Swift Parrot – photo by Max Sutcliffe
It’s that time of year, when Swift Parrots are moving through this area on their annual migration from Tasmania, where they breed, to mainland Australia, where they reside over winter, feeding mainly on the nectar of eucalypt blossoms. The Far South Coast is an important feeding area for Swift Parrots, mainly due to the flowering of Spotted Gums here at this time of year.
Swift Parrots are listed as Endangered in NSW and Critically Endangered nationally. Annual surveys are undertaken to monitor their numbers and understand their behaviour. The first 2016 Swift Parrot survey is coming up soon, on the weekend of 14-15 May. This will help determine changes in distribution over time and to identify important Swift Parrot foraging areas.
BirdLife Australia is seeking volunteers to assist by searching for Swift Parrots in our local area. If you can do a survey on 14-15 May, they would love to hear of any sightings. They are also happy for people to undertake a survey a week either side of this weekend. Incidental sightings are also welcomed. Visit the BirdLife Australia website for survey information.
The Far South Coast Birdwatchers would also love to hear of any sightings in this area and can be contacted by visiting their website at www.fscb.org.au or emailing them at fscbirds@bigpond.com.
Recognising the Swift Parrot
The Swift Parrot is mostly bright green in colour, with dark-blue patches on the crown, a prominent red face, and the chin and throat are narrowly bordered with yellow. It is approximately 25 cm in length, the wingspan is 32 to 36 cm and it weighs about 65g. It is a slim, medium-sized parrot with angular pointed wings and a slender tail giving it the characteristic streamlined flight-silhouette (Higgins 1999).
This species is sometimes confused with lorikeets, most likely when seen flying overhead. In this situation the Swift Parrot is then best distinguished by calls, all of which are quite different from the harsh screeching or buzzing calls of lorikeets, and also by its slimmer build and distinctly longer finely pointed tail. No lorikeet has the combination of red underwing-coverts and undertail-coverts seen in the adult male Swift Parrot (Higgins 1999).
Swift Parrots are often noisy, active and conspicuous. They typically allow close approach when feeding in trees, and often associate with lorikeets and honeyeaters at abundant food sources (Higgins 1999).
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