Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program in Hobart, Tasmania | Community organisation

Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program

Locality: Hobart, Tasmania

Address: 134 Macquarie St 7000 Hobart, TAS, Australia

Website: dpipwe.tas.gov.au/obp

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25.01.2022 An update from the field: Volunteers have so far reported the return of 22 OBPs at Melaleuca 12 males and 10 females. Fifteen of the returning birds this year are wild born birds and 7 are captive-bred birds. These returns have been further supplemented by the recent release of 34 captive-bred individuals with the aim of increasing the number of breeding pairs at Melaleuca (the only breeding site for OBPs). ... Another release trial is underway at nearby New Harbour. This translocation aims to increase the size and extent of the Tasmanian breeding population and test methods for release at more remote locations. ********* Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning South Australian Department for Environment and Water Australian Department of Environment and Energy Charles Sturt University The Australian National University Priam Australia Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park Par Avion BirdLife Australia Zoos Victoria Healesville Sanctuary Adelaide Zoo Wildcare Incorporated Save the Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service

23.01.2022 CAPTIVE-BREEDING UPDATE: The Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program's Captive Management Team have had a bountiful start to the festive season, with OBP nestlings of varying stages of fluff and feathers keeping our team busy! On December 26th our first captive-bred OBP fledgling left the nestbox for the season. This OBP (pictured below) joins a host of captive-bred OBPs that will play a crucial part in the species future survival, both in contributing to the OBP captive insu...rance population and in supplementing wild OBP numbers. A total of 34 OBP breeding pairs have been established at our facilities this year, an increase from last year's 24 pairs. The increase to captive-breeding pairs this year was made possible by the Tasmanian Government's $2.5million investment to expand the OBP captive-breeding program in Tasmania. The investment will double the Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program's captive-breeding capacity from 24 to 48 breeding pairs by 2019/2020 and has already increased captive breeding capacity by nearly 50% this breeding season. (Photo credit L.Bussolini)

22.01.2022 What a great result for the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot this breeding season! Twenty-three birds returned to Melaleuca last spring for the breeding season. Twenty nests were recorded, resulting in 37 wild-born fledglings from a mix of wild-born and captive-bred parents. The purpose-built 5 Mile Beach captive breeding facility produced 105 fledglings in its first full breeding season to help supplement the wild population and prevent the species from becoming... extinct. Birds from DPIPWE and national recovery team partners Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park and Healesville Sanctuary were successfully released at Melaleuca in February and March to join the surviving adults and wild-born fledglings on their migration to the mainland. We estimate more than 100 birds migrated north at the end of the breeding season. Planning for the 2020-21 breeding season has begun and we hope to see an increase in the number of birds returning to Tasmania this spring. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Charles Sturt University The Australian National University Priam Australia Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park Par Avion BirdLife Australia Zoos Victoria Adelaide Zoo WildCare Inc. Save the Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service Environment SA News

22.01.2022 Happy World Migratory Bird Day! The Orange-bellied Parrot is one of only two migratory parrots in the world, and breeds only in Tasmania. Each year after breeding, the Orange-bellied Parrot migrates north to spend the non-breeding season on the south-eastern coast of mainland Australia, returning the following spring to Tasmania to breed again. The budgie-sized birds (20cm long) undertake a journey of more than 500km, leaving south-west Tasmania from February, travelling up ...the coast of western Tasmania and via the Bass Strait Islands to the mainland. After spending winter on the coast, the parrots head south from September, returning to Tasmania to breed. Orange-bellied Parrots are rarely seen during their migration, with fewer than 350 sightings of migrating OBPs ever recorded in Tasmania, and fewer than 10 observations in the past decade. This week, a Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service Field Officer made the exciting discovery of a migrating Orange-bellied Parrot near Marrawah in north-west Tasmania. The bird’s leg bands identified it as Blue S Yellow, a captive-bred juvenile male that hatched at the DPIPWE 5 Mile Beach breeding facility and then was transported to Melaleuca in February 2020, when it was released at nine weeks of age. Last seen at Melaleuca in late March 2020, this bird has travelled about 300km up Tasmania’s west coast from Melaleuca, and still has more than 200km, including a Bass Strait crossing, before reaching mainland Australia. We wish Blue S Yellow all the best on his travels, and hope to see him and many other Orange-bellied Parrots back at Melaleuca next spring.

