Swift Parrot
EPBC Status: Critically Endangered
SPRAT Species Profile: Lathamus discolor — Swift Parrot
Found in: Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland
Threatened Species Strategy Scorecards:
Swift Parrot Year 3 scorecard 2018 (PDF - 385.13 KB)
Swift Parrot Year 3 scorecard 2018 (DOCX - 252.51 KB)
Year 3 Scorecard Summary (2018)
Swift Parrots breed in Tasmania during spring and summer and migrate to woodlands across south-east mainland states for the rest of the year. Swift Parrots are nomadic, with varied nesting sites and winter foraging from SA to southern Queensland depending on nectar availability. Clearing of high quality breeding and foraging habitat has been a key driver of population declines over the past 150 years. Additional threats include nest predation by Sugar Gliders and habitat degradation from altered fire regimes, timber harvesting and changing climatic conditions.
Swift Parrots’ geographically complex life cycle is challenging for conservation. Traditionally effort has focused on habitat improvement through tree planting and weed control, which are important for long-term recovery, but have limited short-term benefits. Actions to improve habitat, including limiting harvest of old growth nesting trees and winter feeding habitat, and also attempts to reduce the impacts of Sugar Gliders, are of greater immediate benefit but will need to be amplified to reverse negative population trends.
Further information
- Threatened species strategy
- 20 birds by 2020
- 20 mammals by 2020
- 30 plants by 2020
- Three year review of progress on priority bird and mammal species
Please note that this scorecard is due for review in Year 5 of the Threatened Species Strategy (2020). If you would like to contribute information on this species please provide your contact details to ThreatenedSpeciesCommissioner@awe.gov.au
Photo credit: © Dejan Stojanovic