Orange Bellied Parrot - student presentation

ORANGE BELLIED PARROTBy Kiri

CHARACTERISTICSScientific name: Neophema chrysogasterColour The parrots are mostly green with a yellow undertone. They have a patch of orange between their legs and their wings are blue at the ends.SizeThey are, on average 20cm long and usually weigh around 45g. DietThey are herbivores. They eat berries, fruit, seeds, flowers and plants that grow in salty conditions. Structural and functional adaptionsThey have a distinctive harsh, buzzing alarm-like call

Image: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/sites/www.birdsinbackyards.net/files/factsheets/images/hero/Orange-bellied%20Parrot%200135.jpg

BEHAVIOURAL ADAPTIONS

The orange-bellied parrots breed in Tasmania late in the year, around October to December

They migrate to Victoria and South Australia after breeding season, around January to April. It is approximately a 2 month journey.

These birds don’t lay their eggs on nests they lay them inside hollow eucalypt trunks and braches.

They lay up to 6 eggs in each clutch. Studies have shown that out of all the eggs only 1.7 of these are reared. This is from natural events.

Image: http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/54/543AA8D9-B400-4920-9233-53187AAC4201/Presentation.Large/Orange-bellied-parrot-chick-looking-out-from-nest-hole.jpg

LOCATION AND HABITAT The Orange-bellied parrot is endemic to South-eastern Australia. They live salt marsh habitats in Victoria and South Australia.

Image: http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/f493ebf4-a19b-412c-ac15-413b7d413a69/files/orange-bellied-parrot-recovery-background.pdf

CHARACTERISTICS THAT LEAVE IT EXPOSED TO THREATS AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

Characteristics that expose it to threats Low fertility rate and low survival of chicksSignificance The OBP eat seeds from saltmarsh habitats.

When they forage around in these habitats they move the seeds allowing them to germinate. It is unknown what the impact would be if these parrots became extinct but there is a possible chance that saltmarsh habitats could stop germinating which would effect them.

CONSERVATION STATUS The orange-bellied parrot was

upgraded from endangered to critically endangered in 2007 by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation act (1999)

It is estimated that there are only around 50 parrots left in the wild and around 300 in captivity.

It is suggested from recent trends that they will become extinct in the wild within 5 years

Image: http://bird.net.au/bird/index.php?title=Orange-bellied_Parrot

THREATS

Fragmentation and degradation of over-wintering winter- rabbits and stock have damaged their area.

Loss of saltmarsh habitat from fires and clearings

Competition with introduced seed eaters Diseases Predators- foxes and cats Inbreeding due to small population Spread of noxious weeds.

FLORA AND FAUNA GUARANTEE ACTION STATEMENT 1988Intended management action- Victoria Monitoring- To conduct surveys on suitable habitats- Monitor flocks of parrots and record details Habitat-Control weeds and rabbits-Stop grazing in their areas Predator control- Control feral foxes and cats Genetic diversity- Collect genetic information of parrots from SA, VIC & TAS. Public involvment - Let public know of the problem by making brochures and

other forms of media

RECOVERY PLANS In 2006 the Australian government, with state governments

and organisations such as Birdlife Australia, put together $3.2 million to protect and expand the parrot’s habitat. They did this by –working with landholders in winter grounds (SA & VIC)

– Conserving habitats in Tasmania for breeding –managing and enhancing breeding programs –Controlling predators

The Threatened Species Network Community Grants has donated money to different projects. In 2006 the King Island Natural Resources Management Group Inc (Tasmania) was given $30,000 to control feral cats to protect the parrots. In 2009 the Port Fairy Golf Club Inc (Victoria) were given around $2000 to plant roosting trees for the parrots.

CAPTIVE-BREEDING AND RELEASE PROGRAMS

There are multiple sanctuary's and zoos around the South eastern part of Australia that hold captive-breeding and release programs for the Orange-bellied parrots. Every year around 30 chicks are released into the wild from these programs

The Adelaide Zoo holds these parrots and breeds them. They have been involved in

doing so since 2000. From 2000 to 2007, 23 parrots were born in the zoo. Out of these 9 have been released into the wild.

Image: http://www.zoossa.com.au/files/3489.jpg

NESTS

Since 1992 around 74 custom-made nest boxes have been spread out around Melaleuca, Tasmania. This is to encourage breeding and also allows for monitoring. These boxes have been quite successful having a 69% output per nest.

Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange-bellied_Parrot

EVALUATION

I think that Orange-bellied Parrots are extremely likely to become extinct. This is because they have such a low fertility rate. If the rate of the OBP keeps getting lower and lower it will gradually result in inbreeding. This is not good because the recessive genes will start being passed down, eventually leading to deformation. There may be a slight chance of increasing the birds population because of the captive- breeding programs and custom- made nests but in my opinion that’s just not enough to save the birds. It would be a good idea to cross breed with other birds from the Neophema genus.

BIBLIOGRAPHYPictures http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Neophema_chrysogaster_male_-_Melaleuca.jpg

Information http://www.parrotsociety.org.au/articles/art_015.htm, parrot society, viewed

25/05/2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange-bellied_Parrot, Wikipedia, viewed 24/05/2014 http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Neophema-chrysogaster, birds in

backyards, viewed 24/05/2014 http://birdlife.org.au/projects/orange-bellied-parrot-recovery, birdlife, viewed

25/05/2014 http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/indeX.aspX?base=5136, parks, viewed 25/05/2014 http://

www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=747, environment, viewed 25/05/2014

http://bird.net.au/bird/index.php?title=Orange-bellied_Parrot , bird, viewed 25/05/2014

http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6783, Parks, viewed 25/05/2014 http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/__

data/assets/pdf_file/0016/103174/043_Orange-bellied_Parrot_1993.pdf, Department of Sustainability and Environment, viewed 25/05/2014

http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/f493ebf4-a19b-412c-ac15-413b7d413a69/files/orange-bellied-parrot-recovery-background.pdf, Environment, viewed 25/05/2014