding in Tasmania and winter
in coastal Victoria and South Australia.
Project manager Rachel Pritchard said
Orange-bellied Parrots about to fl y free near the Western Treatment Plant, Victoria in April
the population in the wild had dwindled
to just 50.
‘Orange-bellied Parrots are so close
to extinction in the wild, we have to try a
lot of diff erent ideas all at the same time,
because we've got a short bit of time to
fi nd the things that work best,’ she said.
Already sightings have recorded other
wild birds joining the fl ock, supporting
one of the goals of this project to see if
fl ocking behaviour of wild birds would
improve by establishing small fl ocks from
released birds.
It is hoped the captive birds will help
those migrating to survive the winter in
Victoria before setting out back across
Bass Strait together for the summer
breeding season.When the reverse was tried, releasing
adult birds in the Tasmanian breeding
area, they initially did well but failed to
migrate well.
This is the fi rst time the birds have
been asked to make their way from the
mainland back to the breeding area, at
which only 19 wild birds arrived last year.
A transmitter weighing less than a
gram is fi tted onto the tail of the captive-
released birds, each of which has an
individual frequency which is sent to a
receiver as soon as the bird starts fl ying.
The birds are being monitored by a
large team of scientists, researchers and
volunteers and, once the transmitters
stop, it will be back to traditional bird-
watching skills.
Staff from Werribee Open Range Zoo
(WORZ), which bred four of the released
birds, have been instrumental in the
release, preparing and health-testing the
birds prior to release, helping to set up
the aviaries at the release site and then
caring for the birds, and assisting with
tracking and monitoring in the wild.
Public sightings of Orange-bellied
Parrots in the release area (wild and
released) and public inquiries about
the project should go to OBP.Release@
delwp.vic.gov.au.
Check this link of the footage of the
release
https://www.facebook.com/
DELWPBarwonSouthWest/
videos/1677820078979098/ or view on
BirdKeeper Facebook and our Beak
Speak blog at http://www.birdkeeper.com.au.CAPTIVE-BRED
Orange-bellied Parrot
RELEASE COULD SAVE THE SPECIES
CALL: +44 (0)1273 464777 EMAIL: [email protected]
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