Annual Reports

SWIFT PARROT & REGENT HONEYEATER

2020 Survey Summary and General Update Dean Ingwersen, Mick Roderick, Chris Timewell, Emily Mowat, Beau Meney & Kristy Peters

From the BirdLife Australia Woodland Birds Team

For more than 20 years, volunteer birdwatchers have participated in biannual targeted surveys for the critically endangered Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) and Regent Honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia) across their mainland range. As we proudly reiterate each year, this is one of the largest and longest-running bird survey programs in Australia, with the vast majority of the contributions made by volunteer birdwatchers such as you. Unfortunately, the 2020 dataset will forever have an *asterix* next to it. Like the fate of so many citizen science programs, the COVID-19 pandemic unavoidably resulted in the cancellation of both biannual 2020 survey periods. However, as you will read, it was far from a wasted year – with many of you letting us know of opportunistic sightings of these two species made from home or while out undertaking permitted movements. Therefore, we were still able to gather sufficient information from these sightings and other information sources to draw some tentative conclusions about the year. Other big news from 2020 was the release and subsequent monitoring of captive-bred Regent Honeyeaters into important flowering woodlands in the Lower Hunter Valley of NSW. Although the outcomes of the released birds were mixed over the weeks and months following their release, we are hopeful that some of the birds are persisting, and we know that invaluable information was gathered to help inform further releases in 2021 and beyond. These biannual surveys continue to increase our understanding of these two species and significantly influence the direction of management and conservation efforts. For the Regent Honeyeater in particular, every sighting is the trigger for immediate action by ecologists from BirdLife Australia, Australian National University (ANU), state government departments and other Photo: Lachlan Hall stakeholders. Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

While the latest evidence identifies grim short-to-medium prospects for both species – particularly in the absence of broad-scale changes to forestry practices and nature laws – there are still ways in which seemingly small actions can make a positive contribution to the persistence of these two birds – and also help reverse the decline other of woodland-specialists. The biannual monitoring is one of these – and therefore we are pleased to announce that we’ll be progressively transitioning to a revised survey approach for the biannual survey periods. With a more structured methodology to be undertaken at ‘permanent’ sites, it will provide a higher quality and quantity of data – and will allow us to address pressing conservation questions regarding movement patterns and their triggers, food availability over space and time, and the health of other woodland birds as well. A summary of the revised survey approach is available on Page 25, and will also be progressively added to the dedicated webpage - https://birdlife.org.au/swift-parrot. There will be some areas ready to go from Round 1 surveys in 2021, and others that will continue to use the traditional survey approach for a while longer. For your diaries, the windows within which surveys are encouraged to occur are:

 Round 1 - Saturday 24th April to Sunday 6th June 2021 (a 6-week period approximately centred around the traditional 3rd weekend in May)  Round 2 - Saturday 17th July to Sunday 29th August 2021 (a 6-week period approximately centred around the traditional 1st weekend in August)

A huge thank you again to all of our volunteers and regional coordinators for your hard work and dedication for both survey periods. We cannot stress strongly enough how much these efforts are valued, and how worthwhile they are. We also appreciated receiving sightings of both species made outside of the official survey periods, which contributed to the annual sightings databases (including records within Birdata and eBird lists). With your help again in 2021, we will search for Swift Parrots and Regent Honeyeaters across their mainland distribution. If you would like to participate in the 2021 targeted biannual surveys, see the details at the end of this report or contact us at [email protected].

Cheers and thanks again from the BirdLife Woodland Birds Team Dean, Mick, Chris, Emily, Beau and Kristy

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Methods for Data Collation in 2020

The BirdLife Australia (BA) Woodland Bird team maintain annual databases of sightings of Swift Parrots from across the mainland, and for Regent Honeyeaters from across their whole range. Typically, these databases are largely comprised of sightings collected and submitted to us by volunteer birdwatchers from the biannual survey periods. The remainder of the sightings are compiled from a range of other sources that are not directly related to the biannual surveys, as described further below. For the first time since the inception of this citizen science monitoring program in the mid-1990s, both of the biannual survey periods were officially cancelled in 2020. This was entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related aspects of movement and social-gathering restrictions, and hygiene and contact-tracing requirements. However, our supporters were instead encouraged to continue to inform us of opportunistic sightings of either species made either from their properties or from locations elsewhere that were permissible for them to visit under their relevant local, state and federal government regulations. Other sources of Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater information that are incorporated into the annual sightings databases include:

 BA staff collating sightings of these species from online repositories (e.g., Birdata, eBird, Birdline)  BA staff collating sightings of the species from reputable social media sites (e.g., Facebook groups for bird watchers and photographers) From all information sources, BA staff review the quality, accuracy and completeness of each and every sighting. To maintain the integrity of the database, they seek further information from the relevant birdwatcher to clarify unusual sightings and/or where relevant details are unclear or missing.

Swift Parrot photographed at Woodlands Historic Park in April 2020 (Photo: Leigh Pieterse).

