The first Orange-bellied Parrots (OBPs) have now started returning to Melaleuca for this season.
Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program volunteers have recorded 10 individual OBPs at the Melaleuca feed tables so far and the birds are expected to continue to arrive through to December.
Five of the birds that have returned so far were captive bred juveniles that were released between 2019 and 2022, while the other five OBPs were born in the wild also between 2019 and 2022.
At the end of last season, it was estimated that around 139 OBPs migrated north, and the Department’s Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program team are excited to see how many will return this season.
Over the next few weeks, captive-bred adult OBPs from the NRE Tas Five Mile Beach captive breeding facility and the Healesville Sanctuary will be released at Melaleuca to help add to the number of potential breeding pairs in the wild population.
For more information, visit the Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmania Program Facebook page or the Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmania Program latest updates page.
