28 captive-bred orange-bellied parrots have been released into Tasmania’s wild, ahead of what experts predict will be the largest-ever winter migration of the endangered bird species.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is leading the annual juvenile release program at Melaleuca in the state’s south-west, with the birds set to fly north to Victoria for the winter.
A record 92 birds returned to Melaleuca after their winter migration last year.
According to Environment Minister Madeleine Ogilvie, experts expect over 200 orange-bellied parrots to migrate this year, which would set a new record.
“That’s a remarkable turnaround compared to the 2015-16 breeding season, when only 15 nestlings were produced and an estimated 35 birds migrated north,” she said.
Ogilvie says younger birds are less accustomed to life in captivity, which means they are more likely to learn important survival skills from wild birds.
“In many ways, Melaleuca is a type of pre-school for birds,” she said.
“While these results are promising, we’re not taking anything for granted and are continuing to support the complex and innovative efforts to save the orange-bellied parrot.”
$2.5 million has been invested by the state government in the Five Mile Beach Captive Management Facility, which opened in 2019 and allows birds to be bred for release into the wild or to add to the captive insurance population.
$1.3 million was also invested in the 2023-24 state budget for upgrades of the facility and the OBP Migration Tracking Project, which aims to better understand the migratory patterns of the bird.