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Swift Parrot Results - 2020

Overall results for mainland Australia

Throughout the whole of 2020, there were 284 discrete1 sightings of Swift Parrots documented on mainland Australia, including the one on Lord Howe Island. A summary of these are provided below in Table 1, and in Figure 1. This is slightly lower than both the 319 discrete Swift Parrot sightings documented in 2018, and 301 in 2019, but this measurement should not be used as an accurate indicator of population health given the fact that both of the targeted survey periods were affected during 2020. Table 1. Number of ‘discrete’ Swift Parrot sightings in 2020

Number of "discrete sightings" Timing of sightings in 2020 Sub-total VIC NSW ACT QLD January 1 - - - 1 February - - - - - March 4 - - - 4 April 81 15 2 - 98 May 32 23* - - 55 June 27 6 - - 33 July 19 4 - 1 24 August 16 12 - 1 29 September 18 11 - - 32 October 10 2 - - 12 November - - - - - December - - - - - Sub-total 208 73 2 2 284 *= Includes single bird detected on Lord Howe Island

The first Swift Parrots seen on the mainland in 2020 were on the 2nd January, with two birds detected on the eastern side of Port Phillip Bay at an urban park in Mornington. The second sighting was 13 weeks later (9th March) of six birds in Box Ironbark forest in central Victoria. The next sightings were weeks later – from 30th March – and from then on there were almost daily sightings reported from across the mainland.

1 A ‘discrete sighting’ is defined as a flock of one or more birds seen at a particular location for a defined period of time. It can sometimes be impossible to determine whether two nearby sightings of a similar-sized flock represent the same birds seen in different areas, or whether they are different flocks. Similarly, when a similar- sized flock is seen at the same location twice, but separated by a period of weeks or months – it is also usually impossible to determine whether these represent the same or different flocks. The best judgement of BirdLife Australia staff is used in these situations to determine whether these are documented as a single discrete sighting, or as two or more separate discrete sightings. As such, the figure of ‘284’ discrete sightings is a best estimate based on professional judgement.

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Despite the paucity of Swift Parrot sightings from January to March, the overall peak was clearly in April – particularly in Victoria. Sightings were still reasonably high in the month of May across the range, and then fluctuated at a lower level from June to October. The final mainland sighting for 2020 was of two birds at Ocean Grove on 23rd October, with all sightings in the preceding two weeks made from near the southern Victorian coastline. Appendix A provides a sequential series of maps displaying how the sightings differed across the mainland throughout the year.

Figure 1. Swift Parrot sightings across mainland Australia in 2020.

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

More than 70% of sightings were from Victoria, and almost all of the remainder from NSW. There were only two discrete sightings from each of ACT and Queensland. Of particular note were the three main clusters of 2020 Swift Parrot sightings — around central and north-eastern Victoria; the greater Melbourne area (particularly in the north-east); and around Cessnock to the west of Newcastle. Figures 2 and 3 respectively display the year-round sightings at smaller scales for the Sydney- Newcastle area, and greater Melbourne and surrounds.

Figure 2: Swift Parrot sightings from Sydney to Newcastle and surrounds in 2020

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Figure 3: Swift Parrot sightings in Greater Melbourne and surrounds in 2020

As displayed in Table 2, more than 70% of sightings comprised flocks of 5 or fewer birds, and more than half of these were of only 1 or 2 birds. Conversely, three sightings (~1%) comprised flocks of 41 or more birds. The highest count for the year was of 80 birds seen near Euroa in north-eastern Victoria in early June.

Table 2. Group size of ‘discrete’ Swift Parrot sightings in 2020

Size of flock detected Number of "discrete sightings"

1 to 5 birds 207 6 to 10 birds 35 11 to 20 birds 26 21 to 40 birds 13 41 to 50 birds 2 More than 50 birds 1 Total 284

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Swift Parrots in NSW, the ACT and Queensland It was a quiet year for Swift Parrots in the northern states, with significantly fewer discrete Swift Parrot sightings than in preceding years. In addition, the vast majority of sightings comprised small one-off observations and there were no large flocks seen (all sightings were of <30 birds). It is possible that the lack of records in 2020 was partly a result of COVID restrictions inhibiting search effort throughout the year, however it is also possible that it was due to the vast swathes of Swift Parrot foraging habitat burnt in the bushfires of the 2019/2020 summer. The south coast of NSW in particular suffered damage to large areas of Spotted Gum forest. Swift Parrots began arriving in early April on the south coast of NSW and the ACT. Some birds had reached Sydney by mid-April, with several being recorded at Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Sydney Olympic Park. At least one bird had already reached Port Macquarie by the end of April. The biggest surprise of the year was the appearance of a Swift Parrot on Lord Howe Island in May! It’s possible that the bird was pushed off course and out to sea as a result of strong winds associated with the prevailing weather systems at the time. This lucky Swifty was rescued and taken back to the mainland to be released (see box below for the full story). The Lower Hunter Valley had the highest concentration of Swift Parrot sightings throughout the year. Small flocks began to be sighted in Stanford Merthyr, Mulbring and Paxton by the end of April, where there was some flowering Spotted Gum present. Birds remained present in the Lower Hunter throughout the autumn and winter months, especially at Ellalong Lagoon, Pelton and Werakata National Park, feeding on both Spotted Gum nectar and on lerp. In August, Swift Parrots turned up at Singleton Army Base, with flocks of up to 18 birds sighted. Birds remained at the army base into early September, where they fed on flowering Coastal Grey Box and lerp. Greater Sydney also appeared to be a hotspot of Swift Parrot sightings in 2020, perhaps resulting from the “birding from home” movement during COVID restrictions. A concentration of sightings was recorded around the northern beaches and north-west suburbs throughout the year, as well as several from western and south-western Sydney. Mulgoa was the Greater Sydney locality with the largest number seen (up to 15 birds). There were no 2020 records from the South West Slopes of NSW, usually a reliable hotspot for Swift Parrots. In fact, there were very few inland records at all, aside from the handful of sightings in and around the ACT, one sighting at Tallong Park east of Goulburn and three in the Torryburn-Kingstown area, west of Armidale. This may have been due to a lack of blossom across the inland regions, with a lag in the benefits yet to have been experienced after the autumn rains. The South Coast of NSW contained far less Swift Parrot records than usual as large areas of Spotted Gum forest habitat had been burnt in the 2019/2020 summer. There were records on the south coast consistently throughout the season, however only in small numbers and with little eucalypt flowering noted. The main site on the South Coast in 2020 was Wallaga Lake (north of Bermagui), where small numbers of Swift Parrots were consistently recorded between mid-June and early August. The highest counts of Swift Parrots in the northern states in 2020 were flocks of 30 birds seen at both Pelton and Ellalong Lagoon in late July, and 30 birds at Coopernook State Forest near Taree in early September. The next biggest flocks were seen at Werakata National Park in July (23 birds), at

