Australian Birdkeeper October - November 2020

the prediction of population decline, but also add useful A downy Swift Parrot chick
knowledge to the existing information on the biology of
this species. PHOTO D STOJANOVIC

STUDY FINDINGS breeding seasons of 2004,
In all years, the first observation of a Swift Parrot 2005, and 2014 the mean
occurred by 23 September, and the breeding season ran was between 27 and 45
from September to December. Observation of the largest individuals, and for all
flock each year occurred during the breeding season in other years, less than 15
13 of the 16 years (median date of 4 October), and three individuals. The result
individuals over-wintered in 2010. was a significant negative
exponential relationship
There were 10 208 instances where Dr Hingston between year and mean
observed Swift Parrots foraging, and over 99% of those largest flock per month
observations occurred in three species of Eucalyptus in the breeding season,
trees—the Swamp, Tasmanian Blue and Manna Gums equivalent to an 87.3%
(and their hybrids). Their flowers accounted for 91.2% decline in abundance over
of all foraging observations. Swamp Gum and Tasmanian 15 years.
Blue Gum were the major food sources between July
and December. In the latter part of the breeding season, Because the numbers of
the parrots supplemented the diet by gleaning leaves of Swift Parrots present within
Manna Gum. Gleaning of leaves and bark appeared to be the study site each year
associated with infestations of the plant louse (psyllid) might have been influenced
Cardiaspina sp.—a tiny, sap-sucking insect which exudes by variations in local food
honeydew. The plant louse larva produces a protective availability, the flowering
cover of crystallised honeydew known as a lerp. From intensities of the main food
the end of the breeding season, the foraging activities sources, the Tasmanian
changed markedly as the parrots used a wider array of Blue Gum and Swamp
food sources. Gum, were scored in every
breeding season. The scores
Table 1. Food sources used by Swift Parrots of flowering intensity were Graph showing the variation in foraging between
in the Hobart suburbs then used to adjust the different months
values for abundance of
COMMON SCIENTIFIC PART OF OBSERVATIONS the parrots. Even with such PHOTO HINGSTON
NAME adjustment, the same severe
NAME PLANT NUMBER % downward trend could Graph showing the decline in the average size of the
be seen. Furthermore, a largest flock between 2002 and 2017
Swamp Gum Eucalyptus Flowers 7103 69.6 similar pattern of decline
was evident by using the PHOTO HINGSTON
ovata grand mean of the size of
all flocks. Graph showing decline in average flock size between
Leaves/ 2002 and 2017, adjusted for yearly differences in
97 0.95 This concurrence flowering intensity of Eucalypt trees
between Dr Hingston’s
bark* local observations in the PHOTO HINGSTON
Hobart suburbs and the
Tasmanian Eucalyptus Heinsohn team’s modelling
Flowers 1991 19.5 of the entire population
substantiates the findings of
Blue Gum globulus the modelling, reinforcing
that urgent action is required
Leaves/ 297 2.9 to prevent extinction of the
bark* Swift Parrot.

Eucalyptus E. ovata x Flowers 81 0.79

Hybrid globulus

Leaves/
5 0.05

bark*

Manna Gum Eucalyptus Flowers 132 1.3

viminalis

Leaves* 478 4.7

White Eucalyptus
Leaves* 12 0.12

Peppermint pulchella

Lemon Melaleuca Flowers 6 0.06

Bottlebrush pallida

Silver Birch Betula Seeds 5 0.05
pendula

Silver Banksia
Flowers 1 0.01

Banksia marginata

* Gleaning insects and lerps from leaf and bark surfaces.

