What is a swift parrot?
The swift parrot is a critically endangered parrot that breeds only in Tasmania and migrates across Bass Strait to mainland Australia each winter. It is one of the world's fastest parrots.
Swift parrots are bright green with red faces and red patches under the wings. They fly at high speeds, which helps them travel long distances in search of flowering eucalypts.
They breed in tree hollows in Tasmania's east and southeast forests, timing breeding with the flowering of Tasmanian blue gums and swamp gums.
Threats
Sugar gliders, introduced to Tasmania, raid nests and kill females and chicks. Logging has removed many hollow-bearing trees.
Bruny Island, which has no sugar gliders, is an important refuge.
Only a small population remains, and scientists warn numbers may continue to decline without stronger protection of breeding forests. Volunteers take part in winter surveys on the mainland to track where the birds feed, and nest boxes with predator-proof doors have been trialled in Tasmania. Climate change also threatens the flowering of the eucalypts they rely on.
Did You Know?
Swift parrots may visit city parks and gardens on the mainland during winter, including in Melbourne and Sydney.