Four Orange-bellied Parrots have arrived back at their breeding grounds in Tasmania’s far south-west, marking the start of the annual migration for the critically endangered species.
Environment Minister Nick Duigan said two of the four parrots are wild-born from 2019, one is a captive-bred juvenile released in 2022 and the other is a Tasmanian captive-bred adult released this spring.
“In the coming weeks, captive-bred adult Orange-bellied Parrots will be released at Melaleuca to supplement the number of breeding pairs in the wild population,” he said.
The parrots undertake an annual migration of over 1,000km between their breeding grounds in Melaleuca and wintering grounds in Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay.
The species is listed as critically endangered, with only around 50 remaining in the wild.
The Tasmanian Government’s Orange-bellied Parrot Program has installed nest boxes at Melaleuca and surrounding areas in preparation for the upcoming breeding season.
“In 2023-24, the Government provided $1.3 million over two years for tracking birds during their migration and maintaining critical infrastructure at the Five Mile Beach captive breeding facility,” Duigan said.
The funding is on top of the $2.5 million already provided to build the facility, which boosts the captive population and allows more birds to be released into the wild each year.
This season’s return of parrots comes after the program had a record-breaking breeding season earlier this year, with 74 fledglings produced.