POPULATION TRENDS REFERENCE
To examine population trend, Dr Hingston used two Hingston, AB 2019, ‘Documenting demise? Sixteen years
measures of abundance during the breeding season—
the average (mean) size of the largest flock, and the observing the Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor in suburban
grand mean size of all flocks, observed per month from Hobart, Tasmania’, Australian Field Ornithology, vol. 36:
September to December. The mean largest flock size doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo36097108.
in the 2002 breeding season was 93 individuals. In the

291VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •

conservation PARRoOITnAdoTneTsiRaITIIslOanNd
AUTHOR DR DAVID WAUGH
THE SANGIHE AND TALAUD ISLANDS Red and Blue Lory adult
are located north of the major island of Sulawesi
in Indonesia. Sangihe is a group of volcanic islands PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN
with the highest point of 1762m on Siau Island. The Talaud
Islands are mainly sandstone and coralline limestone, with
a maximum elevation of 608m, formed by the geologically
recent uplift of the Talaud ridge above sea level. Together
these islands constitute the Sangihe-Talaud Endemic Bird
Area, home to one of the highest densities of threatened
and island endemic bird species in the world. There are 14
species and 23 subspecies unique to the islands, and 18
Threatened or Near Threatened species.

Davi RED AND BLUE LORY
The vivid Red and Blue Lory Eos histrio, listed as
Endangered on the International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is one
of six parrot species found on the islands.

It has a tiny geographical distribution, within which
there has been substantial man-made impact, especially in
the form of lost native forest habitat. The lories are also
trapped for trade, much more so than any other parrot
species in the islands. As a result, the Red and Blue Lory
population continues to decline and is the most obvious
example of attrition of parrots from the Sangihe and
Talaud Islands.

The nominate subspecies histrio is considered extinct
in the Sangihe Islands, where it formerly occurred on the
islands of Sangir Besar, Siau and Ruang. The remaining
subspecies, talautensis, found on the Talaud Islands, is
virtually confined to the single, larger island of Karakelang
(976km sq), which retains a sizeable proportion of its
original lowland tropical forest.

The Red and Blue Lory’s precarious situation prompted
the Loro Parque Fundación in the late 1990s to early

2000s to finance research expeditions and a follow-up
conservation initiative called Action Sampiri. (Sampiri is
the local name for the lory.) During 2014 and 2015 the
LPF contributed funding for fieldwork by Manchester
Metropolitan University, UK and Burung Indonesia
(BirdLife International in that country) to update
the available information and modify conservation
recommendations if necessary.

Surveys of the other native bird species on Talaud’s
Karakelang and Sangir Besar Islands were also conducted
to produce population estimates and indications of
reliance on habitats that have changed over the past 20
years.

Due to the much heavier habitat destruction on Sangir
Besar, fieldwork was restricted to the best remaining
habitat areas capable of housing populations of native
birds. The bird species recorded included the Near
Threatened Sangihe Hanging Parrot Loriculus catamene
which, although found only on Sangir Besar, commonly
occurs in degraded and cultivated habitats there. Sangir
Besar is home to the most threatened bird community in
the world.

Map of Indonesia’s Sangihe PREVIOUSLY UNSURVEYED ISLANDS
and Talaud Islands Past surveys, ecological research and conservation
measures for birds have been confined to the largest
PHOTO KELLY ET AL
VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020
292 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU

Blue-naped Parrot Great-billed Parrot male

PHOTO LPF PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN

Blue-backed Parrot male

PHOTO PETER ODEKERKEN

islands of the archipelago. However, in 2016 a scientific it lacks a strong hunting culture. Great-billed Parrots could

expedition provided much-needed updates for islands that often be heard passing the port and villages, though their

had not recently been surveyed, and explored previously habitat use appeared to be restricted to natural forest

unsurveyed islands (Kelly et al 2017). Thirteen islands fragments. It was reported to the fieldworkers that Great-

were included: billed Parrots are only occasionally captured to be kept as

• Sangir Islands group—Biaro, Tagulandang, Ruang, Siau, local pets or to use the feathers as fishing bait.

Makalehi and Kahakitang On Siau, the Great-billed Parrot was recorded in

• Talaud Islands group—Salibabu and Kabaruang protected forest on Mount Tamata. Virtually every other

• Nanusa Islands group—Malo, Mangupung, Karatung, part of the island has been converted to agriculture

Marampit and Garat or an agro-forestry matrix. The species was found to

The information gathered indicates that parrot species be recently extirpated on Tagulandang, where people

face an uncertain future. Taking the most threatened remember it being abundant and a crop pest only 20

species, the Red and Blue Lory, just two individuals were years ago. In the Talaud Islands group it was absent from

recorded in the patchy and degraded primary forest Salibabu and Kabaruang, although recorded on Salibabu

in the hilly centre of Talaud’s Salibabu and Kabaruang in 1997.

