The Swift Parrot

The Swift Parrot is an endangered bird species endemic to South-East Australia and Bush Heritage Reserves provides suitable habitats for their survival.

It is well recognised that habitat loss is the major threat to swift parrots.  Swift Parrots migrate the longest distance of any parrot in the world. They leave their breeding grounds in Tasmania during Autumn to winter on mainland Australia, and return to Tasmania in the Spring.  Bush Heritage Australia is protecting habitat that is vital for the survival of this endangered parrot.

The yearly variation in migratory movements of this parrot is partly due to variation in flowering and means that a large number of people are needed to keep track of its distribution, and to collect information on the bird’s habitat requirements.

A National Swift Parrot survey is conducted on the third weekend in May and the first weekend in August each year. Observers from Eastern South Australia through to Southern Queensland look for Swift Parrots in an effort to trace the movements of this rare and elusive species.

The Swift Parrot is small parrot about 25 cm long. It is bright green with red around the bill, throat and forehead. The red on its throat is edged with yellow. Its crown is blue-purple. There are bright red patches under the wings. One of most distinctive features from a distance is its long (12 cm), thin tail, which is dark red. This distinguishes it from the similar lorikeets, with which it often flies and feeds. Can also be recognised by its flute-like chirruping or metallic "kik-kik-kik" call. 

The Swift Parrot breeds in Tasmania during spring and summer, migrating in the autumn and winter months to south-eastern Australia from Victoria and the eastern parts of South Australia to south-east Queensland. In NSW mostly occurs on the coast and south west slopes. Migrates to the Australian south-east mainland between March and October.  The Swift Parrot Scientific name is Lathamus discolor, the Conservation status in NSW is Endangered and the National conservation status is Endangered.

Bush Heritage Reserves provides habitat on the mainland where eucalypts are flowering profusely, their favoured feed trees include winter flowering species such as Swamp Mahogany Eucalyptus robusta, Spotted Gum Corymbia maculata, Red Bloodwood C. gummifera, Mugga Ironbark E. sideroxylon, and White Box E. albens. 

Bush Heritage reserves provides critical habitats for the Swift Parrot. They are  Tarcutta Hills in NSW and  Nardoo Hills  in Victoria.

For more information about the Swift Parrot visit the Department of Environment and Climate Change New South Wales

Photo Credit: Swift Parrot, Bateau Bay, feeding in Swamp Mahogony  by  Neville Lazarus