The Wildcare group Friends of OBP runs surveys and working bees, assists with research activities and does fundraising, promotion and advocacy to benefit the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrots (OBPs).
OBP surveys take us to places on the west coast from Strahan to Marrawah.
We look for OBPs on their migration path from SW Tasmania to the mainland.
We visit some spectacular places on the surveys, like Pulpit Rock at Trial Harbour.
We encounter all sorts of weather on the surveys, like this approaching storm.
We assist NRE with building infrastructure at Melaleuca, like this new feed table.
We provide bikes for volunteers to travel between the feed tables at Melaleuca.
We provide supplies for maintaining the bikes at Melaleuca.
Sometimes material for working bees needs to be transported by helicopter.
The Wildcare Friends of the Orange-bellied Parrot (OBP) group works across the OBP’s range with a focus on Tasmania.
The objectives of the group are to:
Members of our group conduct six annual migration surveys on the west and north-west coasts. The remaining surveys for 2023 are scheduled for:
Members will be able to register for these surveys after they are added to Wildcare’s Events Calendar about eight weeks before each is due to start.
An increasingly important role of Friends of the OBP is recovery program advocacy and fund raising.
We are currently involved in some exciting new projects. Through a range of partnerships, we hope to raise much needed funds to support our volunteers and other parts of the recovery program.
Volunteers with Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE) observe Orange-bellied Parrots visiting the feed tables, recording individual colour-bands and nest observations. This data is collected for the department’s OBP Program staff to monitor survival and breeding success of wild and captive-bred release birds. While Friends of the OBP may assist the NRE OBP Program in various ways, we have no direct involvement with their volunteer program.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the latest news stories about OBPs in print and from radio.
Visit the GALLERY to view images of the Friends of the OBP in action.
Visit FILES to see newsletters from the OBP Recovery Team.
All proceeds from sales in our online shop go to support the efforts to save the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrots. Please support the work of the Friends of the OBP by purchasing something for yourself or as a gift. Items are printed as they are ordered and then delivered by Australia Post.
You can either browse the shop products or check out the groups of products:
If you are a member of the Friends of the OBP and are selected by NRE as a volunteer for the OBP Summer Monitoring Program, member accommodation at Melaleuca may be available to you.
For more information on Friends of the OBP accommodation at Melaleuca please contact Barbara Willson on email barbara.b.willson@gmail.com
For all other enquiries about any aspect of volunteer work through NRE’s OBP Program, including monitoring OBPs at Melaleuca or assisting at the OBP captive breeding facility near Hobart, please email volunteering@nre.tas.gov.au
President – Marianne Gee Friends.of.the.OBP@gmail.com
Treasurer – Will Oliver
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Stojanovic, D. (2023) Altered wing phenotypes of captive-bred migratory birds lower post-release fitness Research paper, published online
Stojanovic et al. (2023) Conservation management in the context of unidentified and unmitigated threatening processes Research paper, published online
Reid et al. (2023) An ecological risk assessment for the impacts of offshore wind farms on birds in Australia Research paper, published online
Record numbers of critically endangered orange-bellied parrots in Tasmania for breeding season from The Guardian, 20 December 2022
Robbins Island wind farm proposal approved on condition of 5-month annual shutdown due to orange-bellied parrots from the ABC, 8 December 2022
Unprecedented access: Inside Tasmania’s orange-bellied parrot captive breeding program Australian Geographic visited Five Mile Beach and Melaleuca during the 2021-22 breeding season. Includes video footage of OBP nestlings.
Saving the orange-bellied parrot is just one perk of spending time in Tasmania’s beautiful south-west is an ABC News story from January 2022 that gives a good overview of the work of volunteers from both NRE and Friends of the OBP.
An interview on ABC Radio Hobart with Friends of the OBP President – Marianne Gee from September 2021:
We will be surveying areas around Arthur River and at Woolnorth for critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrots (OBPs) during their northern migration from SW Tasmania to the mainland. Everyone is welcome to join in the search!
