The fight for survival: creating a future for the orange-bellied parrot

By AINSLEY KOCH

The bold colors of an orange-bellied parrot  are striking as it roosts on a branch in Tasmania’s southwest.

Feathers in bright shades of green, blue and yellow, and a vivid orange stomach are what set these stunning birds apart from the rest, for those who are lucky enough to catch a glimpse.

Unfortunately, the future of this parrot is uncertain, with habitat loss and native predators pushing this once-flourishing species towards possible extinction.

Listed as critically endangered since the 1980s, the orange-bellied parrot is ranked among the Siberian tiger, giant panda and whooping crane as the most rare and endangered creatures in the world.

 While exact numbers are not known, it is now clear there are fewer left than first thought. The founder of the group Save the Orange-Bellied Parrot, Debbie Lustig, is passionate about their conservation.

“There was always an assumption that there were around 150-200 birds left in the wild. We conducted an intensive study to find the birds, but we couldn’t find them, so numbers were changed from an estimated 150-200 to 50,” Ms Lustig says.

A significant population decline in the 1970s prompted Ms Lustig to create the orange-bellied parrot recovery team in 1983, and the first recovery plan was made soon after. Varying factors have contributed to population decline, including habitat loss, illness, predation and toxic plants.

Among these factors, beak and feather disease has had a recent and drastic detrimental effect. Infected birds rarely survive the illness, particularly in the wild. In February it was discovered about two-thirds of the species had contracted the disease.

“Beak and feather disease has killed off much of the species, it is like testing positive to AIDS,” Ms Lustig says.

Birdlife Australia research and conservation officer Chris Purnell says losing native species is all too common in Australia.

“We have such a bad record in Australia for losing species so it would be a shame to lose another,” Mr Purnell says.

Not only has the species been listed as critically endangered, but its habitat has been listed as a "threatened community" by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. With the birds’ native habitat of coastal saltmarsh facing destruction, the species is left with little land to forage and breed on.

“In some cases, alterations to coastal saltmarsh and the hydrology that influences them has precluded birds from using these habitats for over a decade,” Mr Purnell says.

The birds migrate from their breeding ground around Melaleuca in remote southwest Tasmania, to areas rich in coastal saltmarsh throughout southern Victoria and South Australia during winter. The long and turbulent trip across Bass Strait often means they do not make the trip. 

Inbreeding is an issue for the species, due to the small breeding area and the tiny population. Resulting mutations have reduced survival rates and significantly affected  fertility. Increased pressure from invasive species, including foxes and feral cats, is also causing problems.

Despite the uncertain future of the species, there has been a positive increase in the number of orange-bellied parrots returning to Melaleuca to breed in the past year. At least 35 birds returned for the 2014/15 breeding season, a slight increase from the 25 per year since 2010.

Friends of the Orange Bellied Parrot group president and recovery team member Mark Holdsworth says the species will survive.

“The bird will not go fully extinct. It may in the wild but it will always exist in captivity,” he says.

Ironically, climate change might help the bird survive in the wild, if it lasts long enough.

“The OBP's native habitat of coastal saltmarsh will spread with changes in sea levels, and it is sad because the OBP might not be around to take advantage of that,”  Mr Holdsworth says.

While numbers are struggling in the wild, it seems captive breeding programs will guarantee the birds’ future existence. There are seven breeding facilities across Australia, with ongoing habitat restoration and genetic work within the wild population also aiding the recovery process.

“We are trying to maximise productivity and breeding numbers to ensure its survival,” Mr Holdsworth says. 

In 2006 the Australian Government pledged $3.2 million to protect and expand the orange-bellied parrot's habitat, with cooperation from the State Governments of Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia and the assistance of various organisations such as Birdlife Australia.

This money has assisted in conserving breeding and nesting habitat in Tasmania, while also controlling predators throughout northwest Tasmania and King Island.

Two winter surveys have been conducted this year, with the third and final survey to be held this weekend, September 12 and 13, in a bid to locate any birds in Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria.

Volunteers and researchers explore areas where the birds have previously been seen, particularly throughout the Bellarine wetlands.

The public can get involved by submitting an application form online and reporting any possible sightings to Birdlife Australia.