The vibrant, critically endangered Orange-Bellied Parrot of Australia is only about 50 birds and three to five years away from extinction, but most have never heard of it.
A Unique Bird Adapted to a Very Specific Lifestyle
These small ‘grass parrots’ only grow to about 45-50 grams (about a tenth of a pound) and around 21 centimeters (just over eight inches) in length. Truly, the only “big” thing about Orange-Bellied Parrots is their coloring. They are splashed with vibrant shades of green, yellow, blue, and of course, orange. Their plumage closely resembles that of other native Australian parrots—particularly blue-winged parrots, which are often mistaken as orange-bellieds.
This species is endemic to southeastern Australia, where, unlike most parrots, they migrate between the mainland and Tasmania every year. It’s a fascinating journey, made with the intention of getting laid—eggs, that is. While their southward migration to Tasmanian breeding grounds is direct and quick, their return to the mainland is broken up, with stopovers at King Island and surrounding areas. Despite these behavioral differences, the birds always follow the same route to and from each location.
Orange-bellied parrots forage on the ground amongst short vegetation, feeding almost exclusively on the seeds and fruits of sedges, as well as those of salt-tolerant, aquatic plants and grasses. The abundance of their main food sources is largely reliant on specific fire regimes, with optimal conditions found in areas that have not burned for three to fifteen years.
Beauty and the Beast
The one thing that nearly all threatened, endangered, and recently extinct species have in common is humans. The impacts of sprawling human civilization have claimed habitat, introduced exotic species, and changed whole landscapes, sending many native, endemic organisms into a tail spin all over the world. The same holds true for the now critically endangered Orange-Bellied Parrot.
Although most noticeable in saltmarsh ecosystems, the loss, degradation, and fragmentation of their habitat has occurred throughout their range. In fact, their breeding grounds in Tasmania have been reduced to only a single location, in Melaleuca.
Additionally, the introduction of exotic plants and animals, concurrent with the movements of humans, has rapidly altered the structure and composition of the ecosystems used by the orange-bellied parrot. Invasive weeds–some being toxic to these animals, if ingested–now dominate much of their habitats, decreasing the abundance of and accessibility to native vegetation that the birds rely on for food.
They are also forced to compete with introduced animals for increasingly limited food sources and nesting sites, including creatures like European greenfinches and goldfinches, house sparrows, starlings, rabbits, hares, and house mice. The tiny parrots have also been preyed on by non-native predators, such as red foxes and domestic cats.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?
Though once considered locally abundant, orange bellied-parrots have undergone a steady decline for the last 90 years as a result of these factors. Researchers say the entire population has consistently been below 200 individuals since the early ‘80s. Only an estimated 50 persist in the wild, today.
Experts have concluded that, if current trends continue, we will witness the loss of this species within the next three to five years.
Bird Fanatics to the Rescue
Upon noticing the dramatic reduction in the bird’s numbers, researchers began monitoring the population in the late ‘70s and the Orange-Bellied Parrot Recovery Team was established in 1980. Four years later, an official Action Plan was introduced for the conservation of this species—the first of its kind in Australia!
Captive Populations Also Threatened
Most unfortunately, it now seems even the captive populations are under threat. Only six parrots were collected from the wild to begin the breeding programs over 25 years ago, which limited the genetic diversity of their descendants. As a result, these groups are now showing signs of inbreeding.
In recognizing the urgency of increasing and improving the captive gene pool, efforts are already underway to collect birds from the wild. However, careful consideration is being given to how this is done, in order to avoid negatively impacting the delicate, wild population.
Are Orange-Bellied Parrots Doomed?
While some may say we should throw in the towel and call it a night, there is still hope for this species. Giving up on these beautiful birds would be ecologically irresponsible. Passionate people have been able to save species from the brink of extinction before.
How Can You Help?
Photo credit: Chris Tzaros
Ever heard of the Orange-Bellied Parrot? Most haven’t. It’s one of the rarest birds in the world and can only be found in the great Down Under. One of only three parrots on our planet known to migrate annually, these boldly colored beauties may soon be known only from text books, much like the dodo bird. Despite rigorous conservation efforts, their numbers continue to plummet and now, even the captive population is threatened. Will the Orange-Bellied Parrot join Oceania’s Christmas Island Pipistrelle, Tasmanian Tiger, Pig-Footed Bandicoot, Laughing Owl, and Southern Gastric Brooding Frog on the list of little known species that are now gone forever?
The extinct Pig-footed Bandicoot, a mounted museum specimen (photo credit: Eric Woods)
A Unique Bird Adapted to a Very Specific Lifestyle
These small ‘grass parrots’ only grow to about 45-50 grams (about a tenth of a pound) and around 21 centimeters (just over eight inches) in length. Truly, the only “big” thing about Orange-Bellied Parrots is their coloring. They are splashed with vibrant shades of green, yellow, blue, and of course, orange. Their plumage closely resembles that of other native Australian parrots—particularly blue-winged parrots, which are often mistaken as orange-bellieds.
