Orange-bellied Parrot spotted in recent days in the Swan Bay area!

In exciting Orange-bellied Parrot (OBP) news, two of the critically endangered birds have been spotted in recent days in the Swan Bay area!

Craig Morley, BirdLife Australia OBP Regional Coordinator for the Bellarine Peninsula, was overjoyed to find the birds.

Without his usual band of volunteers due to coronavirus restrictions, Craig has been working hard to survey likely habitats himself, hoping for a glimpse of some of the 100+ birds that migrated north in Autumn.

The two birds are visiting a site traditionally used by the species in late winter and early spring. The pair include an elder of the wild population, a 10-year-old male called Silver Red M (pictured), who was last seen at this location in late Winter 2016.

In 2019 we worked with Parks Victoria to improve over 230 hectares of Orange-bellied Parrot habitat at eight sites across Lake Connewarre, Swan Bay, the Karaaf and Bancoora wetlands and Avalon Coastal Reserve.

The on-ground works focused on managing foxes, cats, rabbits and weeds to reduce the risk of predation and improve the parrot’s preferred diet of native seeds and plants.

The next phase of this 3 year project will focus on direct works such as fencing and grazing management, as well as support for planning, investigations and monitoring to address key threats. 

This project is supported by the Corangamite CMA, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.