Out on a limb and needing help! (pic - Debbie Lustig)
Orange-bellied parrots breed in Tasmania and migrate to southern Victoria and South Australia between March and September each year to feed mostly on saltmarsh plant seeds. Due to this specialised diet their ‘winter’ range is limited to saltmarsh areas. More than 90% of Victorian saltmarshes have been ‘reclaimed’ for agriculture and other purposes over the past 150 years.
Although noted as “plentiful” on marshy ground in 1848, winter counts in the 1970s raised concerns that the OBP was in serious decline and the Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team was formed in 1983. Despite the efforts of the Team an all-time-low breeding season was recorded in 2010 with the number of adult birds thought to be no more than 50 at that time. At the time of writing, at least 3 OBPs have been recorded on the western shores of Port Phillip during May 2012.
OBPs are known to be easily startled so are best left in peace when feeding. So if you do come across one, don’t try to get too close! Learn more
That’s great to have these recent records but it is a scarily low number of birds. They really need more habitat after their perilous journey. I worry a lot about the plight of many Australian species as agriculture battles mining and habitat is ignored. Thanks for this post as it is still nice to hear such records of these important records.
Thanks for the comment Russell. I can only agree that mining vs agriculture has eclipsed biodiversity in the media. But let’s keep flying the flag for our natural world wherever we can.
I love the Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos and the Tasmanian echidnas. Yes, we need biodiversity in plants and animals. They need habitats to live, original is best.
Thanks for getting in touch Kathy. There’s no doubt that biodiversity provides us with a whole range of essentials to human wellbeing: from fresh air and water to the simple pleasure of waking up with the sound of songbirds each morning.