Successful Breeding Leads Orange-Bellied Parrots North

Nick Duigan,

The Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program has recorded a record-breaking number of fledglings this breeding season.

Minister for Parks and Environment, Nick Duigan said 74 fledglings were produced from 33 nest-boxes.

"This is the highest number and proportion of nests recorded in the wild since monitoring began in 1993," Minister Duigan said.

"Eighteen captive-bred adult parrots were released for breeding in spring, and 40 captive-bred juveniles were released in late summer ahead of migration.

"It is estimated 188 Orange-bellied Parrots have migrated from Melaleuca at the end of the breeding season."

These successful numbers follow a record-breaking number of birds returning to Melaleuca last year.

The Tasmanian Liberal Government is committed to the protection, monitoring, and management of the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrots.

"This Government has provided funding for a two-year project which tracks the parrots during their migration over the non-breeding period. This project commenced in late summer this year," Minister Duigan said.

VHF nanotags were attached to 46 of the birds to track their migration.

"These tiny tags emit a signal that is detected by a network of 20 receiver towers that have been installed along the migration flyway of Orange-bellied parrots across the West Coast of Tasmania and Bass Strait Islands," Minister Duigan said.

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