2007 Swifts Across the Strait is the newsletter of the Swift Parrot Characteristics of Swift Parrot Recovery Program. The Swift Parrot is an endangered bird (Lathamus discolor) nesting habitat species endemic to South-East Australia. Swift Parrots by Janneke Voogdt (Lathamus discolor) breed in I first walked up to the top of patterns of Blue Gums. Breeding Tasmania and migrate to the Craigow Hill (Meehan Range) in habitat has been reduced considerably mainland feeding on wintering Tasmania’s southeast on a misty due to land clearance through flowering gum and lerp in areas and cool November morning. I still agriculture, forestry activities and of Victoria, New South Wales, had a leftover jetlag and expected urban development. Habitat loss and South Australia and Queensland. summer to be hot in Australia. The fragmentation are seen as the main The birds then return to their vegetation was fascinating, the sounds threat to the Swift Parrot. breeding grounds in the Spring. and smells strange. Chattering Swift The full extent of their recorded Loss of hollows and high value food Parrots everywhere. range, from Tasmania to resources affect Swift Parrots directly, Queensland may be the Coming from northern Germany, while recruitment of hollow bearing longest of all migrating parrots I can say that seeing parrots in the trees is an important consideration for worldwide. The sporadic wild feels amazing. Being able to conservation in the future. Most of the population nests in a series of movement of the parrots means see rare and threatened parrots loose aggregations. The size of these that a large number of people nesting is dumbfounding. I came to nesting aggregations is most likely are needed to keep track of its Tasmania to collect data on the determined by the availability of distribution, and to collect habitat requirements of breeding potential nest trees and foraging information on the bird’s Swift Parrots for my final thesis in resources. My study investigated habitat requirements. Biology (german Diplomarbeit). nesting preferences of Swift Parrots This project would never have within known nesting aggregations by happened without the help and examining trees, tree hollows, Blue encouragement of Matt Webb and Gum flowering and topographic and Mark Holdsworth (Threatened Species other environmental variables. Section, Biodiversity Conservation The fieldwork was split into nest Branch, Department of Primary searches in the core breeding time Industries and Water in Hobart), Eric from November 2005 to mid-January Woehler (Chair of Birds Tasmania) 2006 and detailed investigations of and Professor Alastair Richardson three nesting areas from the end of (School of Zoology, University of February to May 2006. I sampled a Tasmania) - thank you. total of 104 quarter hectare sized plots After over-wintering on mainland on Craigow Hill, Roberts Hill (Bruny Australia, Swift Parrots migrate to Island) and in Fern Tree. These were Tasmania for breeding. Nesting composed of 52 nest plots and 52 distribution is determined by hollow- non-nest plots. The study revealed bearing trees and the availability of Swift Parrots in Tasmanian Blue Gum that Swift Parrots select eucalypts foraging resources. Breeding locations with multiple hollows, large trunk Photo: Aleks Terauds vary annually in response to flowering diameters and in noticeably advanced contd. on page 2 contd. from page 1 stages of senescence. These trees are shortage of hollow-bearing trees most likely to provide suitable nest and hollows in the future. It may hollows. I also counted Blue Gum take 50-150 years before regrowth opercula on the ground as a measure forms hollows. of flowering intensity and distribution Many land uses do not offer time surrounding each area to gain a broad and space for the natural regeneration impression of the flowering patterns of hollows. A lack of hollows may surrounding nesting sites. Aggregated increase competition between nesting was associated with heavy hollow dependent species with Blue Gum flowering nearby. unforeseeable impacts. The study suggests that where Insufficient foraging habitat can foraging resources are abundant, limit densities of breeding birds, while hollow availability is the main factor a shortage of nest sites can have the influencing the Swift Parrot’s selection ‘Nest Tree’ by Janneke Voogdt same effect where food is abundant. of a nesting site or tree. Trees with Poor flowering on a local scale is numerous hollows are more likely to likely to result in low use of suitable provide a suitable hollow for the Swift tree hollows by Swift Parrots. Parrot than trees with less hollows. It Hollow abundance is positively is suggested that hollow supply Hollows are unlikely to be a limiting associated with tree diameter, age and attracts Swift Parrots and thus factor for Swift Parrot in large stands signs of senescence or dieback. influences nest occurrence and of old-growth forest. However, in Hollow-bearing trees used by distribution. The average