Endangered Australian Bird Species |
Chiltern, Victoria.
The Chiltern Box Ironbark National Park surrounds the picturesque historic town of Chiltern.
The district has exceptional bird diversity with more than 220 species having been recorded, 180 of them residents or regular visitors, making Chiltern the Birdwatchers Mecca of Southern Australia.
Below are some facts about the Endangered Species that may be seen around this area.
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Survival Needs
Regent Honeyeaters occur mainly in box-ironbark open forests. A large proportion of their time is spent feeding on nectar from a few key eucalypts - Mugga Ironbark, White Box, Yellow Box, Yellow Gum and Blakely's Red Gum and mistletoe growing on River Oaks. Stands of these eucalypts growing on sites where nectar production is plentiful and predictable are critical to the survival of the Regent Honeyeater. In parts of coastal New South Wales they are also attracted to stands of Swamp Mahogany.Distribution and Movements
Regent Honeyeaters are highly mobile, rarely remaining long in one place unless breeding. Even then, they usually depart as soon as their young are independent. During winter, Regent Honeyeaters disperse widely in small groups. In spring they concentrate into the main breeding areas around Chiltern and Benalla in Victoria and Capertee Valley, Bundarra District and the Warrumbungles in NSW. Other sites regularly visited include Canberra and the Mudgee and Gosford areas in NSW. Many pairs breed in small remnants of open forests in farmland or along roadsides. ThreatsThe decline of the Regent Honeyeater appears to he due to a steady reduction in the extent and quality of its habitat. Many of the remaining stands of the key eucalypt species have suffered in the past from harvesting of timber and the very slow growth rates of replacement trees. Lack of regeneration due to grazing by stock and hence a lack of new trees to replace dying trees in Farmland is also a serious concern.
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The Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) is a migratory species which breeds mainly in the Blue Gum forests of South east Tasmania, and spends winter on mainland Australia.
Recent
surveys have shown that the total population of Swift Parrots in Australia may number less than 1000 pairs, the species is classified as endangered in Victoria and New South Wales, vulnerable in Tasmania and South Australia, and vulnerable in Australia.Distribution and Movements
Swift Parrots breed in eastern Tasmania during October-January, before migrating between February-May to mainland
Australia to spend autumn arid
winter They occur mainly in southern, central and northeast Victoria, and are occasionally seen in New South Wales, southern Queensland and south-eastern South Australia. The birds return to their breeding grounds between August and October IdentificationIn appearance, habits and general behaviour; Swift Parrots resemble lorikeets (especially the Musk Lorikeet) and they sometimes form mixed flocks feeding in flowering eucalypts. They are small birds 25 cm in length with a generally green plumage. The ear covers and crown are blue, and they have a red facial mask with a yellow margin, pale green underparts, and blue-and-red patches on the shoulders. In flight, the red under-wing and under-tail feathers and the long fine-pointed tail, distinguish it from lorikeets.
The most reliable characteristic is its distinctive call, which differs markedly from the screeching notes given by lorikeets. The call consists of sharp, rapidly repeated clinking notes as the parrots depart from trees, and soft warbling notes while feeding or perching.
Swift Parrots usually occur in small parties, feeding on both nectar and lerps among the branches of flowering eucalypts.
Survival NeedsIn Victoria swift Parrots occur in areas where there is a continuous supply of winter flowering eucalypt blossom, feeding on the nectar of a few key species such as Red Ironbark, Mugga Ironbark, Yellow Gum, White Box and Grey Box.
Sites containing mature key eucalypts on fertile soils, where nectar production is more reliable and plentiful, provide winter food resources that are critical to the parrot's overall survival.
Swift Parrots also consume lerps (sugary shelters of small scale insects) found on the surfaces of eucalypt leaves, and occasionally' form large flocks where infestations occur; sometimes in River Red Gums and Blakeley’s Red Gums. Occasionally they are attracted to blossoming non-indigenous eucalypts.
In their Tasmanian breeding grounds, Swift Parrots nest in tree hollows in large old eucalypts.
Threats
The major cause of the decline of swift parrots is the loss of Blue Gums in their Tasmanian breeding areas due to land clearance, and the loss in area and quality of Box Ironbark Forests and woodlands on the mainland.
Most of these winter flowering eucalypt forests and woodlands have been cleared in the past, but much of what remains is subject to a number of pressures, including subdivision, timber harvesting and mining.
Within the Ironbark Forests only a very small portion is suitable foraging habitat, as the forests comprise mainly of immature trees, which have less predictable nectar sources, in highly fragmented blocks.
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The Square Tailed Kite inhabits riverine forests and well wooded areas near open country and feeds on a wide variety of insects and small animals, especially bird nestlings.
It characteristically soars and glides just above the tree tops with its wings held in a V.
White spots are exhibited under its wings in flight. Seasonal movements and possibly nomadic, and breeds from August to November, with bulky loose nests in high trees.
Endangered Australian Bird Species |
Bush Stone Curlew, Turquoise Parrot and Scarlet Chested Parrot next page |
Chiltern Bird Trails |
Australias Endangered Birds |
| Regent Honeyeater | Turquoise Parrot |
| Square Tailed Kite | Swift Parrot |
| Scarlet Chested Parrot | Bush Stone Curlew |
Chiltern's |
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