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Medowie in August (22 birds) and at Coledale in April (20 birds). These were significantly smaller flock sizes than had been seen in 2019 (when flocks of over 100 were observed in some locations). Interestingly, most of these larger flocks in 2020 were observed feeding on lerp rather than nectar. There were only three Swift Parrot sightings in Queensland in the whole of 2020; two sightings at Carney's Creek, near Scenic Rim in July (one observation of four birds and one of a single bird) and a sighting of four birds at Picnic Point, Toowoomba in August. By the end of September, birds had begun to move back south, with sightings from Eden and South Brooman State Forest on the NSW south coast. Surprisingly however, two late season records came from Western Sydney in early October, with one bird observed in Grose Vale and another two seen foraging in flowering Lemon-scented Gum in Mulgoa.

Parrot in paradise – an unusual visitor to Lord Howe Island! In late May 2020, a Lord Howe Island local got a big surprise when a Swift Parrot turned up in his chook shed! Lord Howe

Island is located about 600 kilometres east of Port Macquarie — far from the Swift Parrot’s migratory pathway. This was the second record of a Swift Parrot on Lord Howe Island, with just one previous sighting in 1968.

The wayward bird was nicknamed 'Houdini' after escaping twice as locals tried to catch it. Houdini was eventually captured and flown back to the mainland, where it was taken to Sydney's Taronga Wildlife Hospital to recover from its epic journey. The bird was very thin and exhausted, and it spent five weeks recovering at the zoo. The search then began for somewhere to release the bird where there was suitable habitat and, ideally, a wild flock of Swift Parrots it could join. With such a small population left in the wild and few flocks reported in the 2020 mainland season, this was a difficult task. Photo: Jack Shick. Eventually a small flock was located in Werakata State Conservation Area in the Lower Hunter Valley of NSW. A team from Taronga Zoo and BirdLife Australia released the Swift Parrot at the site and watched as it started feeding straight away and calling, then flew off to join the other birds in the flock. With each individual Swift Parrot so significant to the long-term survival of this species, the rescue of the Lord Howe Island swiftie was a real success story.

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Michael Shiels (Taronga Zoo, left) and Mick Roderick (BirdLife Australia, right) getting ‘Houdini’ ready for release back into the wild. (Photo: Steph Owen)

Swift Parrots in Victoria

The arrival of Swift Parrots on the mainland was off to a unusually early start in 2020, with two individuals recorded 45 kilometres south-east of Melbourne at Mornington Memorial Park on 2nd January potentially signalling the beginning of the annual flight northward. However, this sighting proved to be somewhat of an outlier, as it would take another two months before a second confirmed sighting of six birds was made on 9th March at Rise and Shine Bushland Reserve in the Box- Ironbark region of central Victoria. It wasn’t until late March and early April that we began to see sightings reported semi-regularly across the state, with a number of scattered sightings ranging from 1 to 20 birds occurring in metropolitan Melbourne, East Gippsland, and north-east Victoria. Victorian sightings would remain somewhat consistent for the remainder of the season before the last confirmed record was reported in mid-October.

Broadly speaking, available eucalypt blossom was of low intensity and sparsely distributed across Victoria in 2020, with no repeated large-scale flowering events as witnessed in the central-west Box- Ironbark region in 2019. Instances of abundant and reliable flowering were typically short-lived and small in extent, with particularly heavy flowering observed amongst stands of Red Ironbark to the south of Bendigo in April and May.

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Greater Melbourne

Greater Melbourne was a common source of regular sightings for the duration of 2020, with scattered sightings of small groups of birds reported across this region throughout the majority of the over-wintering period. In early April, the first recurring flock of Swift Parrots for Victoria in 2020 was located at the Karingal Drive Creek Trail and the adjacent Meruka Park in Nillumbik, a suburban patch of bushland situated in the leafy north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. A group of birds of up to 20 individuals were repeatedly sighted in and around this location for much of April, with the last sighting of this concentrated group occurring on ANZAC day.

Starting in May, Melbourne’s Royal Park emerged as a prominent source of Swift Parrot records in 2020 and proved to be very popular among many city dwelling birders spending a lot more time birding in their local patches. Planted stands of Ironbarks lured a small group of birds to the parklands where they remained for some 10 days in late May. It wasn’t until 8th August before Swift Parrots would return to Royal Park with any regularity, this time concentrated among planted eucalypts (incl. flowering Spotted Gum) situated outside Melbourne Zoo before departing in early September. As seen in May, only a small flock of birds were recorded here, with 11 individuals being the largest singular count during their four week stay.

Similar trends were also observed in and around Fawkner Cemetery where birders flocked to see up to 20 Swift Parrots feeding upon eucalypt blossom produced by established Ironbark and Yellow Gum. Sightings were first reported here in mid-May, with intermittent sightings continuing throughout the year until early September. Other locations which featured among Swift Parrot records for greater Melbourne were: Altona, Beaumaris, Bundoora, Eltham, Eynesbury, Glen Waverley, Plenty, Rowsley, Sunbury and Woodlands Historic Park.

