Theatened Birds of Australia
Regent Honeyeater, Cleland Wildlife Park
Today in the mail I received the latest newsletter of the Threatened Bird Network, a sub-group of Birds Australia.
I read the newsletter while finishing my lunch and having a cuppa.
I knew that large tracts of Australia have been cleared, but to have the stark facts in print in front of you comes as a shock. I quote:
‘With a third of Australia’s woodland vegetation cleared, and over 80% of the temperate woodlands converted into agricultural land, it comes as no surprise that one in five of our temperate woodland dependent birds are threatened. This equates to over 40 species, including the nationally endangered Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater.’
I haven’t yet had the pleasure of seeing a Swift Parrot in the wild and can’t recall seeing one in captivity. The only Regent Honeyeater I’ve seen is the one featured here on this page, and that was in a walk through aviary at Cleland Wildlife Park near Adelaide.
Such beautiful birds. Sad that their very existence is under threat.
Regent Honeyeater, Cleland Wildlife Park
I think Healesville has swift parrots, but I haven’t seen either those or regent honeyeaters in the wild. Those honeyeaters are beautiful birds.
On the subject of endangered species, hooded plovers* always surprise me. Something so rare should be a little less open in its activities! I get a bit of a shock every time I see them going about their business. I want to offer them some advice about getting away from people.
*or plumbers, if you write for The Australian
It’s been a while since I’ve been to Healesville – must correct that the next time we are over that way. On our last visit I wasn’t into photography – just listing birds. I was sure I had a photo of a Swiftie at Adelaide Zoo – couldn’t find it today.
Haven’t yet taken a photo of a Hooded Plover. Last one a saw (from memory) was on the foreshore at Victor Harbor – complete with a nest and 2 eggs. Trying to herd 60 ten year olds away from the nest took all my major-general skills. There is now a very prominent sign there alerting people of their presence – I did take a photo of the sign showing a painting of one! Not the same though.
The endangered mallee fowl population of Monarto South are under serious threat as Murray Bridge Council press ahead with plans for a B double highway through both Monarto and Ferries McDonald Conservation Parks.Instead of setting this area aside as a wildlife protection corridor for all the species of flora and fauna that live there Council continue to reduce native habitat in our area and put survival of mallee fowl, in particular, at serious risk.
Thanks for your comments Pam.
[…] Threatened birds of Australia […]
[…] fact remains that this valley is one of the strongholds of the Regent Honeyeater, one of our most threatened species of birds here in Australia. This interesting honeyeater is found throughout the Capertee Valley […]