In the eastern regions of the Australian continent lives a nomadic bird called the Swift Parrot which is struggling to survive against all odds. Did you know that the swift parrot is the only parrot species to undertake the longest migration in the world? These birds are gorgeous to look at, noisy and as their name suggests, they are very fast flyers.
Swift parrots (Lathamus discolor) are nomadic migrants. This means that they move to different places seasonally to meet their various needs. These birds lay eggs and raise their chicks in Tasmania during the warmer months. When the Tasmanian winter gets too cold to handle, they fly across the Bass Strait to the southeastern part of the Australian mainland.
These birds have a rainbow coloured plumage that looks strikingly beautiful. Both males and females have a bright green body, a crimson-yellow-blue face, a purple crown on the top of the head, a maroon tail and red under tails that look dazzling when they take to the sky. The females are a bit duller in comparison though.
Swift parrots were abundant until the 1980s after which they started to experience a decline in their populations. The remaining population of fewer than 2000 individuals that currently live in the wild continue to decrease rapidly. This species is listed as critically endangered under the IUCN red list.
The brilliantly coloured swift parrot is swiftly disappearing from the face of the earth and here is why.
Swift parrots have very specific needs!
- Diet requirements
They primarily feed on nectar from flowering Eucalypt trees. During the breeding season, they specifically need the nectar from flowers of the Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) and black gum (Eucalyptus ovata) Eucalypt trees.
Their breeding locations are chosen based on the proximity to these specific Eucalypt trees. However, the flowering patterns of these trees are quite unpredictable every year. This means that only a small proportion of the habitat becomes suitable for breeding in any one year.
- Nest requirements
Another specific need is the type of nests that they require for successful breeding. They nest in the hollows of trees and they are very particular about choosing the right kind of hollows. They only choose hollows that have entrances that are small enough for them to pass through, that have chambers deep enough to easily defend against predators and that have floors that are spacious enough.
All these hollow characteristics are found only in mature old-growth trees. Old-growth trees are trees above the age of 120 years that have not been disturbed catastrophically by any calamities.
These very specific needs make them vulnerable to various threats.
Swift parrots versus forest clearing
Tasmania has 1.2 million hectares of old-growth forests. However, due to vigorous logging, these pristine and ancient forests are being swallowed up by humankind’s never-ending greed.
Their favourite flowering trees are also being logged. It is known that the swift parrots only prefer to breed in places where the blue gum and black gum tree flowers are abundant. They require these rich feeding grounds to feed and to raise strong, healthy chicks.
So the swifties are losing their specialised nesting places as well as their food because of deforestation. This doesn’t bode well for their future.
Swift parrots versus sugar gliders
When it is warm in Tasmania, female swift parrots lay about 3 eggs and incubate them for 25 days. During this time, they are very vulnerable to predation. You’ll be surprised to learn that their main predator is the Sugar glider. They do look very cute and harmless to us but these little fellas pose a massive threat to the survival of swift parrots.
Sugar gliders are marsupials that are native only to mainland Australia. They were introduced to Tasmania in the 1800s and have continued to thrive there. They eat the swift parrots’ eggs, chicks and even the adult mothers.
One study found that in a year, half of the females in a population were being preyed upon by the sugar gliders. If this continues, then the number of males in a population would be 2 times more than the number of females. This will wipe out most of the population in three generations.
Another study found that when mature forests become thinner and thinner, the risk of being upon by sugar gliders increases so it is important to protect the forests.
Swift parrots versus climate change
As if these problems weren’t enough, the swift parrots are also threatened by climate change. Due to climate change, the frequency of bushfires is increasing.
This will continue to destroy critical habitats which would have otherwise been preserved. Once old-growth trees are destroyed by fire, it will take another 100 years for them to become what they are today. By then it will be too late for these beautiful parrots.
Scientists also predict that a quarter of their breeding habitats will be unsuitable for them as a result of climate change impacts on flowering trees. The flowering times of these trees will be altered with changes in the climate.
This in turn will affect the breeding success of swift parrots. If for example, the flowers start to bloom very late, then the breeding season will also start late. This means that they will not be able to raise their chicks successfully and migrate to the Australian mainland on time.
How to win this fight for survival
Here is how people are helping or can help swift parrots win this fight against extinction:
- The main goal of policymakers should be the protection of swift parrot habitats from further logging and from any kind of development.
- In the hope of preventing further population decline due to predation, scientists are installing predator proof nest boxes for the parrots which will hopefully be effective.
- To prevent losing swift parrots to climate change effects, scientists are trying to predict future climate refugia. These are areas that will not be affected by climate change. When such places are found to be suitable, these birds can be translocated to those places to prevent them from going extinct.
- Monitoring of swift parrot populations is crucial. If you live in areas where swift parrots are visitors, you should record their presence on citizen science websites. This will greatly help in the conservation of these brilliantly coloured swifties.
I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing a swifty yet. Do you live in an area that swift parrots frequent? If so, have you seen one in the wild?