Arrows point to Orange-Bellied Parrots, flying amongst similar-looking Blue-Winged Parrots (Photo credit: B. McPherson)
Orange-bellied parrots forage on the ground amongst short vegetation, feeding almost exclusively on the seeds and fruits of sedges, as well as those of salt-tolerant, aquatic plants and grasses. The abundance of their main food sources is largely reliant on specific fire regimes, with optimal conditions found in areas that have not burned for three to fifteen years.
Photo credit: Geoff Jones
Their specialized diet restricts them to select habitats where such forage can be found. Where the birds overwinter on mainland Australia, these include saltmarshes, sand dunes, beaches, pastures, and shrublands—always within a few clicks from the shoreline. At their breeding grounds in Tasmania, they are found in mixed forests near highland plains, where they nest in tree hollows.Photo credit: Justin McManus
Beauty and the Beast
The one thing that nearly all threatened, endangered, and recently extinct species have in common is humans. The impacts of sprawling human civilization have claimed habitat, introduced exotic species, and changed whole landscapes, sending many native, endemic organisms into a tail spin all over the world. The same holds true for the now critically endangered Orange-Bellied Parrot.
Photo credit: Andrew Pritchard
These birds was once hunted for sport and, for a period of time leading up to the 1960s, were also plucked from the wild for the exotic bird trade. Yet, a bigger threat has persisted. An explosion of agricultural, industrial, and residential development that began in the 1920s has taken over much of their restricted habitat throughout their range. What’s been left has largely been degraded by these and other human activities.Although most noticeable in saltmarsh ecosystems, the loss, degradation, and fragmentation of their habitat has occurred throughout their range. In fact, their breeding grounds in Tasmania have been reduced to only a single location, in Melaleuca.
Additionally, the introduction of exotic plants and animals, concurrent with the movements of humans, has rapidly altered the structure and composition of the ecosystems used by the orange-bellied parrot. Invasive weeds–some being toxic to these animals, if ingested–now dominate much of their habitats, decreasing the abundance of and accessibility to native vegetation that the birds rely on for food.
A researcher studies vegetation at an orange-bellied parrot foraging site (Photo credit: Mark Holdsworth)
European starlings have been introduced all over the world and frequently outcompete native bird species for food and nesting sites, including orange-bellied parrots.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?
Though once considered locally abundant, orange bellied-parrots have undergone a steady decline for the last 90 years as a result of these factors. Researchers say the entire population has consistently been below 200 individuals since the early ‘80s. Only an estimated 50 persist in the wild, today.
Photo credit: Justin McManus
Unfortunately, the less than favorable conditions of the bird’s little remaining habitat have had severe consequences for the population and appears to be impacting their ability to reproduce. The past two years have been particularly alarming for conservationists, as they’ve yielded the lowest breeding rates on record for this species.
Photo credit: David Boyle
Although the birds continue to migrate to Melaleuca, the number of successfully breeding females has taken a steep nosedive. This is thought to be a direct result of reduced habitat quality throughout their range and may, particularly, be driven by limited food availability and competition for nesting sites. Only twelve young are known to have fledged in each of the last two years. Tragically, this has caused further declines for the overall population.
Photo credit: Dave Watts
At this point, every remaining individual and every addition to the population is critically important to the future of the orange-bellied parrot. Even just a few deaths will have significant repercussions for the species. Their numbers are now so few that any chance event—such as a natural disaster, an introduced disease, or any major and rapid climatic changes—could easily result in their immediate extinction.Experts have concluded that, if current trends continue, we will witness the loss of this species within the next three to five years.
Photo credit: Julian Robinson
Bird Fanatics to the Rescue
Upon noticing the dramatic reduction in the bird’s numbers, researchers began monitoring the population in the late ‘70s and the Orange-Bellied Parrot Recovery Team was established in 1980. Four years later, an official Action Plan was introduced for the conservation of this species—the first of its kind in Australia!
Photo credit: Julian Robinson
Since then, the team has been working alongside Birds Australia and the South Australian Orange-Bellied Parrot Habitat Protection and Restoration Project for the future of these animals. With the help of dedicated volunteers, they’ve carried out regular surveys of the feathered beauties and have intensively managed their habitat, especially in Melaleuca. In recent years, these teams have been focusing on protecting and rehabilitating mainland parrot habitats, as well.
Photo credit: Julie Hennessy
They’ve also provided extra food and nesting boxes at breeding grounds for many years. However, since observing the concerning downward trends in the parrots’ reproductive rates over the past two years, they’ve begun supplementary feeding year round, throughout the species’ range—in Tasmania, at migration stopovers, and on mainland Australia. They hope this will help to offset the factors challenging reproduction.
