The Orange-bellied Parrot breeds only in summer in Tasmania, with most of the population migrating to spend winter in coastal Victoria and South Australia. Adult Orange-bellied Parrots return to Tasmania around October to breed and leave for mainland Australia in late February to mid-March. Juveniles depart for mainland wintering grounds a little later, towards the end of March to early April. It is thought that they mostly travel at night.
Since European settlement in Australia, the Orange-bellied Parrot population has collapsed. There were as many as several thousand in the late 1800s, but as few as 50 today. Gathering information on these birds is key to ensuring their continued survival.
The Orange-bellied Parrot Winter Surveys are citizen science events that take place over 3 weekends in winter. When you sign up for an Orange-bellied Parrot survey, we’ll put you in contact with a regional coordinator who can provide more detailed information about the count.
To find the contact details for your regional survey coordinator, visit the OBP Recovery Team website.
To report any sightings of Orange-bellied Parrots please complete the form below.
The Orange-bellied Parrot Surveys take place in six regions across three different states:
The best time to survey for Orange-bellied Parrots (OBP) is from sunrise to 11.00 am, and then again from around 3.00 pm to sunset. This is when Neophema parrots are most likely to be actively foraging.
OBPs can feed for long periods on the ground or low in vegetation, calling softly to each other and only occasionally. They camouflage very well whilst feeding and it often takes a close approach, sometimes to within just metres, to see or flush the birds. Therefore, any attempt to search for them often requires a lot of walking back and forth through areas of suitable habitat.
This may mean that you will need gumboots or old shoes that can get wet because many habitats are damp and interspersed with shallow pools and channels.
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This program focuses on the conservation of wetland and waterways and the birds they support.
The Orange-bellied Parrot is a small grass parrot with an orange patch on its belly and is one of Australia's most threatened bird species.
Our planet is facing mass extinction and needs our help. We have partnered with other global conservation organisations to protect our most important places for nature. These places are called Key Biodiversity Areas.