20.01.2022 The Orange-bellied Parrot (OBP) Recovery Team has some promising news to start the new year. As of January 2020, 23 OBPs are confirmed to have returned to the last known breeding location, Melaleuca, in the last year. For the first time in five years, more than half of these birds are female. An update on population numbers will be available at the end of the breeding season. ... To keep up-to-date and for the latest field update visit the OBP page on the DPIPWE website: https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/conservatio//Latest-Updates.aspx Image credit: Michael Domrose

16.01.2022 Exciting news from the field on today, World Migratory Bird Day! The Orange-bellied Parrot (OBP) Tasmanian Program are encouraged with the news that as of yesterday (11 October 2019) eight OBPs (six males and two females) have been confirmed as returning to the Melaleuca breeding grounds in Tasmania. OBP’s are endemic to south-eastern Australia, spending the breeding season in Tasmania and the non-breeding season along the south-eastern coast of mainland Australia including N...ew South Wales, Victoria and South Australia (although records of confirmed sightings show the majority are along the coastline in south-western Victoria). Typically arriving at their Southwest Tasmania breeding grounds from September, the OBP’s depart at the end of the breeding season with adults tending to migrate north from February onwards while juveniles depart from March and April. Their migration route includes the coast of western Tasmania and King Island. Monitoring of the OBP population in the wild continues with program staff and volunteers currently tracking the number of individuals that return to Melaleuca including taking note of within-season survival and breeding outcomes. In line with the national OBP Recovery Team, population recovery efforts are centred around the release of captive-bred birds to supplement the wild population and boost breeding and fledging success in the wild. As a result of the increased breeding capacity provided by the new breeding facility at Five Mile Beach (currently there are more than 220 birds in the Tasmanian captive population) the total number of captive-bred releases to the wild is planned to increase again this season. The first of several scheduled wild release events was completed earlier this month with 12 OBPs (seven female and five male) released at Melaleuca to join the wild returns. These 12 birds came from our partners at Werribee Open Range Zoo. Further wild releases of adult and juvenile birds are planned for Melaleuca and New Harbour. Before the release of captive-bred birds to the wild, veterinarians screen birds for disease and pathogens. All wild nestlings are also tested for beak and feather disease virus to monitor the prevalence and impact of this virus on the wild population. Image credit Rodney and Julie Gale Four male (two wild born and two captive-born) OBP’s who returned to Melaleuca recently

15.01.2022 More good news from the field! As of 22 October, 16 Orange-bellied Parrots (7 males, 9 females) have returned to Melaleuca. These include 7 wild-born birds over one year of age that have successfully migrated in previous years; 2 wild-born juveniles that were head-started in their first year and have now completed their first migration in their second year; 2 captive-bred adults released at Melaleuca in previous spring releases (one from Priam Australia, one from DPIPWE), and... 5 juvenile release birds (1 from 2019 juvenile release from Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park, and 4 from a 2020 juvenile release from DPIPWE and Healesville Sanctuary). Further wild returns are expected throughout October and November. DPIPWE released 12 Orange-bellied Parrots at Melaleuca on 6 October 7 males and 5 females from Moonlit Sanctuary and Adelaide Zoo. A further 9 Orange-bellied Parrots were released late last week 5 males and 4 females from Werribee Open Range Zoo and DPIPWE. A third release is planned for late this week and will aim to balance the sex ratio after further wild returns.