Swift Parrots photographed at Royal Park in August 2020 (Photo: Michael Livingston).

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Greater Geelong

As in previous years, Ocean Grove again proved to be an important area for Swifties in 2020, with birds observed here in each month from April-October (excluding July). Many of these sightings were associated with available blossom provided by remnant Yellow Gum (Bellarine subspecies), with peaks in sightings apparent in the months of May, August, September and October. As suggested in previous annual reports, it is quite likely that this area is one of the first stopping points for many of the birds migrating across from Tasmania, and one of the final areas before they head back across Bass Strait in spring and early summer. Observations from Ocean Grove both early and late in the 2020 season would seem to further support this theory.

Aside from the hive of activity around Ocean Grove, it was an otherwise lean year for Swift Parrot sightings in the greater Geelong region with only seven more sightings reported in the region. These were recorded at sites near Anakie, Bells Beach, Geelong Waterfront, Lethbridge, and within Brisbane Ranges National Park where a notable flock of 25 birds was seen in the southern extent of the park near Steiglitz.

Central Victoria

Although birds first turned up in central Victoria in March, it wasn’t until the second week of April that we began to see birds consistently reported in the woodlands of central Victoria. For the most part, sightings were scattered and consisting of <10 individuals, but there were also some pleasing examples of birds being repeatedly sighted and/or observed in reasonable numbers. The most productive areas for Swifties in central Victoria were in the broader Heathcote-Graytown region which supported birds at various locations throughout the season. Notable observations here included recurring flocks at Mangalore Nature Conservation Reserve (12 birds in May) and Crosbie Nature Conservation Reserve (25 birds in July), and a flock of at least 50 birds in Heathcote-Graytown National Park seen on 18th September.

Sightings elsewhere across the central Box-Ironbark region occurred in areas near Bendigo, Castlemaine, Clunes, Dunolly, Inglewood, Kamarooka, Kyabram, Maldon, Newstead and Rushworth, with the vast majority of sightings at these locations comprising fewer than 10 birds. A paucity of records both in and around Bendigo was apparent in April and May, despite prolific blossom produced by Red Ironbark in locations such as Quarry Hill. Described by locals as a 1-in-20-year flowering event, optimal conditions seen in some areas immediately around Bendigo only produced seven sightings of less than five birds in 2020. It’s acknowledged that COVID-19 restrictions and the subsequent cancellation of the biannual BirdLife Swift Parrot counts were a significant potential contributing factor to the lack of Swift Parrot sightings in the local Bendigo area.

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

North-east Victoria

Some of the largest Swift Parrot flocks seen across the entire mainland range came from Victoria’s north-east region in 2020 - including the largest flock on the mainland for the year when 80 birds were observed feeding and likely roosting in remnant Grey Box near Euroa on 6th June. Other notable flocks were also detected in this region at Goorambat Hills (43 birds) in early May, Chiltern Dam No.2 (30 birds) in early June, and Pranjip (40 birds) in early August. Interestingly, birds seen at Chiltern Dam No. 2 in mid-June were observed to be lerping amongst immature stands of River Red Gum. Sightings first began to emerge from this part of the state in early April, with the frequency of sightings building steadily before a short spike throughout June, and tapering off again for the remainder of the season. Other localities which also supported Swifties in the north-east included: Boweya, Earlston, Glenrowan and Killawarra.

It’s somewhat concerning that a flock of 80 birds topped the charts for 2020. Although COVID-19 restrictions and the cancellation of the biannual BirdLife counts hampered survey efforts across the species mainland range, large flocks of Swift Parrots are becoming increasingly rare – undoubtedly a symptom of the species rapid and ongoing decline.

Swift Parrots photographed at Chiltern Dam No. 2 in June 2020 (Photos: Philip Dubbin (top left/bottom right); Neville Bartlett (top right/bottom left).

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Central-west Victoria

Unlike their prolonged presence in 2019 driven by sustained and heavily flowering Yellow Gums, flowering conditions in the central-west Box-Ironbark region were much less favourable for Swifties in 2020. Despite this, birds were still recorded at several locations throughout the season including: Morrl Morrl Nature Conservation Reserve, Deep Lead Flora Fauna Reserve, Mount Arapiles-Tooan State Park and Stawell. These sightings generally comprised groups of less than 10 birds and were one-off incidental sightings.

In May, we received devastating news of five Swift parrots that had been found dead in Stawell after accidentally flying into a chain link fence next to a recreation reserve. The instant loss of these five birds equates to approximately 0.50% of the entire wild population based on the latest estimates, with more than 40 birds estimated to be killed by collisions each year. The local birder who discovered the birds relayed to us that the fence was rusted in sections and in poor condition, which is likely to have made the structure less visible to the birds when flying at high speed, particularly in low light conditions at dawn, dusk or in the presence of fog. That said, even brand new chain-link fences pose a significant collision threat to Swift Parrots, along with other obstacles such as windows and vehicles. Pleasingly, after alerting Northern Grampians Shire Council of this terrible event and our wishes to make the fence more visible to birds in the future, they promptly installed black shade cloth along the fence line to increase its visibility to other birds in future.

One of five Swift Parrots killed in a fence collision in Stawell back in May 2020 (Photo: Daniel Muscat).