Photo credit: Janet de Morgan
In 1985, a captive breeding program was set up with the goal of releasing birds to boost the numbers in the wild. Today, there are three facilities actively involved in these efforts. The breeding centers are located at the Adelaide Zoo, Victoria Zoo’s Healesville Sanctuary, and a third is in Hobart, Tasmania. The process has proven to be difficult, due to low fertility rates and chick survivability. However, hundreds of birds have been a released as a result of these programs.
Photo credit: Justin McManus
Without the committed work of all of the people involved in the efforts to save the orange-bellied parrot, it’s almost certain the species would’ve been lost already. Many people have given their lives to these birds and have made tremendous personal sacrifices to do so.
Photo credit: Julian Robinson
Captive Populations Also Threatened
Most unfortunately, it now seems even the captive populations are under threat. Only six parrots were collected from the wild to begin the breeding programs over 25 years ago, which limited the genetic diversity of their descendants. As a result, these groups are now showing signs of inbreeding.
Photo via ABC News
As you can imagine, releasing genetically-challenged birds will serve no benefit for wild populations and could certainly do more harm than good. In order to maintain long-term genetic viability, experts recommend using 25-30 individuals as founders for captive breeding programs. With the current circumstances surrounding the reproduction of wild orange-bellied parrots, appropriately obtaining individuals to add to the captive gene pool is quite a challenge.
In recognizing the urgency of increasing and improving the captive gene pool, efforts are already underway to collect birds from the wild. However, careful consideration is being given to how this is done, in order to avoid negatively impacting the delicate, wild population.
Photo credit: Dave Watts
Are Orange-Bellied Parrots Doomed?
While some may say we should throw in the towel and call it a night, there is still hope for this species. Giving up on these beautiful birds would be ecologically irresponsible. Passionate people have been able to save species from the brink of extinction before.
Photo credit: Simon de Salis
Die-hard conservationists were able to thwart the extinction of the Mauritian Parakeet, when a maximum of only eight individuals remained just over 30 years ago. Thanks to their committed efforts, there are now over 500 of these birds and their numbers continue to grow. (Read more about the Mauritian Parakeet here.)
Mauritian Parakeet (Photo credit: Shane McPherson)
Indeed, the migratory nature of the imperiled Australian beauties and the factors synergistically working against them prove quite a challenge for their future. Yet all hope is not lost. The fat lady won’t sing until the very last Orange-Bellied Parrot has ceased to exist. So, we must press onward and do all that we can to keep her loud mouth shut!Photo credit: Inger Vandyke
How Can You Help?
- Live in Australia? Traveling to Australia? Volunteer! The Orange-Bellied Parrot organizations and projects need help all the help they can get. You may be able to assist with surveys, rehabilitate habitat, hang nest boxes, or any of the many other things these organizations need assistance with. It’s not always the easiest job, but it is definitely worth the effort! In the most recent survey, volunteers exhausted themselves trying to spot these birds and were able to see six—that’s over 10% of the whole population! Imagine having the opportunity to see one of these extraordinary parrots with your very own eyes. Surveys are a critical part of the conservation actions for these birdies.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit Birds Australia HERE.
- Encourage local schools to get involved! Schools that visit Victoria’s Healesville Sanctuary are eligible to participate in a plant propagation project that benefits these critically endangered birds. Kids will learn about these animals and will be given the tools needed to grow their native food plants. When the seedlings are ready, the Sanctuary will take them back and use them to help save the species! Don’t live anywhere near Victoria? No problem. Use the net to look up schools in the area, email them information about the plant propagation project, and encourage them to get involved. Propagation kits do cost a little bit of money to cover the expenses of the materials within them. Maybe you want to offer the money to a school to sponsor the project? Or maybe schools outside Australia (or outside Victoria) can do fundraisers to sponsor the project? Kids helping kids, and learning about endangered species at the same time!
Click here to learn more about the ‘Planting for Parrots’ project.
- Donate! Funding is absolutely imperative to the conservation of these birds. If you can help—even with only $5 or $10—DO IT! Click hereto support Birds Australia, or here to support Bird Observation & Conservation Australia.
- Raise awareness about Orange-Bellied Parrots! How many of you knew about these birds before you started reading this article? Think about the countless others who’ve never even heard of this species. Share this link everywhere you can and motivate others to do the same. Pay it forward for parrots! Reach even more people by participating in our simple, yet fun, Walking on Wildlife campaign! It’s requires little time, few materials, your creativity and passion, and it puts the message in full view of the public. Try an attention-grabbing line, like: “Only 50 Orange-Bellied Parrots left! ” or “Orange-Bellied Parrots may be extinct in 3-5 years! ”
Click HERE to learn how to do Bush Warriors Walking on Wildlife!
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Australia’s Western Ground Parrot: Will it Survive the Ravages of Introduced Predators and Bushfires?
Cape Parrot in Peril: Disease Could Bring Extinction for Africa’s Most Endangered Parrot
Feathered Extinction: Habitat Loss and Illegal Trade Threaten Doom for Africa’s Parrots