13.01.2022 We’re not sure how much more excited we can get with the news coming out of Melaleuca this season - 51 Orange-bellied Parrots have now returned for the breeding season! It was forecast that up to 47 birds could return based on how many migrated north at the end of last season so we’re really pleased that 51 birds have returned. Combined with our annual release of captive-bred birds, this brings the number of birds known at Melaleuca to 77, with 39 female and 38 male birds. W...ith such a balanced sex ratio, we are hopeful it will be a productive breeding season. Early signs are encouraging, with birds beginning to pair up and establish nests. The first eggs have been laid in the wild and we expect to see the first nestlings by Christmas. We’re watching closely and look forward to sharing more news soon!

11.01.2022 Great news from the field this week with two more OBPs arriving at Melaleuca, bringing the total to 24 birds. We've now seen 12 males and 12 females return this season, including Silver Silver C, who just completed her first journey across Bass Strait. Check out our partner DELWP's post for more about Silver Silver C.... *Post update - Correction to number of birds arriving at Melaleuca. There was a transcription error, there were a total of 23 OBPs arriving at Melaleuca, not 24 birds as published.

11.01.2022 The birds are back! DPIPWE are delighted to report that five OBPs have made their way back to Melaleuca: Black Black R (M), Red T Pink (M), Silver Black L (F), Silver Red M (M), and an unbanded adult male. Four are wild-born, while one (Red T Pink) was transferred from DPIPWE to Melaleuca in spring 2018. Silver Red M was observed in the Swan Bay area on the Bellarine Peninsula in September 2020. Further wild returns are expected throughout October and November. This season, DPIPWE will release up to 32 captive-bred OBPs at Melaleuca. The first release, of 12 birds, occurred on Tuesday 6/10/20. This release comprises 9 OBPs from Moonlit Sanctuary, and 3 from Adelaide Zoo. Another two releases, including OBPs from Werribee Open Range Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary, and DPIPWE, are planned for the second half of October.

09.01.2022 Today is International Volunteer Day! Here at the Orange-bellied Parrot (OBP) Tasmanian Program we are celebrating our team of 16 hardworking volunteers, helping out at the five mile beach captive breeding facility. Volunteers have been assisting with prepping the OBPs food, cleaning aviaries, collecting browse, growing food plants, and other tasks to ensure a happy and healthy environment for the critically-endangered species.... We are also celebrating our amazing Melaleuca volunteers who help monitor the wild OBP population at the only breeding location for this critically endangered species. Volunteers spend up to four weeks in the rugged southwest of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, observing OBPs and collecting important data to inform the conservation efforts of the Department and the Orange Bellied Parrot Recovery Team. Big thanks to all our volunteers, we appreciate all your time and effort for such an important cause. Image: OBP Volunteers Patrick and Liz preparing food for the OBPs.

09.01.2022 Farewell, good luck and see you next year to the juvenile OBPs of the first juvenile release cohort of the 2018/2019 season! In close cooperation with our partners from Moonlit Sanctuary, the OBP Tasmanian Program released 7 captive bred juveniles at Melaleuca in the beginning of February. Although young animals are less experienced than adults, they were selected for a release because they may also be more adaptable to new conditions. As juveniles spend less time in captiv...ity, there is less time for them to become dependent on captive conditions. This is the second time juveniles have been released in autumn to join the wild OBPs in Melaleuca for migration north. Of the 15 juveniles released in 2018, 4 have returned to Melaleuca this season, successfully migrating across the Bass Strait twice. Two of these juveniles came from Moonlit Sanctuary, the other two from our captive breeding partners at Healesville Sanctuary. See more

09.01.2022 Research shows efforts to protect the Orange-bellied Parrot in their sole breeding site in Tasmania are preventing extinction in the wild but are not resulting in the population growth we need to see for species recovery because many birds are dying during migration and in winter. While this is not the outcome we are working towards, the research will help shape the conservation work undertaken by the Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program and our National Recovery Team partners. We will continue to work collaboratively to try to learn more about what happens to these tiny parrots during their journey across Bass Strait and their winters foraging on the mainland and how we might protect them.