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Gippsland

Some of Victoria’s first sightings for the year occurred in Gippsland, with a group of eight Swift Parrots seen in the town of Nicholson in late March and a flock of 26 birds seen near Glenmaggie in mid-April. Aside from a couple of sightings of two birds at Meerlieu in May, sightings in Gippsland for the remainder of the year were entirely restricted to Raymond Island – a known location used by Swift Parrots in a number of recent years. A flock of 20 birds were first detected on Raymond Island in late April, with small numbers of birds (<5 individuals) continuing to be sighted on occasion until early October. An accomplished birdwatcher living on the island kept us informed of the ongoing sightings, many of which were in or near flowering Swamp Mahogany.

While it’s quite likely that Gippsland serves as a flyway for the species during their annual migration, it remains unclear how frequently birds pass through this region, how long they remain here, or how flowering conditions in this part of their range influence the species ability to use this flyway in any given year. These are all questions that we wish to shed more light on, indeed both here and throughout their entire range. Our revised monitoring program Swift Parrot Search, likely to be rolled out in Gippsland during Round 2 in 2021, aims to address knowledge gaps such as these.

Victorian Riverina

Not particularly renowned for Swift Parrot sightings, the Victorian Riverina region does have a small number of sightings in most years. Last season was consistent with this pattern, with sightings for this region reported during May and September, many of which were concentrated in the general areas of Nathalia and Numurkah – some 25 kilometres south of the Murray River. Recurring sightings of up to 15 birds were reported at the Numurkah Showgrounds in August and September, seen feeding on available Ironbark blossom and on lerp found on River Red Gums. Swifties were also reported elsewhere in the region in areas such as Echuca and Shepparton. It’s possible that birds detected in the Riverina region are on passage toward more fertile foraging habitats found along the inland slopes of southern and central-west NSW.

Whilst not all Victorian Swift Parrot sightings captured in our database could be specifically mentioned here, we would like to thank the many passionate and dedicated birders that published and reported their Swift Parrot sightings throughout 2020. Your contributions assist us with monitoring Swift Parrots and their movements across their enormous over-wintering range and are greatly appreciated.

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Regent Honeyeater Results - 2020

Nervous Start

There was a collective concern for how 2020 might start for Regent Honeyeaters. We knew that active breeding areas in the Widden and Capertee Valleys had been affected by the bushfires, and we also knew that a recently discovered nesting site along the Goulburn River was on the edge of the Meads Creek West fire. We also suspected that breeding sites in the Burragorang Valley had likely burnt in the devastating Green Wattle Creek Fire. At the height of the fires a report was received of a bird along Home Hills Road in the Capertee Valley sporting blue/metal bands on one leg. The other leg couldn't be seen but we are confident this was an unpaired male that had been seen in the valley not far from the location it was photographed prior to the fires. Lone birds were also found at interesting locations at Watson (ACT) and in the Wondul Range National Park in south-east Queensland. The first report of a small flock arrived in mid-February from an area not far from the eastern edge of the enormous Gospers Mountain fire. In a valley around Laguna, six birds were reported from a property where flowering Grey Gum was providing a welcome food source. These birds were present for just over two weeks, moving on by the end of the month. This was soon followed by a flock of five birds in a backyard at Springwood in the lower Blue Mountains; potentially bushfire refugees seeking out blossom in atypical habitat. Elsewhere, two birds were found along the old Bundarra-Barraba Road on the 24th June. This is a known breeding site but unfortunately no subsequent observations were made after the initial sighting. A couple of reports filtered in from Queensland; one from a very unusual and somewhat remote location in the Wondul Range National Park, near Toowoomba. Another was found in August on a private property near Brooloo whilst a bit later in the season a bird was at North Booval on the northern side of Ipswich not far from the Bremer River. The continuing reports of individuals from Queensland, which has included some very young birds in recent years, is ongoing evidence that Regent Honeyeaters are breeding in Queensland. Where they are breeding is something we are eager to determine with help of our wonderful Queensland volunteer network! In early July a pair of Regent Honeyeaters was found at the lookout adjacent to the Hume Dam power station. These birds were feeding in planted Spotted Gum trees; one was unbanded, while the other was a bird released at Chiltern more than three years earlier. This bird, originally banded as “orange-metal/black-green”, has lost his colour bands progressively over the last year or so such that he is now only sporting his metal band. These birds persisted here for nearly six weeks until they eventually moved on.

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

The unbanded Regent Honeyeater that was present at the Hume Dam wall during July (Photo: Neville Bartlett)

Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Flowering Event and Captive Release A significant blossom event unfolded in the Spotted Gum forests in sections of the Lower Hunter Valley in early 2020 and on the 30th May two Regent Honeyeaters were found feeding in Spotted Gum blossom on a private property at Quorrobolong. The timing couldn’t have been better as the Recovery Team had decided to undertake the first large-scale release of captive-bred Regent Honeyeaters in NSW at this very location. As expected, numbers of Regent Honeyeaters began to build at the site and as well as Spotted Gum, birds were also found feeding in Thin-leaved Stringybark Eucalyptus eugenioides blossom. The peak count at this Lower Hunter site of 13 Regent Honeyeaters was made on the 16th June, just three days before the release of captive-bred birds. This included one ‘rockstar’ bird; “Red-Orange/Blue-Metal” (ROBM) who had been banded at Smiths Lake in July 2019 when four birds were taken by Taronga to aid the captive-breeding program as ‘founding’ birds. The following weekend 20 captive-bred Regent Honeyeaters (bred at Taronga Zoo, Moonlit Sanctuary and Adelaide Zoo) were released at this location. Intensive post-release monitoring took place over ~12 weeks, carried out by BirdLife Australia and NSW DPIE staff. This was the first time that a release had occurred when there was a ‘flock’ of wild Regent Honeyeaters present at the time of release (most Victorian releases have coincided with only small numbers of wild birds present), and interactions were observed between wild and ex-captive birds immediately. Initially the wild birds were not so welcoming of their captive-bred cousins, chasing them away from the blossom sources, but as with previous releases it didn't take long before we started to see some assimilation between the wild and released birds. A series of updates were provided during the course of the captive release in the Lower Hunter, which can be found here. By way of a quick summary, frustratingly we witnessed the demise of eight individuals that were released wearing radio transmitters; all but one were almost certainly predated by raptors or butcherbirds. The other bird seemed to have succumbed to exposure during extreme

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update weather conditions in early August. By the end of August the other transmitter-wearing birds had either gone too far away to track, or the batteries had expired in their transmitters. However, before the end of the post-release monitoring the captive-bred birds provided two important leads for us that led us to wild birds.

