Swift Parrot

In 2011 it was estimated that the population of 2000 mature birds was in decline. In 2016, the Swift Parrot was elevated to ‘critically endangered’ under the EPBC Act.

Swifts spend a lot of time crawling through the foliage

Loss of habitat is a vital factor but it is estimated that nearly 85% of the Swift Parrot population is at risk each year of being killed by Sugar Gliders. The gliders eat the eggs and chicks and are known to kill adult birds.

Well camouflaged, Swift Parrots can be hard to spot

Swift Parrots breed in Tasmania in spring and summer and fly across Bass Strait to mainland Australia in winter. Once on the mainland they become very nomadic as they chase the blossoming patterns of their favourite eucalypt species of Ironbark, Spotted Gum, etc. A few birds reach south-east Queensland, making it the longest known parrot migration in the world.

Swift Parrot distribution (Credit: dpipwe.tas.gov.au)

 

They are nectar feeders and will often spend several days at one site of productive blossom or lerp. At other times they might spend just several hours before moving on after their food source is exhausted. Swifts are active feeders, crawling through the foliage and often hanging upside down.

Often, patience is required while you wait for one to move into a spot for a photo

 

It can be easy to confuse Swift Parrots with Musk and Rainbow Lorikeets. Whenever a feeding frenzy of lorikeets is happening at this time of year, it is often worth taking a closer look for the more slender Swift Parrot with a long tail, pink-red undertail coverts and the red forehead and chin.

 

A recent report on Birdline of the birds being seen at Lysterfield Lake alerted many birdwatchers to their presence - the location of the birds was easy to determine...