Orange-bellied parrots: Tales of flight, resilience, and community from the Tasmanian wilds.

Wildcare members who attended our Annual General Meeting on 10 April 2024 were also treated to a memorable and deeply informative Wild Talk – an ‘in conversation’ session featuring Marianne Gee, Wildcare Board Member and President of Friends of the Orange-bellied Parrot, speaking with Wildcare's Acting Operations Manager, Phillip Laroche.

Marianne generously shared stories from the field and offered a compelling update on the state of one of the world’s most critically endangered birds. Her knowledge, humour, and deep personal connection to the species made this a session to remember.

Read the full transcript below.

Welcome and Introduction

Wildcare Tas:
We were really looking forward to welcoming Madeline Riley, the Senior Wildlife Officer with the Orange-bellied Parrot Tasmanian Program, tonight. Unfortunately, something came up for her at very short notice, and we wish her all the best. But we're still in for a fantastic conversation.

As I'm sure you're all aware, the orange-bellied parrot is one of the world's most critically endangered birds. It has a remarkable story of resilience and long-distance travel, and there's been a huge collective effort to bring it back from the brink.

Today we're speaking with Marianne Gee – of course she's well known to most of you - if not all of you. But in case any of you don't know Marianne very well: she's a Wildcare Board member and the President of the Friends of the Orange-bellied Parrot, which is one of the jewels in Wildcare's crown. Along with her team of volunteers, she works closely with our key stakeholder, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, as part of the Tasmanian Orange-bellied Parrot Program.

Marianne is a stalwart of the conservation community. She gives tirelessly to Wildcare through her Board role and through her group, and she gives tirelessly to the species that she hopes will continue to have a much brighter future.

We're going to be talking about the latest developments, what's working, and what it's actually like out in the field. If you are a Friends of the Orange-bellied Parrot volunteer - or if this piques your interest - you might consider joining the group and signing up to get yourself down to Melaleuca or anywhere along the west coast where they conduct surveys.

There will be a chance for a Q&A at the end of this brief discussion, so pop your questions in the comments, raise your hand at the end, or jump in at any time.

Marianne, thank you for being here and for agreeing to do this. I know this isn't exactly your comfort zone, which makes it a strong testament to how important the work is to you. Thanks for coming.

Marianne:
Thanks.

What Makes the OBP Remarkable

Wildcare Tas:
Let's begin by talking about the Orange-bellied Parrot itself. What makes this little bird so remarkable, and why do you think it has captured the hearts of so many people?

Marianne:
There are quite a few characteristics. It's a beautiful bird - really stunning colours. As many people know, I even have my fingernails painted in Orange-bellied parrot colours permanently.

It’s a little Aussie battler. Conservation efforts have been ongoing since the 1980s. I started taking part in the monitoring program down at Birch’s Inlet, where they were trying to establish a second breeding population, around 2006. I absolutely fell in love with the birds.

I loved getting out into remote locations for monitoring work and spent a couple of years at Birch’s. I love the wilderness. In 2010, I had my first stint at Melaleuca, which is the stronghold for breeding during summer. At the time, I found it a bit too busy, but I’ve just kept going back.

Many people have taken part in the monitoring program over the years - spending a couple of weeks here and there - and it adds up. I think it's something that really resonates with people. They love hearing about the successes and care deeply about how these little birds are doing.

Wildcare Tas:
That must put a lot of wind in your sails, Marianne. I imagine the community response and the love that Tasmanians hold for such a charismatic, yet cryptic and largely unseen bird must be encouraging.

Marianne:
Yes, it really is.

OBP - Marianne Gee
OBP. Image credit: OBP

Why Are OBPs Endangered?

Wildcare Tas:
Its migration between Tasmania and the mainland is part of what makes its conservation story so complex and urgent. Why has it become so endangered, and what are the threats to its ongoing survival?

Marianne:
It’s quite safe in its breeding grounds at Melaleuca. The only real threats there are natural predation - collared sparrowhawks, for example. But the big issue is that we don’t know exactly where it goes during migration.