One of the 13 wild Regent Honeyeaters that were present at the Lower Hunter captive release site just prior to the release. This bird is feeding on profuse- flowering Thin-leaved Stringybark blossom (Photo: Mick Roderick)

PUYM [released bird] and ROBM, near the Lower Hunter release site 6th July 2020 (Photo: Mick Roderick)

PUYM [released bird] near the Lower Hunter release site 18th July 2020 (Photo: Max Breckenridge)

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

The first lead was in early August when one of our released birds (UYYM) had been giving us the run- around, travelling in a north-westerly direction, eventually leaving signal range for some days. However by mid-August we had a signal from him deep inside the Singleton Military Training Area, where a significant amount of high-quality habitat exists; habitat which BirdLife Australia and Hunter Bird Observers Club have been monitoring for some years. When we arranged to access the area to find UYYM, we were delighted to find a flock of six wild Regent Honeyeaters, feeding in flowering Coastal Grey Box Eucalyptus moluccana. This was a remarkable find! We pondered if UYYM had travelled here with this wild flock, or if he had simply stumbled upon them. In a sad twist, UYYM was found dead (predated) not long after this discovery and although there were signs of birds forming tight pairs, no sign of breeding was subsequently observed at the site. As a small added bonus, a flock of 18 Swift Parrots were found feeding on lerps at the same property just minutes after finding the Regent Honeyeaters – testament to how important the habitat is on this piece of Commonwealth-owned land.

One of six Regent Honeyeaters found on the Singleton Training Area (right) and one of the flock of 18 Swift Parrots found just moments later (Photos: Mick Roderick).

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

The ‘Stringybark Factor’ and Breeding at Putty

The second lead that the released birds provided to us was their desire to feed on Thin-leaved Stringybark. Although there was a wealth of Spotted Gum blossom (a firm favourite) on offer near the release site, many captive-bred birds chose to feed in the abundant stringybark blossom. This is nothing new, as Regent Honeyeaters have been observed feeding in this stringybark at this location before. But what we found with the released birds was that they travelled into adjoining valleys to feed on this same stringybark, where an abundance of other honeyeaters were also feeding (including, somewhat unusually, significant numbers of New Holland Honeyeaters). This led the monitoring team into many previously unsurveyed valleys, nestled in the gullies of the eastern side of Yengo National Park. Importantly, these gullies were unaffected by the fires, though vast swathes of Yengo had burnt. Perhaps this partly explained the incidence of large numbers of New Holland Honeyeaters as well? The biggest ‘discovery’ was made on the 21st August when a pair of Regent Honeyeaters, as well as one unpaired male, were found by ANU researchers on private property near Putty. The birds they found were feeding in none other than flowering Thin-leaved Stringybark trees! This led to a concerted effort by BirdLife and ANU field staff to survey this region; hitherto barely on our monitoring radar (though in the early 90s a large flock of over 150 birds was present in the Putty region). These searches resulted in three pairs of (wild/unbanded) Regent Honeyeaters being found in the vicinity of Putty. Initial observations on the 15th September 2020 revealed that one of these pairs was observed attending a nest. On the 18th September another pair was found building a nest close to the original, and a third pair were located further north along Putty Creek. This was an incredibly important discovery, given the amount of habitat affected by the bushfires and inside a breeding season where key regions (such as the Capertee and Upper Hunter Valleys) had no bud on Eucalypt trees; and hence would not be providing the food resources to underpin a breeding event in the 2020 season. The approximate locations of the nests are shown in Figure 2. Follow-up visits to these nest sites found that two were successful, whilst one failed (which had been noted as being in a rather exposed/precarious position by field staff). One of the nests fledged three chicks, the other fledged one chick. This was a fantastic start to the breeding season, particularly in light of the disastrous way that the 2019-20 season had ended, with fires burning in a number of Regent Honeyeater sites. An added bonus to the Regent Honeyeater breeding was the finding of a Swift Parrot on the 21st September at Putty.

Female Regent Honeyeater sitting on the first nest found in 2020 (Photo: Lachlan Hall)