number of highly fragmented and disturbed vertebrate fauna are usually not potential nest hollows suitable for areas a lack of hollows may limit younger than 120-180 years. Swift Parrots was 10 per nest tree. breeding densities when abundant The process of hollow formation is flowering is present. This is particularly Swift Parrots nest in dead or alive long and complex while clearing of relevant in years when there is only a trees and do not prefer a particular hollow bearing trees destroys hollows handful of locations where there is tree species for nesting. The frequency very quickly. Dead trees provide far heavy flowering. of nests in a given tree species at each more hollows than live trees but do site was more associated with the While loss of Swift Parrot habitat not remain standing. availability of this species in the has undoubtably affected Swift nesting habitat. Old-growth forest stands are rare in Parrot foraging areas, the influence the southeast of Tasmania. Maria on nest hollow availability may have Swift Parrots are more likely to nest in Island, Craigow Hill, Roberts Hill and been underestimated. areas supporting old-growth trees and parts of Fern Tree are mapped as old- abundant hollows. Nest trees I hope the findings of my study will growth forest. Breeding in a clumped investigated had an average DBH aid identification of Swift Parrot distribution may simply reflect the (diameter at breast height) of 111cm breeding habitat and increase distribution of hollow-bearing trees and were rarely below 60cm DBH. awareness of the need to manage across the landscape. Nest trees were also more likely to be tree hollows. showing signs of stress or senescence Past and current land use practices (dead limbs and branches). are likely to be responsible for a Page 2 swifts across the strait • 2007 Exhibition Helen Fitzgerald has an exhibition: ‘Flowers, birds and landscapes’ which features the Swift Parrot amongst Swift Parrots other species. The exhibition opens from 1 April to 15th May 2007 at the Wood Works overheard overhead Gallery, Kings Hwy, Bungendore, NSW. Phone: (02) 6238 1682. By Alan Morris, 14th March 2006 For a preview of the show Hi Birders, Here at Murray Street the first of many birds to stay around please visit her website: Bateau Bay, my house is located in a for the next few months. www.helenfitzgerald.com group of streets that are lined with However this is an early date, they and or also have on the blocks, usually do not turn up at Bateau Bay very large Blackbutts (Eucalyptus until April. pilularis) and Coast Bloodwoods Funding (Corymbia gummifera) which are currently in flower. Opportunities This part of Bateau Bay is on a The WWF Threatened Species north facing slope which then rises Network Funds opened on April up into Wyrrabalong National Park, 2nd and will close on June 1st. where Blackbutts and Bloodwoods are the dominant trees but on the Information regarding TSN grants lower slopes of the hill, Swamp is available on the website: Mahoganys (Eucalyptus robustus) are http://wwf.org.au/ourwork/species/ also located. The latter species are tsngrants/ where applications may some time off flowering. be downloaded. Consequently we have hundreds of The Threatened Species Network Mugga Ironbark Flower Rainbow and Musk Lorikeets around Community Grants have been the house and throughout Bateau Photo: Debbie Saunders established to support and inspire Bay at present and the air is full of the community groups to work on sound of calling Lorikeets. the conservation and recovery of threatened species and ecological However at 6.20pm yesterday evening communities. The Grants fund (Monday 13/3/06), in the kitchen we projects that benefit species or heard flying low over the house the ecological communities that are unmistaken “clink, clink” call of the listed as threatened under the Swift Parrot, there appeared to be two Environmental Protection and birds. I rushed out but could not see Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999). them, probably they kept going. Please contact Swift Parrot I have often wondered when there are Mainland Recovery Coordinator, many other lorikeets present, whether Belinda Cooke for assistance I would be able to recognise the call and support in applying for of the Swift Parrots amongst the din these grants. of the other lorikeets when they first Alternatively, please contact arrive! But there was no mistaking the the WWF TSN representative in Swift Parrot call after all. Mugga Ironbark your State. It remains to be seen whether this was Photo: Debbie Saunders an isolated visit, or whether these are Page 3 Swift Parrot Recovery Team Datums – member profiles: explained My involvement in migratory Australian birds goes back to when I was studying Mapping and coordinate systems Science and became interested in bird are based on a datum, which is a banding and bird research. I followed mathematical surface that best fits this up with an honours project on the the shape of the Earth.