The National
Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team
About Us
The Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster; OBP) is one of Australia's most threatened bird species.
In 2016, the Australian Government prepared and adopted a new National Recovery Plan for the OBP under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999).
The National Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team (OBPRT) is tasked with facilitating the implementation of this plan through the cooperation of federal and state government representatives, non-government contributors, experts and researchers, and community groups and members.
What We Do
Captive Breeding and Release
Bolstering the wild population
Five institutes across the OBP range of Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia participate in the OBP captive breeding program. Captive birds are carefully bred and released at the native breeding grounds at Melaleuca, Tasmania to join the wild flock. The captive population provides insurance against extinction and ensures the small gene pool remains as healthy as possible.
Melaleuca Breeding Site Support
Giving wild birds their best chances to breed
As the only known site in the world where wild OBP's currently breed, Melaleuca is carefully monitored and protected by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) staff and a large team of on-site volunteers. The remote breeding range within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is supplemented with artificial nest boxes, additional food sources and an ecological burn program to improve habitat for future generations.
Winter Site Surveys
Increasing our understanding of OBP ecology
One of the only migratory parrots in the world, little is understood about the specific movements and needs of OBPs as they journey from Tasmania to mainland Australia each year for winter. By surveying known and potential feeding grounds, we hope to better understand how we can help protect the species and their habitats. The efforts of volunteer citizen scientists are crucial to collect this valuable data.
News
News updates from the Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team are released quarterly, covering seasonal milestones of recovery efforts. Subscribe to receive the news directly to your inbox, or click here to read past news releases.