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

The Victorian Experience Reflecting trends of recent years, the vast majority of Regent Honeyeaters seen in Victoria were of ex-captive birds released in Chiltern in either 2015 or 2017. However, importantly we had several breeding pairs comprised of ex-captive males and wild females…and successful breeding. The first Regent Honeyeaters found in Victoria for the year was two birds foraging in sparsely flowering Mugga Ironbark on Barnawatha-Depot Rd in Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park. One of those birds was banded (Orange-Metal/Black-Green), and was a bird released in Chiltern in 2017. The other bird present was unbanded. They were present for only a little while before disappearing. An interesting follow up observation of those birds, as mentioned earlier, was when they turned up in July at the Hume Dam in NSW. In May, a report came through of a banded Regent Honeyeater visiting private property in Coongulla in Gippsland. Subsequent images showed this bird to be ‘Blue-Yellow/Red-Metal’, another ex- captive bird. Importantly though, this bird had been released in Chiltern in 2015 and the resighting became the first recorded evidence of released birds surviving at least 5 years post-release in the wild. Over subsequent months this individual wandered widely through Gippsland, turning up in places like Pakenham, Officer, and Warragul. Frustratingly though, each time he was seen he was on his own. During monitoring as part of the first round of National Regent Monitoring Program in August, another pair of ex-captive birds were found in private property adjacent to the Chiltern-Mt Pilot NP by a BirdLife staff member. These birds – ‘Orange-Metal/White-Pink’ and ‘Orange-Metal/Blue- Yellow’ – were both released in 2017. Over subsequent months they were monitored closely, and they got down to business and nested, and we all held our breath. In a great outcome for the recovery program, they successfully nested and raised three fledglings. The occurrence of ‘triplets’ in the wild is relatively low so this was an encouraging result (interestingly, two other ‘triplet’ nests also occurred in 2020).

Orange-Metal/Blue-Yellow feeding fledglings one day out of the nest, Chiltern, Vic (Photo: Glen Johnson)

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

In September, another couple of birds were found, this time by a visiting birder. This pair of birds was comprised of a male bird released into the wild in 2017 (Mauve-Blue/Orange-Metal) and a wild female, and they were found along White Box walk. This pair tried to nest twice while they were being monitored, but frustratingly both nests failed, and the pair subsequently moved and couldn’t be relocated. In early October, a single wild/unbanded bird was observed and photographed in a park in Corowa, NSW, which in a straight line is just over 30kms from Chiltern. We know from previous sightings that birds from Corowa will travel to Chiltern, and the presence of another wild bird in this region is encouraging. Following on from this we received a report of the final known successful nesting for the 2020 season in Victoria, but this time we found out after the event. We received a report in late October of a pair of birds, with a fledgling in tow, on private property at Greta West. In what is becoming a regular (but very annoying) occurrence, one of the birds was banded but several bands had fallen off making individual identification difficult. But thanks to some great detective work by observers, and the photographic skills of Chris Tzaros, we were able to get enough numbers of the metal band to work out that the male was ‘Orange-Metal/Green-White (OMPW)’ – another bird released in 2017. But again, he had managed to hook up with a wild female and breed successfully, increasing the number of successful ex-captive-wild pairings a bit further. Further to this, the resighting of OMPW meant that he was:  The 17th bird observed 12 months or more post-release from the 2017 release cohort,  The 5th 2017 cohort bird observed in 2020, all now 3 years+ post-release, and  The 3rd 2017 cohort male paired up with a wild bird.

Regent Honeyeater pair which had successfully fledged a bird in Greta West, Victoria (Photo: Chris Tzaros).

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Remainder of the 2020 Breeding Season – Success in the Widden and the NRHMP

Just prior to the activity at Putty, a pair of Regent Honeyeaters along the Severn River had been busily making plans to breed. There had been at least one other Regent Honeyeater present at this site, but that bird was unpaired and performing calls of a Little Wattlebird. The pair made one failed nesting attempt early in the season, but after continued monitoring by researchers at the University of New England (UNE) the pair was found in November with two fledged juvenile birds. This pair was feeding on abundant Yellow Box blossom and was the only successful nesting attempt we were made aware of for 2020 in the Northern Tablelands region. In other locations, a pair was seen briefly in the Capertee National Park in mid-October and around the same time two birds were found at Yerranderie lerping in Grey Gum E. punctata. Also in mid- October an individual bird arrived in a somewhat random location in a backyard in Narara on the NSW Central Coast. This bird was seen on and off for a few weeks; apparently associating with a Little Wattlebird during that time. In Queensland a single bird was found not far from Gympie; this bird performing calls like a Noisy Friarbird. The other ‘success story’ for 2020 was in the Widden Valley where BirdLife, ANU and Hunter LLS had collaborated to undertake a significant Noisy Miner removal program. The program was successful and indeed it was during routine monitoring of the success of the miner removal that a pair was found by ANU staff feeding two chicks, assumed to be around a week old. Not only that, but one of our volunteer observers, a regular visitor to the property over the years, found a second pair; this time with triplets in tow (another triplet nest)! A follow-up visit to the site by BirdLife a few weeks later could only find advanced chicks with this second pair, but both chicks could still be accounted for at the original nest, so it appeared that the Widden Valley managed to recruit four Regent Honeyeater fledglings into the wild. Meanwhile, the National Regent Honeyeater Monitoring Program (NRHMP), undertaken collaboratively between BirdLife and ANU staff, commenced in August and spanned the 2020 breeding season of the Regent Honeyeater, running until December. Over a thousand sites were monitored during this time, almost all of them visited twice. Some key sites were still off-limits due to bushfires and track damage (e.g. some Burragorang Valley sites), whilst other sites were only able to be visited once and not at an optimal times (e.g. other Burragorang Valley sites and some sites along the Goulburn River). During these surveys in NSW lone birds were found along the Goulburn River (August) and in the Burragorang Valley (October). One of the Singleton Training Area birds was also recorded during a NRHMP survey in mid-August. Two birds were also detected in a site along the Goulburn River during the second round of surveys in mid-November but these birds were not found to be nesting and were not found at the site during a follow-up visit a week later. Towards the end of the NRHMP survey period a keen volunteer observer found a Regent Honeyeater along the Capertee River in late November at one of their favourite sites near Genowlan Bridge. The timing was great as BirdLife Australia staff were due to arrive in the valley and they confirmed that there was a pair feeding a juvenile bird. Of interest, the pair was observed copulating and refurbishing a nest, but follow-up surveys by ANU staff and others failed to find signs of a second breeding attempt.