08.01.2022 We are excited to report that the Orange-bellied Parrots keep on coming! As at 16 November 2020 there have been 47 returns to Melaleuca: 22 males and 25 females. We are also pleased to report a high survival rate for captive-bred Orange-bellied Parrots released to the wild, with 26 of 31 birds released this spring surviving the translocation. In total, there are currently 73 Orange-bellied Parrots known to be alive at Melaleuca: 36 males and 37 females.... In the past week, all new arrivals have been inexperienced migrants in their first year, typically the last to return from their winter migration, so we are expecting the return rate to start to slow after this week but with new arrivals still possible through November. Fingers crossed for a few more arrivals to meet 50 wild returns, and a successful start to breeding. This week we also bid farewell to our DPIPWE Orange-bellied Parrot Program volunteers Sally and Michael Simco. Sally and Michael finish up four weeks of monitoring at Melaleuca on Wednesday. During this time they have confirmed the arrival of an incredible 32 individual birds and monitored the survival of the 31 released birds no easy task with crowded feed tables and constantly moving birds! Volunteers play a vital role in our on-ground monitoring and management, and we are very grateful for the efforts of all our volunteers past, present and future.

07.01.2022 Fancy a few weeks in Tasmania’s great outdoors monitoring our wild population of Orange-bellied parrots? Join the roster of enthusiastic volunteers at Melaleuca in the remote south-west Tasmania from September to April to support the project to save this critically endangered species. Volunteers work in pairs observing and recording birds, providing food, cleaning feed tables and other tasks.... You’ll need to be the outdoorsy type. The weather can be challenging and hut accommodation is basic. But you’ll be rewarded with getting close up and personal with the OBP and other birds of Melaleuca, stunning landscapes, and a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the remote Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. What about COVID-19? The OBP volunteer program will be conducted in accordance with the Tasmanian Government’s COVID-19 Safe Workplaces Framework. This includes the Department’s COVID-19 Safe Plan, Volunteer Activity Risk Assessment, and a Site Plan for Melaleuca. Volunteers should also ensure they are familiar with the current quarantine and border control restrictions, prior to submitting an expression of interest. Given the current border control restrictions, Tasmanian residents are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about volunteering or to apply, visit www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/volunteer

07.01.2022 Calling all gardeners and bird lovers: the new captive breeding facility at Five Mile Beach needs your enthusiasm and skills. Volunteer for a range of activities to help our critically endangered Orange-bellied parrots thrive in their new enclosure near Hobart airport. You can help with feeding, cleaning, observations and record keeping, as well as maintaining the new landscape plantings, preparing foraging gardens, weeding, propagation, potting and watering.... For more information and selection criteria visit https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au//orange-bellied-p/latest-updates Applications close 25 July 2019.

04.01.2022 Celebrating National Volunteer Week 2020 This week, right across Australia, people are celebrating the extraordinary contributions made by Volunteers. The Depar...tment of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE), is fortunate to work alongside thousands of skilled and hardworking volunteers right across Tasmania. Volunteers, who care deeply for what makes Tasmania a beautiful place to live and visit. To all of the DPIPWE Volunteers who work with us to protect the biodiversity and cultural heritage of Tasmania, including those who welcome visitors, provide tours and education, support sustainable fisheries, care for parks and reserves, and contribute to our many flora and fauna conservation programs - Thank you! Your contributions and commitment make a real difference to assist preserve the uniqueness of Tasmania for future generations. Currently, many of our volunteer programs are on ‘hold’, but we look forward to welcoming you back, as soon as it is safe to do so, and in accordance with Public Health Advice and the Tasmanian Government’s COVID-19 Safe Workplaces Framework. For now, we encourage our volunteers to refer to the information on the DPIPWE website, which will be regularly updated as we continue to improve our volunteer management approaches, including promoting new opportunities to get involved! Please refer to www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/about-the-depa/volunteering-at-dpipwe #NVW2020 #coastcare Wildcare Incorporated NRM North NRM South Cradle Coast NRM Landcare Tasmania #bushcare #localgovernment

