February 2002 Swifts Across The Strait is the newsletter of the Swift Parrot Recovery Program. The Swift Par- rot is a threatened bird species endemic to south- east Australia. Come Autumn, parrot populations migrate from their breeding grounds in Tasma- ✾ Project Officer Migrates North nia, to winter on mainland Australia, returning ✾ Changing History? again to Tasmania in Spring. The sporadic and seemingly unpredictable movement of the parrot ✾ Successful Surveys 2001 mean that a large number of people are needed ✾ to keep track of its distribution, and to collect in- 2001 National Survey Weekend formation on the bird’s habitat requirements. Results ✾ Swift Parrot & Regent A Swift Parrot survey is conducted every May and August. Observers Honeyeater Workshops. from eastern South Australia through to southern Queensland look for Swift Parrots in an effort to trace the movements of this rare and ✾ Winter Habitat Conservation elusive species. This publication gives bird observers feedback on ✾ Endangered Swift Parrot results from their search efforts and gives others an insight into the Found In New National Park” behaviour of this unique and remarkable parrot. Photo: D. Watts ✾ New Swift Parrot Volunteers ✾ Swiftie Snippets ✾ The Volunteer Experience and Tarcutta). These surveys have resulted in the largest known record ✾ Swift Parrot Web Page of Swift Parrots on the NSW south By Debbie Saunders ✾ Freedom at Last coast, with 85 birds in Boyne State With an increasing number of Swift ✾ Parrot records coming in from NSW, Forest, north of Batemans Bay. Crazy Swift Parrot! and with limited information avail- Swift Parrots were also recorded in ✾ large numbers (153 in total) on the Swift Parrot Monitoring in able about habitat requirements South-East Tasmania, 2001 within this state, last year the Swift western slopes of NSW, with over Parrot Project Officer position was half of these records from new sites. ✾ Swift Parrots at Gunnary TSR relocated from Victoria to NSW. From these targeted surveys over ✾ Birding Holidays With this change in location from 100 foraging observations were made, providing important informa- Bendigo to Queanbeyan, the previ- ✾ Feathery Features ous project officer Simon Kennedy tion about habitat preferences in both coastal and western habitats. (DNRE) handed the position on to ✾ The Great Swiftie Search Photo Consequently, we are now well on myself, Debbie Saunders, from NSW Competition NPWS. Consequently, targeted sur- our way to gaining a better under- standing of the Swift Parrot habitat veys wer been conducted last year ✾ Tales from Tasmania for Swift Parrots on the NSW south requirements within NSW borders. coast (between Nowra and The Swift Parrot Recovery Team ✾ Don’t Forget... Merimbula), north coast (between would like to give special thanks to Port Macquarie and Tweed Heads) Simon for developing such a great and western slopes (between Temora mainland project for the Swift Par- SWIFTS ACROSS THE STRAIT page 1 rot recovery program, as well as for existed. It might not have been in my providing ongoing support through- lifetime, but it was certainly within out the Swift Parrot season last year. the lifetime of my grandparents. He certainly has made a significant contribution to the long-term conser- At the next exhibit was a stuffed par- vation of Swift Parrots and their rot mounted on stick like a child’s toy habitats over his three years (1998- at a fete. (No offence to the taxider- 2000) as project officer. Some of his mist, but a stuffed bird is simply not achievements over this period in- the same as the real thing). The bird clude: was a stunning Paradise Parrot. This species also became extinct in the era = successfully expanding and co- ordinating a large network of of my grandparents. It can now only volunteers throughout Victoria be brought to life in our imagination. and NSW, for the National Sur- The display also included information vey Weekends on other parrot species that are fac- ing a similar demise as the Paradise = recording the largest number of Parrot. These included; the Ground Swift Parrots and detailed for- 85 Swift Parrots were recorded in aging observations, by any indi- flowering Spotted Gum habitat on Parrot, the Orange-bellied Parrot, the vidual the South Coast of NSW this Night Parrot and, oh no…… my be- year Photo: Debbie Saunders loved Swift Parrot!!! (Not that any = identifying and mapping prior- ity Swift Parrot sites in Victoria of the former species are somehow less important or spectacular than the = developing, coordinating and Simon is now also migrating north, Swift Parrot of course – they are all presenting the inaugural Swift this time to Queensland, where he unique, magnificent birds in need of Parrot Volunteer Workshop will be working on Brigalow conservation.) = establishing and implementing projects. I am sure he will continue habitat assessment techniques to be as successful there as he has However, to see the species that I am that are