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Overall, 2020 was evidently another very lean year for Regent Honeyeaters but with some excitement coming from a new breeding site being discovered at Putty and probable success from the removal of Noisy Miners at a known, important breeding site in the Widden Valley. The presence of three nests producing triplet fledglings is not to be underestimated too, as was the additional observations of ex-captive males wooing wild females in Victoria. As we write this summary of 2020, many professional apiarists are contacting us to let us know that the 2021 spring season should be one of the biggest flowering events for Eucalypts in many years. We are therefore full of hope that this abundance of food will provide for a prosperous breeding season. A map of sightings for the year is attached in Appendix B.

An adult Regent Honeyeater feeds a chick in the Widden Valley in late November (Photo: Mick Roderick).

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Biannual Searches for Swift Parrots, Regent Honeyeaters and other Woodland Birds - an introduction to the revised survey methods

Before delving into the finer details, there are five points to emphasise upfront:

1. In partnership with the ANU and with support of the National Swift Parrot Recovery Team, the BirdLife Australia Woodland Bird team is revising the biannual winter monitoring program – now known as “Swift Parrot Search”.

2. The biannual searches that have been undertaken for the past 20+ years have provided invaluable information on both the target species. As a result of a funding opportunity, and the availability of new technological tools, the revised approach aims to address pressing conservation questions that are unable to be answered by the traditional monitoring method. However, the ongoing contributions of volunteer birdwatchers – both new and experienced long-term contributors - will remain critical to the success of the revised survey approach.

3. The revised approach has a particular emphasis on the Swift Parrot and its mainland habitats, but it will still incorporate searches for the Regent Honeyeater (as you’d be aware, they have heavily overlapping distributions on the mainland). It will also collect valuable data on the distribution, ecology and population trends of all other woodland birds as well.

4. The revised approach has many permanent points on accessible public land, and will use fixed search areas (50 metre radius) that are monitored for a defined time period (5 minutes). During each survey, volunteers will be asked to collect information on flowering patterns, water availability, the occurrence of Swift Parrots, Regent Honeyeaters and other bird species.

5. The new survey approach will be progressively rolled out, with approximately 40% of sites ready by Round 1 in 2021, 80% by Round 2 in 2021 and all sites ready by Round 1 in 2022. During the transition phase in 2020, the biannual searches can continue to use the existing technique at the locations where the new permanent sites are not yet ready.

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

The following is a quick summary of the revised approach2, its development and its implementation:

1. Primarily using the data collected from the 20+ years of biannual searches, more than 2000 sites have been identified as potentially suitable to become permanent survey points across the mainland range of the Swift Parrot.

2. BirdLife and ANU staff have ground-truthed more than 1200 proposed survey points. For those that are found to contain ‘suitable’ woodland and forest habitat on accessible public land, detailed habitat assessments are then undertaken and other relevant information collected (e.g., access details, site photos). Initial bird searches are also usually conducted. This is ongoing throughout 2021 until all sites have been assessed and established.

3. Following the assessment and confirmation of the permanent survey points, materials are being developed to support volunteer birdwatchers to conduct the ongoing biannual surveys at these locations (e.g. maps, identification guides, survey forms, websites). Although datasheets will be available, data collection and submission will be encouraged using a specifically designed portal within the Birdata system. Public talks, articles and other actions are also to be undertaken to recruit and support birdwatching volunteers.

4. Using the support materials and with guidance from the regional coordinators, volunteer birdwatchers will visit a selection of sites. At each site, they will undertake a search of a circular area (50 metre radius) for a period of 5 minutes. If Swift Parrots or regent Honeyeaters are found to be present, extra information will be recorded (e.g. numbers, behaviour, feeding). Irrespective of whether these species are detected, volunteers will also be encouraged to record any other bird species present, as well as the flowering intensity of tree and mistletoe species present, plus the availability of fresh drinking water for birds to use.

5. Incidental sightings of Swift Parrots (and Regent Honeyeaters) outside of the permanent survey sites are equally as valuable to document and report to BirdLife Australia. There is also flexibility in the program to establish additional permanent survey sites over time.

6. The data collected from steps 2, 4 and 5 will be collated, and analysed periodically by BirdLife Australia, ANU and other conservation ecologists. This comprehensive information will significantly enhance our understanding of the ecology and conservation needs of Swift Parrots across their wintering range, Regent Honeyeaters throughout their range, and will also empower managers to make the best use of scarce resources for the species.

BirdLife Australia staff are available to provide further information, or make a presentation to your local group, about the revised survey approach. There will also be extensive information made available through the dedicated webpage - https://birdlife.org.au/swift-parrot.

2 Under the National Regent Honeyeater Monitoring Program (NRHMP) targeted searches are being undertaken during the Regent Honeyeater breeding season (Aug-Dec) by BirdLife Australia and ANU. The NRHMP surveys were commenced in 2015 by ANU researchers and use a survey method almost identical the new approach described here for the Swift Parrot.

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Appendix A - Swift Parrot sightings over time in 2020

Figure A1. Swift Parrot sightings on mainland from January to April

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Figure A2. Swift Parrot sightings on mainland from May and June

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Figure A3. Swift Parrot sightings on mainland from July and August

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Figure A4. Swift Parrot sightings on mainland from September and October3

3 There were no documented sightings of Swift Parrot on the mainland in November and December 2020.

Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater 2020 Survey Summary and General Update

Appendix B – Regent Honeyeater sightings in 2020