Overview
Like many birds in Tasmania, the Orange-bellied Parrot migrates to mainland Australia each year. However, the coastal salt marshes and dunes where they spend the winter have been cleared and degraded by human activities over the past 200 years. The wild population now hovers around 150 birds and only one wild breeding population is known. It is considered Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
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This program aims to restore the Orange-bellied Parrot to the wild through captive breeding and release coupled with habitat management and restoration.
Find out moreLike a number of birds that breed in Tasmania, Orange-bellied Parrots migrate to the mainland for the cooler months, spending winter in the salt marshes and dune vegetation along the coast of Victoria and South Australia. However, salt marsh habitat on the mainland coast has been significantly reduced and degraded by human activities during the past 200 years.
Find out moreOrange-bellied Parrot video
Healesville Sanctuary Bird Keeper Chris Lekos talks about the Orange-bellied Parrot captive breeding program at Healesville Sanctuary