03.01.2022 We have some very exciting news to share! As of Monday 9 November, 40 Orange-bellied Parrots have returned to Melaleuca. This is the highest number in 10 years, with the previous highest number being 35 in the 2014-15 season. Twenty-three of the birds that have returned so far this season are female and 17 are male. Including the three recent spring releases of captive-bred birds to supplement the wild population, there are known to be 59 birds at Melaleuca - 31 females and... 28 males. This bodes well for a good breeding season in the wild population. More birds are expected to continue arriving at Melaleuca during November. In other exciting news, the breeding program at the Wildlife Management Facility at 5 Mile Beach is in full swing. There are 48 pairs of birds, the full breeding capacity of the facility, in the breeding banks and the birds have started laying eggs. We’ll provide more updates in coming weeks, so stay tuned!

02.01.2022 We have very good news from Melaleuca! As at 2/11/2020, our volunteers have reported the return of 27 OBPs 10 males and 17 females. This is a great result so far, the second highest number of returns in over a decade. To reach the ten year record, we need to exceed the 35 that returned in 2014/15 so only nine to go! The returns so far include: Nine wild-born birds >1 year of age that have successfully migrated in previous years... Two wild-born juveniles that were head-started in their first year and have now completed their first migration in their second year; One wild-born juvenile that was head-started in its first year, ranched in its second year and has now completed its first migration in its third year; Two captive-bred adults released at Melaleuca in previous spring releases (one from Priam in 2017, one from DPIPWE in 2018); One captive-bred adult released at New Harbour in spring 2019 (from Healesville); Eleven juvenile release birds (one from 2019 juvenile release from Moonlit, and 10 from 2020 juvenile release from DPIPWE, Moonlit and Healesville); One wild born bird <1 year of age on first successful migration. The most recent returns have included experienced adults as well as inexperienced first-time migrants, so there is still plenty of time for more wild returns, which are expected throughout November. We are also pleased to report that spring releases are now complete. A total of 31 OBPs (17 males, 14 females) were released in three events, with birds from Adelaide Zoo (3), Moonlit Sanctuary (9), Werribee Open Range Zoo (2), Healesville Sanctuary (4) and DPIPWE (13) joining the wild returns at Melaleuca. Indications from release events 1 and 2 are of a successful outcome so far, with 19 of 21 OBPs surviving the two-week translocation period. Thanks to the captive institution managers, keepers, and vets for their hard work getting the birds release ready, we’re looking forward to seeing what they do next! Photo: Wildlife Biologist Dr Shannon Troy releases an OBP into the pre-release aviary at Melaleuca during the third and final spring release at Melaleuca for 2020. Picture by Sally Simco (DPIPWE volunteer)

02.01.2022 Not much has changed at Melaleuca this week but we’re happy to share that the first Orange-bellied Parrot chicks have hatched at our Five Mile Beach wildlife management facility. Twenty-five chicks have hatched so far and there are still lots of eggs being laid. The facility is operating at full capacity so we’re expecting a large number of chicks to hatch over the next couple of months. At Melaleuca, there are 76 birds known to be alive. Sadly, one of the spring release bird...s has died. Green y Silver was a captive-bred bird from DPIPWE but the cause of death is unknown at this stage, with initial necropsy and pathology work showing no obvious abnormality. Overall, the sex ratio at Melaleuca is balanced with 38 females and 38 males, so we remain hopeful it will be a productive breeding season. The weather forecast reduces the likelihood of more arrivals over the coming week or so, but check back soon for our next update.