scientifically viable and been for the Swift Parrot Recovery currently working on displayed in the therefore can be used to support Program. The Recovery Team and museum with doom stamped upon it, Swift Parrot habitat conserva- Swift Parrot volunteers wish Simon made me stop and think about the dire tion efforts the best of luck in his new venture. consequences for this species if the = preparing numerous reports on foraging ecology of Swift Par- current recovery program was not im- rots in Victoria and NSW plemented. Without the recovery pro- gram, the volunteers or the ongoing = publishing “Foraging ecology Changing History? and habitat use of the Swift Par- conservation efforts being undertaken By Debbie Saunders rot on the south-western slopes throughout its range, the Swift Parrot I recently ventured to the National of New South Wales” in Corella may be destined to sit stuffed on a Museum of Australia in Canberra, 25(3): 68-74, a scientific bird re- stick beside the Paradise Parrot, col- where, amongst other things, I found search journal lecting dust, void of the charismatic a fascinating array of information behaviour and beautiful calls that the = reporting on all mainland win- about Australian fauna. However, I ter surveys since the beginning Swiftie is renowned for. I only hope found it hard to comprehend the of the Swift Parrot recovery pro- that as a member of the Swift Parrot number and diversity of species that gram (1995-2000) Recovery Team, I am not only able are now extinct because of human to make a positive contribution to the = reviewing Victorian forestry pre- intervention. scriptions and recommendations long-term survival of this species, but for protection of key habitat el- am able to inspire others to do like- For instance, I looked at the bottled ements at Swift Parrot foraging wise. Hopefully together, we can Thylacine, got within 15cm of the sites change the history books and make real thing – the real dead thing that the Swift Parrot an example of how = keeping volunteers informed of is. How could we have possibly let Swift Parrot issues and survey conservation efforts can stop the ex- things get to such a stage that this results by compiling and distrib- tinction of native wildlife by facili- species became extinct? The video uting the newsletter “Swifts tating the retention of viable, self-sus- footage of the last Thylacine in cap- Across the Strait” taining populations. May we not al- tivity was heartbreaking. It wasn’t low the Swift Parrot to become an that long ago that this creature still example of what we are about to lose! SWIFTS ACROSS THE STRAIT page 2 Successful ingly successful with a total of dreds more Swift Parrot records Surveys 2001 1809 Swift Parrots recorded dur- than any previous survey con- ing the May survey and 1692 ducted for the recovery program. The national Swift Parrot and Swift Parrots recorded during the This is likely to be the result of a Regent Honeyeater survey August survey. The majority of growing network of volunteers, weekends are held twice a year records were from Victoria (1646 greater coverage of potential during the Swift Parrot winter May, 1647 Aug) with the NSW Swift Parrot habitats and increas- migration period (March – Oc- records (163 May, 45 Aug) be- ing levels of volunteer experi- tober). The surveys are con- ing confined to the South Coast ence. and Central/Southern Western ducted on the last weekend in The number of sites surveyed last Slopes. No Swift Parrot records May and the first weekend in Au- year totalled 452 in NSW, 248 in have been received for Queens- gust, by a large network of vol- Victoria and five in Queensland/ land or South Australia this year, unteers in NSW, Victoria, South South Australia. From these despite several volunteers doing Australia and Queensland. The mainland surveys, over 700 sur- surveys. Nonetheless, last year’s surveys are becoming increas- vey forms were submitted to the survey weekends resulted in hun- Swift Parrot Project Officer for the 2001 season. Of the 550 vol- 2001 National Survey Weekend Results unteers/bird groups currently on the mailing list, over 260 partici- pated in the surveys, accounting # Swift Parrots # Swift Parrots MAINLAND REGIONS for approximately 700 hours of May August field work. Other volunteers have VICTORIA also assisted with administration work, totalling over 40 hours. Maryborough-Dunolly 283 571 The major food sources used last North-East 295 65 season in Victoria were nectar and Bendigo 147 49 lerps on Grey Box, Red Ironbark and Yellow Gum. On the NSW Rushworth 637 595 south coast, the major food source St. Arnaud 284 357 was Spotted Gum nectar and in- sects/carbohydrates amongst the Southern Victoria 0 10 bark of the Broad-leaved Gippsland 0 0 Ironbark. In comparison, the ma- Sub-Total 1646 1647 jor food sources on the western slopes of NSW last year were NEW SOUTH WALES lerps on White Box, Yellow Box Central W Slopes 4 6 and Apple Box as well as White Box nectar.