Aviculturists to the rescue

[finchbreeder]

Wildlife carers released 36 birds from aviaries on the Bellarine Peninsula, on the northern shore of Western Port Bay, and near Werribee on Wednesday.

Five years ago there were less than 50 orange bellied parrots, and only four females, left in the wild, but a large-scale captive-breeding and release program has managed to boost numbers significantly in just a few years.

While it's hard to say exactly how many parrots there are now, more than 180 birds have migrated from their breeding grounds in Tasmania in 2021.

"Considering where we were, it's really astounding what we have now," DELWP Project Coordinator Rachel Pritchard told AAP.

The captive-bred birds took about an hour to fly out of their aviaries on Wednesday morning, and they did not seem to be in a hurry, stopping to eat bird food before flying away.

[Craig52]

That has been a very contentious over here fb, for a start Werribee is nowhere near the Bellarine Peninsula. It will be interesting to see if they actually migrate to Tasmania or try to breed locally. Werribee is virtually treeless for breeding birds and very commercialised although there is a huge area for sewage settling ponds and a lake surrounded by salt bush vegetation which is a food source for the birds.
Aviculturist have not been given a chance to breed them in private aviaries to at least stop them from extinction so our State Government is to me just looking for pats on their backs imo.

[finchbreeder]

Ah well - lets hope that it works. They say the numbers migrating have increased - so with a little bit of luck at least some of it is working.

[Rod_L]

They should be selling the birds to people that want them instead of releasing them into the wild where they will get killed by cats, foxes, sugar gliders and raptors. On top of that, Tasmania lost a heap of trees to fires in 2019/20 and unless they get rid of the introduced sugar glider, any females that do find a nest will probably be killed while sitting on eggs. And it's unlikely they will find any nests considering the amount of trees that were destroyed.

[Craig52]

Very true Rod but you can't stop stupidness. Cheers Craig

[MikeMiller]

When I was involved in the program the birds were also in some private aviculturists hands...I'm not sure if that's still the case.

I do remember that only a few people had them as there were issues with ownership with some other people. Some people weren't happy with the birds not actually being theirs and didn't like the requirement to hand the birds backs for release when it was deemed necessary.

There is also an issue with inbreeding with some aviculturists too. Some people approached didn't like the genetic management of the birds being out of their hands too. Unmanaged birds are totally unsuitable for release. And release is the ultimate plan.

[finchbreeder]

I knew I had read somewhere that private aviculurists were involved in this.
Also knew that I had read that the aim was to breed and release.
Seems to me that keeping some in captivity as insurance would have been a good idea.
Though apparently the birds can come back to feeding stations at the release situation for a period of time and be gradually weaned into independance.

[noah.till]

Toby Martin's 'A Guide to Neophema and Neopsephotus Grass Parrots' from ABK does mention them being held in private hands and there is a list of names in there of who had them and worked with each other. Priam Psittaculture Centre has a number of OB Parrot pairs breeding as well.

[finchbreeder]

Hopefully enough to keep the little fellows arround for years to come.