Last month, 7 captive-bred male Plains-wanderers were released into native grasslands at Terrick Terrick National Park, in a carefully planned effort to protect one of Australia's most endangered native birds from extinction.
Parks Victoria completed the release in partnership with Zoos Victoria and Barapa Land and Water, as part of broader conservation efforts to support the recovery of the population.
One of the world's most unique birds at risk of extinction
The Plains-wanderer is the last surviving member of an ancient lineage, with no close living relatives anywhere on Earth.
This means that if the species goes extinct, an entire branch of bird evolution – spanning millions of years – would disappear with it.
Unfortunately, the risk of extinction is very real. More than 85% of the population has been lost in recent decades, and fewer than 1,000 birds are thought to remain in the wild.
The main driver of this decline has been the loss of native grasslands, much of which has been converted for agriculture or development, invaded by weeds, or impacted by a changing climate.
Introduced predators have made matters worse. Plains-wanderers' natural defence is to stay still and blend into the grass – a strategy that offers little protection against foxes and cats, who can easily sniff them out.
Together, these factors saw the Plains-wanderer ranked #1 globally for evolutionary distinctiveness and extinction risk in an international review of more than 8,000 bird species.
Birds with very specific habitat needs
Plains-wanderers are notoriously fussy about where they live. They need open native grasslands that closely resemble their original habitat – grass that isn't too dense, too sparse, too tall or too short.
In Victoria, less than 1% of this original grassland habitat remains.
Terrick Terrick National Park was chosen because it contains one of the last remaining examples of this habitat type in the state.
Parks Victoria plays a key role in maintaining these grasslands, using ecological grazing to keep conditions within the narrow range the species depends on.
The 7 males were bred across multiple facilities through Zoos Victoria's conservation breeding program, which has been running since 2017.
Each bird was fitted with a small radio transmitter so teams can monitor how they move and settle in the wild.A bird standing in a fieldAI-generated content may be incorrect.
Why release 7 males?
A unique trait of this species is that the females are larger, more brightly marked, and take the lead in initiating reproduction.
Females may mate with multiple males in a season, after which they leave each male to incubate the eggs and raise the chicks alone.
Home to one of the species' few remaining wild populations, Terrick Terrick National Park was chosen in the hope that these 7 males will attract the interest of resident females and encourage new breeding activity to strengthen the population.
What happens next?
Monitoring will continue over the coming months as the released birds settle into their new environment.
This release is one part of a broader conservation approach that includes habitat management, predator control, ongoing monitoring and long-term collaboration between partners.
While the Plains-wanderer remains critically endangered, targeted efforts like this offer cautious optimism for the survival of these unique and fascinating birds.
Learn more about Parks Victoria's conservation work across the state.
Read Australian Geographic's article about last month's release.
