Released 05/02/2018
Minister for the Environment Mick Gentleman is calling for Canberrans to participate in research on superb parrot breeding success and competition with other hollow-nesting birds.
The ACT Government has teamed up with the Australian Museum and their DigiVol citizen science site to find out more about their breeding patterns and how they compete with other birds for nesting spots.
“We need help examining images taken at tree hollows to identify the birds and other animals present and what they are doing,” Mr Gentleman said.
“Superb parrots nest in the hollows of large old gum trees, which are becoming scarcer. At least 30 other birds and possums compete for the same hollows as the superb parrot”.
Researchers have placed cameras at the entrance of 32 hollows in trees near Throsby where superb parrots nest. Over three breeding seasons, the cameras captured over one million wildlife images of 20 bird and possum species, including competitors like rosellas, galahs and starlings and potential predators such as kookaburras, brown goshawks, ravens and brushtail possums.
“We’re asking Canberrans to sign up to DigiVol and help us sort through the camera images to build up detailed information. It’s an easy process, with a series of guided steps for each image as it appears on screen,” Mr Gentleman said.
The collaboration between citizens, government and the Australian Museum will help answer how much competition the superb parrot is facing, whether they’re losing hollows to competitor birds and whether superb parrots can successfully hold a hollow once occupied. It will also look into the issues of whether competition leading to superb parrots nesting in sub-optimal hollows and how hollow competition is changing over time and with the development of suburbs.
“There are probably only a few thousand birds left following the destruction of much of the species’ former habitat. ANU research predicts in the next 20 years Canberra will experience climate similar to the superb parrot’s key breeding areas such as those around Young and Forbes making the Territory vital for its survival,” Mr Gentleman concluded.
Canberrans can access the DigiVol site at https://volunteer.ala.org.au/project/index/22993321
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Mick Gentleman, MLA | Media Releases