It flies up along the west coast to Robbins Island, and then to places like Hunter Island, Trefoil Island, and across to King Island. After that, the population diverges. Some go to Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, others to the Coorong in South Australia.

In the last few years, we’ve seen some hopeful signs. For instance, last year there were three sightings in South Australia - the first in about a decade. But on the mainland, there are significant threats: cats, foxes, urban development, and loss of saltmarsh habitat.

We need to find out more about their migration and overwintering locations. Some birds are reliably sighted at places like the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee, which is fenced and predator-free. It’s a haven for waterbirds and OBPs alike.

Last winter, around 20 birds were seen on the mainland, out of an estimated 188 that migrated. Where the other 160 went - we just don’t know.

Every winter, surveys are conducted across three weekends, but no new overwintering sites have been found. It’s possible that some birds are overwintering in Tasmania. Friends of the OBP conducts concurrent surveys on the west coast, but we’ve only ever had a small number of sightings.

In August 2021, some were spotted near Arthur River, but we couldn’t get close enough to read the leg bands. Most birds are banded with a colour on each leg and a number or letter, so you can identify individuals, like purple/green F or gold/silver N.

Positive Developments and Breeding Success

Wildcare Tas:
That was incredibly fascinating. I learned a lot, and I’m sure everyone else did too. Thanks for providing such amazing insight into the journey these birds undertake and what we know (and don’t know) about them. It’s an extraordinary conservation challenge.

There’s been a real sense of optimism this year. What have been some of the key milestones or successes? What’s made this season go particularly well?

Marianne:
This year saw a record number of fledglings - 105 juveniles were banded. That number’s been increasing year on year.

The Department has installed many more nest boxes than the birds could possibly use, so they have options. Historically, they nested in tree hollows, but the trees down at Melaleuca - mostly Smithton Peppermint - don’t readily form hollows of the right size. There’s been research done on this.

Now, the birds mostly use artificial nest boxes. Some people think they look odd - square boxes with a round entry tube - but the birds use them happily. This year, nest boxes were used down towards New Harbour and even around Bathurst Harbour, which shows the birds are spreading out beyond Melaleuca.
That’s a really positive development.

Captive Support and Survival Challenges

Wildcare Tas:
That is positive. I’ve heard that the wild population, despite these successes, still relies on captive release support. Is that true?

Marianne:
Yes. Looking at last year’s numbers, 188 birds were estimated to have left Melaleuca around April. Between September and December, only 92 returned, less than half.

That’s typical. Every year, only about half return from the mainland. It’s not sustainable. The average age of a wild OBP is around two and a half years, though some live much longer.

I had a favourite - Pink Blue L - who lived to about 12. He came back one last time and was seen at the feed table a couple of times, then never again. I imagine he passed away at Melaleuca, of old age. So I had to find a new favourite. It's human nature - we get attached. Some scientists are more pragmatic and treat them all the same, but for me, each bird has a story.

Of the 188 birds that left last April, 74 were fledglings and 40 juveniles that had been bred in captivity and released at Melaleuca. There aren’t enough adults surviving long enough - that's really the main challenge.
Last year, a big effort was put into radio-tracking the birds. Forty-six were tagged with tiny transmitters, glued onto their tail feathers. When the tail feather falls out, the transmitter is lost.

Most of the birds tracked were juveniles. The adults leave about a month earlier than the juveniles. The transmitters can’t be fitted too early because if a bird loses its tail feather, no data is collected.

FoOBP volunteers radio-tracking OBPs at King Island - Marianne Gee
Radio-tracking OBPs. Image credit: Marianne Gee

There were about 20 fixed radio towers set up along the west coast of Tasmania and on some of the islands along the way, including King Island. The tracking showed how the birds migrate: they move from one area to another, but when they settle there, they’ll stay there for a few days to feed. Then, at night, they’ll travel long distances - kilometres and kilometres - to the next location to feed again.

That was a major finding: their big migration stints happen at night. There’s a fascinating interim report on this, which you can find on the Friends of the Orange-bellied Parrot page on Wildcare’s webpage. It’s also on the Department’s (Dept of Natural Resources & Environment Tasmania) OBP pages.

