Swift Parrot - profile

Scientific name: Lathamus discolor
Conservation status in NSW: Endangered
National conservation status: Endangered

Description

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.

Location and habitat

Distribution

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.

You can help map Distribution and Habitat
Each year the Swift Parrot Recovery Team relies on the involvement of volunteers to identify areas the birds are visiting and what resources they are using. This information directly helps the recovery effort for this species. Surveys are conducted twice a year and aim to cover the migratory winter range of this species. Mainland surveys are held on the 3rd weekend in May and the first weekend in August every year.

All information helps and the Recovery Team is also very interested to receive sighting information of these birds outside the survey dates. Surveys are run in combination with the Regent Honeyeater survey effort, another Endangered migratory woodland bird.

Please contact the relevant coordinator for your state (specified below) and let us know which sites you would like to survey or to request some suggestions for new sites to explore.

Survey sheets and instructions can be downloaded from the 'Related Information' pane on the left hand side of your screen.

The Swift Parrot Volunteer Survey Coordinators are:
NSW/ACT/Qld/SA - Debbie Saunders (Department of Environment and Climate Change, NSW) freecall 1800 66 57 66 e-mail swiftparrots@yahoo.com.au
Victoria - Garry Cheers (Department of Sustainability and Environment, Vic) ph 03 5461 2970, e-mail garry_cheers@yahoo.com.au

Tasmania - Matt Webb (Department of Primary Industries and Water, Tas) ph 03 6233 6952, e-mail matthew.webb@dpiw.tas.gov.au

Habitat and ecology

Migrates to the Australian south-east mainland between March and October.
On the mainland they occur in areas where eucalypts are flowering profusely or where there are abundant lerp (from sap-sucking bugs) infestations.
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.
Commonly used lerp infested trees include Grey Box E. microcarpa, Grey Box E. moluccana and Blackbutt E. pilularis.
Return to some foraging sites on a cyclic basis depending on food availability.
Following winter they return to Tasmania where they breed from September to January, nesting in old trees with hollows and feeding in forests dominated by Tasmanian Blue Gum E. globulus.

Regional information
This species is found in the following catchment management authority regions. Click on a region name to see more details about the distribution, vegetation types and habitat preference of the species in that region.

Threats

On the mainland the main threat is loss of habitat through clearing for agriculture, and urban and industrial development.
Collisions with wire netting fences, windows and cars, during the breeding season and winter migration (especially where such obstacles are in close proximity to suitable habitat).

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Department of Environment and Conservation has identified 13 priority actions to help recover the Swift Parrot in New South Wales.

What needs to be done to recover this species?

Reduce collisions in areas where Swift Parrots are foraging by closing window blinds, letting windows get dirty. Alternatively hang wind chimes, mobiles etc in front of windows. Hang strips of fabric across wire mesh fences.
Searches for the species should be conducted in suitable habitat in proposed development areas. Known feeding areas should be protected. DEC should be consulted for advice on reducing impact when planning development near feeding areas.
Retain stands of winter-flowering feed-trees, particularly large mature individuals.
Revegetate with winter-flowering tree species where appropriate.

References

Higgins, P.J. (eds.) (1999) Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 4: Parrots to Dollarbird. Oxford University Press.
Kennedy, S. (2001) Swift Parrots. Results of winter surveys on mainland Australia 1995-2000.
Kennedy, S.J. and Overs, A.E. (2001) Foraging Ecology and Habitat Use of the Swift Parrot on the South-Western Slopes of New South Wales. Corella 25:68-74.
Kennedy, S.J. and Tzaros, C.L. (2005) Foraging ecology of the Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor in the Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands of Victoria. Pacific Conservation Biology 11(3):158-173.
NSW Scientific Committee (2000) Swift parrot - Endangered species determination - final. DEC (NSW), Sydney.
Pizzey, G. and Knight, F. (2003) The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia 7th Edition. Menkhorst, P. (ed). HarperCollins.
Robinson, D. and Traill, B.J. (1996) Conserving woodland birds in the wheat and sheep belts of southern Australia. RAOU Conservation Statement No. 10. Birds Australia, Melbourne.
Saunders, D.L. and Heinsohn, R. (2008) Winter habitat use by the endangered, migratory Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) in New South Wales. Emu 108: 81-89
Saunders, D.L., Brereton, R., Tzaros, C., Holdsworth, M. and Price, R. (2007) Conservation of the Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor management lessons for a threatened migratory species. Pacific Conservation Biology 13 (2): 111-119
Swift Parrot Recovery Team (2001) Swift Parrot Recovery Plan. Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart.