Swift Parrots are one of the only parrots in the world that migrates every year, making the long journey from Tasmania to mainland Australia in search of flowering gum trees. Yet, bushfires and continued native forest logging threaten this incredible bird's existence.
The biggest threat to Swift Parrots is the destruction of their habitat.
Two of the major culprits are the State-Government owned logging corporations of New South Wales and Tasmania.
This threat could be quickly ended if our elected representatives took action to protect the Swift Parrot’s habitat.
We need your voice to help change the laws which are making Swift Parrots disappear.
Swift Parrots rely on eucalypt forests for their survival – in Tasmania, where they nest in hollows in ancient gum trees, and in south-eastern mainland Australia, particularly NSW, flowering eucalypts provide the food they need to sustain them during winter. Sadly, both regions are subject to native forest logging, with swathes of forest cut down each year.
With logging resulting in an ever-diminishing supply of trees to nest and feed in, it’s little wonder the population of Swift Parrots has fallen to just 300 or so.
In spite of this dire situation, logging continues even in native forests that were hit by the 2020 bushfires.
We call on state governments to immediately suspend forestry operations (both active and planned) in critical Swift Parrot habitat.
As well as destroying forests that Swift Parrots rely on, scientific studies have also revealed that logging actually amplifies the impacts of bushfires (compared to unlogged forests) – a ‘perfect storm’ as climate change ushers in hotter, drier conditions
The 2022 BirdLife Australia Birds and Nature Tourism Report showed that bird-related tourism already brings millions of dollars into areas which support Swift Parrots. Without a halt to logging, this valuable and sustainable income stream will be lost, along with the the native forests and the Swift Parrots that depend on them.
By working together we can stop the destruction of the native forests Swift Parrots rely on. Take action today.
Join us in calling on Minister Plibersek to improve the Swift Parrot national recovery plan.
Learn about our other priority campaigns and become an advocate for Australian birds!
Swift Parrots breed only in Tasmania and then fly across Bass Strait to forage on flowering eucalypts in open box–ironbark forests of the Australian mainland.
Woodland bird populations are declining rapidly, with more than 40 species at risk of extinction. The Woodland Birds Program aims to stop and reverse this trend before it's too late.