Islands. It is unknown whether these individuals

dispersed from Karakelang, which is home to about GOLDEN-MANTLED RAQUET-TAIL

8200 individuals (almost the entire population of this The Golden-mantled Raquet-tail Prioniturus platurus is Golden-mantled Racquet-tail

lory), were once captive birds, or if remnant permanent found on Sangir Besar and Karakelang, and in the Talaud PHOTO DUANAUD

populations do persist. group (where it is the subspecies talautensis). It was BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 293

On Biaro, in the Sangir Islands group, fieldworkers confirmed to be present on Salibabu and Kabaruang,

received several independent reports that the Red being detected in every forest visited, as well as

and Blue Lory had been common 20 years ago, but no plantations and at forest borders. In contrast it was

longer appears to be present. This may have been a feral absent from Siau, with no recent reports, and is most

population (of introduced talautensis), but perhaps Biaro likely extirpated from that island.

was one of the last sites of the extinct histrio subspecies, Avifauna on the Nanusa island group has never

previously only reported from Sangir Besar. previously been commented on, and the fieldworkers

found it to be surprisingly different from Karakelang, the

GENUS TANYGNATHUS nearest island of the Talaud group.

A Near Threatened species, the Blue-naped Parrot

Tanygnathus lucionensis, which in the Talaud archipelago is SUMMARY

the subspecies talautensis, occurs on Karakelang and was Regrettably, the 2016 expedition revealed few bright

confirmed to be present on Salibabu but not Kabaruang. spots for parrots in the Sangihe and Talaud Islands. On

The closely related Blue-backed Parrot Tanygnathus the contrary, the absences and extirpations are indicative

sumatranus, subspecies sangirensis in the archipelago, of an ongoing gradual attrition of the parrots, including

occurs on Sangir Besar and Karakelang and was verified as unique forms, from this Endemic Bird Area, identified by

present both on Salibabu and Kabaruang. BirdLife International.

Completing the Tanygnathus trio is the Great-billed Parrot

T. megalorynchos, which is known to be on Sangir Besar and REFERENCE

Karakelang, and in the Sangir Island group also recorded on Kelly, J, Rahman, A, Grass, I, Tasirin, JS & Waltert, M

Biaro and Siau. Biaro has some remaining primary forest 2017, ‘Avifaunal status updates, range extensions and

in the most inaccessible areas, as well as secondary forest, potential new taxa on the lesser Sangihe and Talaud

and was seen to hold the only sizeable population of Great- islands, Indonesia’, Ra es Bulletin of Zoology, vol. 65m

billed parrots of all the islands surveyed, perhaps because pp. 482–496.

VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020

mutation mu erings RainboTHLEoOrPikALINE
AUTHORS PAUL COURT & RAY CHAPMAN THE RAINBOW LORIKEET IS A
favourite in Australian aviaries, not only because Opaline Rainbow Lorikeet
of its strikingly beautiful visual appeal but also
because these birds are truly characters and bring energy PHOTO JADE WELCH
and life to any aviary. Full of personality (some would say
attitude), easy to care for and relatively free-breeders, it
really is easy to see why they are so popular.

In recent times, some major evolutions have occurred
in the mutation realm, with some dedicated breeders
working hard to establish two new Rainbow Lorikeet
mutations—the Blue and the Parblue. Both will add an
absolute explosion to the colours and combinations
produced in the next five or so years.

Because of the hype that has surrounded the Blue and
Parblue, and the exciting things that are happening with
them, another new mutation in Rainbow Lorikeets has
slipped under the radar—the Opaline.

OPALINE BREEDING OUTCOMES Opaline Rainbow Lorikeet
Opaline is a sex-linked mutation. This means you can have
visual Opaline males, split males (that resemble wildtype PHOTO JOE HABIB
but carry the Opaline gene) and either visual Opaline or
wildtype females.

Outcomes for breeding the Opaline mutation are in
line with all sex-linked mutations, split Opaline male
over a wildtype female will give you 25% split males,
25% wildtype males, 25% visual Opaline females, 25%
wildtype females. From this pairing all males will have
to be test-bred to determine if they are split to Opaline
or not.

