17-18 May 2014 – Swift Parrot survey weekend
Posted on 14 May, 2014 by Connecting Country
We are fortunate to live in a part of central Victoria which is a hot-spot for the threatened Swift Parrot – although the numbers of birds seen during their migrations varies dramatically from year to year.
Over the past 20 years, Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club members and other local birding enthusiasts have conducted surveys for this species on the two annual survey weekends (always the 3rd weekend in May, and first weekend in August). Across south-eastern mainland Australia, these surveys have been coordinated by BirdLife Australia (and its predecessor Birds Australia). The surveys also focus on the Regent Honeyeater, although this species is now highly unlikely to be found in the Mount Alexander Shire. The last confirmed local Regent Honeyeater sighting was about ten years ago of a single bird near Newstead. A powerpoint presentation on the surveys and these species is available on the BirdLife website (click here).
A copy of the datasheet is available here (click here). Across the official survey weekend – and the weekends on either side – BirdLife Australia are interested in the results of all bird-watching surveys – irrespective of whether Swift Parrots are seen or not. Even unsuccessful surveys are of interest to the scientists studying this species. The datasheet can also be used to document observations of the Swift Parrot made at other times of the year.
There was a recent article published about the impact of Sugar Gliders in killing Swift Parrots and their fledglings and eggs at their nesting sites in Tasmania (click here).
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