Stories from the Field

Wildcare Tas:
I’ve got one more question before we open it up to the audience. You've given us an amazing insight into the species, but what about the fieldwork itself? Can you share any stories of challenge, joy, or humour from the field - something that vividly takes us there?

Marianne:
On Sunday night, I was in the Arthur River campground, and it was blowing a gale. At 2:30 am, I had my hand on the tent, pushing back against the wind. I checked the Bureau of Meteorology - there’d just been an 85 km/h gust!

One of the funniest things happened during a survey on dairy farms at Woolnorth. As part of biosecurity, we wash down the cars. One farm had staff who didn’t speak much English. Our team asked, “Is this the hose to use?” and were told “Yes, yes!” So they hosed the car down - only to discover they’d used a dairy hose and were washing the car in milk! They quickly found the right hose and rinsed it off - but it was pretty funny.

King Island Obp Survey Team by Perry Cleland
FoOBP volunteers at King Island. Image credit: Perry Cleland

One of the lovely things the Department does for our volunteers is offer a behind-the-scenes tour of the OBP captive breeding facility near Hobart to anyone who has participated in two or more surveys. It’s a really comprehensive half-day experience and a wonderful opportunity, especially for volunteers who haven’t seen a live Orange-bellied Parrot in the wild. It lets them see and hear the birds without having to walk a week into Melaleuca or pay for a return flight.

Partnerships and National Collaboration

Wildcare Tas:
It sounds like you have a lot of allies and like-minded volunteers on the mainland supporting your work. Can you tell us a bit more about those partnerships?

Marianne:
Yes - one of the coordinators on the mainland, Craig Morley, runs volunteer workshops on identifying Orange-bellied Parrots, which our members can also join.

Friends of the OBP has a seat on the National Recovery Team. I attend two meetings a year as the community representative. The recovery team includes people from Tasmanian and mainland departments, the five captive breeding facilities (one in Tasmania and four on the mainland), and specialists in areas like genetics, veterinary science, beak and feather disease, and avian influenza.

There are various subcommittees, and representatives mostly come from Tasmania, Victoria, and South Australia - the three states where the OBP lives at different times of the year.

Final Reflections and Ways to Support

Wildcare Tas:
Thank you, Marianne. That’s really reassuring - this isn’t just a Tasmanian effort. There’s a broad commitment to the species’ recovery. How is the relationship between the Department and Friends of the OBP, and is Wildcare involved in the captive breeding program?

Marianne:
Friends of the OBP aren’t directly involved in the captive breeding, but several of our members volunteer at the facility, helping with food preparation and other tasks. Quite a few also participate in the Department’s monitoring program at Melaleuca.

There’s a member benefit, too - Friends of OBP members who volunteer at Melaleuca can stay in Barbara Wilson’s house instead of the rangers’ quarters or campground. Barbara and her husband were the last tin miners at Melaleuca. She’s now a member of our group and generously makes her house available when her family isn’t using it.

Last weekend, I borrowed the Department’s portable radio tracker and used it at 47 sites from south of Temma all the way to Woolnorth. We did the same last year. This year, our survey dates were based on insights from last year’s tracking data.

We haven’t found a bird with the tracker yet - I just want to find one! Over Easter, 10 of us will be on King Island, surveys in hand and tracker in tow. I just hope we hear that “beep” from the machine and find one of these elusive birds. Sometimes I wonder if they see us coming and fly the other way.

Wildcare Tas:
I really hope you get to scratch that itch. Thank you so much for joining us and for sharing such amazing and sometimes personal insights - both from the ground and the sky - into this incredible program to protect the orange-bellied parrot.

You’re amazing, Marianne, and we’re so grateful to you and your volunteers. For anyone who’d like to support Friends of the OBP, you can:

And to end on a personal note—I'm probably not alone in thinking I also wouldn't mind dying of old age at Melaleuca!

Marianne:
Thanks.

Wildcare Tas:
Thank you to Marianne and her incredible volunteers. The Friends of the OBP are a shining example of the dedication shown by all our Wildcare groups. You are absolute legends.

Friends of Melaleuca WILDCARE

Arts Grant for FOM Deny King Heritage Museum