A split Opaline male to a visual Opaline female will give
definitive results—25% visual males, 25% split males,
25% visual females and 25% wildtype females. A Visual
Opaline male over a wildtype female will result in all
females being visual Opaline and all males being split
to Opaline.

A visual Opaline male
to a visual Opaline female
will give you 100% visual
Opaline birds in males
and females.

MOVING FORWARD The down on the Opaline
This mutation is very much Rainbow Lorikeet chick is
in its formative stages at white—in the Normal it is grey
this point, with some birds
showing little marking and PHOTO JADE WELCH
others more. The process
moving forward is to will be very exciting. We are sure over time it will only
get more and more striking and popular as it
Paul &Racontinue pairing better- is developed.
marked birds to better-
marked birds to improve ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
the Opaline markings. Special thanks to Gary Stuhmcke and Joe Habib
The birds have the typical for their assistance with information regarding the
‘Sergent Stripe’ in the wings, commonly associated with development of this mutation.
Opaline. They also show red flecks up through the back
and shoulders. When wet, the amount of red is shown
quite strikingly.
The Opaline has been put through some initial
mutations, including Lutino and Dilute. However, with
the large number of mutations available in Rainbow
Lorikeets including the Blue and Parblue, this mutation

294 • BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020

FIfNoCthHFFOesCtivUaSo Brisban AUTHOR DR GARY FITT

The finch aviary display bird talk
presented at the Queensland
Museum, Brisbane

PHOTO JADE WELCH

IT IS NOT OFTEN THAT FINCHES ARE THE
mascot for a major city event, but that’s just what
happened in Brisbane during September, when
Gouldian Finches were the ‘Messengers of Brisbane’ for

the Brisbane Festival.

Six giant 8m-long Gouldian Finches, created by

internationally renowned Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman,

were placed around the city’s cultural centre. The colour

definition, accuracy of form, and poses of the sculptures

have been hailed as fantastic by those in the know. The

birds could be seen on top of the Queensland Performing

Arts Centre (QPAC), on the Queensland Museum, Gouldian Finches on display
represented all three head
perched on the Brisbane Town Hall and even hanging from colours. From top: Black-
headed, Yellow-headed and
the Goodwill Bridge, overlooking the Brisbane River. Red-headed

The Queensland Museum continued the finch theme, PHOTOS JADE WELCH

collaborating with the Queensland Finch Society The Star Finch displayed
his beauty admirably
to stage a display of native finches. The QFS aviary
PHOTO JADE WELCH
was installed in the museum foyer and featured 20
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU • 295
Australian finches—six Gouldians, four Black-throated,

two Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, two Diamond

Firetails, two Double-barred, two Zebra Finches, one

Crimson and one Star Finch. The Gouldians, Black-

throated, Diamond Firetails and Star Finch highlighted

the conservation plight of these finches in Australia.

The Chestnut and Double-barred are species the public

might readily see in their own gardens around Brisbane.

A variety of finch-oriented

workshops were also

organised.

Alongside the aviary, the

museum displayed two

volumes of John Gould’s

‘Birds of Australia’, open to

the relevant pages with their

wonderful colour plates.

These priceless books are

from the museum’s set of

seven original volumes of

Gould’s work and are not

normally on display. A rare exhibit of John Gould’s An elegant Diamond Firetail
Overall, the giant Gouldians and finch display aviary ‘Birds of Australia’. The
museum holds a set of the PHOTO JADE WELCH
provided great exposure for aviculture and for our original seven volumes
wonderful native finches, and proved a great school

holiday activity. PHOTO CHERYL MARES

VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020

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VOL 31 ISSUE 1 • FEB-MAR 2018 VOL 31 ISSUE 2 • APR-MAY 2018 VOL 32 ISSUE • FEB-MAR 2019 VOL 32 ISSUE 9 • JUN-JUL 2019 VOL 32 ISSUE 11 • OC T-NOV 2019 VOL 32 ISSUE 12 • DEC-JAN 2020

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297VOL 33 • ISSUE 5 • OCT-NOV 2020 BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU •