Swift ParrotLathamus discolor

Description and distributionThe Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor Shaw 1790(Psittaciformes: Platycercidae) is a non-breedingwinter migrant to the mainland from Tasmania. Ithas a restricted breeding area in the east ofTasmania, arriving on the mainland in autumn tospend the winter period in foraging groupsinhabiting forests and woodlands in south-eastAustralia.

Swift Parrots are small to medium size birdsreaching a length of 245mm, including a 120mmtail. Sexes are similar, except that the female isgenerally duller than the male. General plumage isgreen. Crown and ear coverts are dark blue andthe face is red with yellow margins. Underpartsare lighter and paler than back. Shoulder andunderwing coverts are red, eye yellow and bill ahorn colour. Brown (1989) and Higgins (1999) givea full description of the species.

HabitatIn Victoria, the over-wintering habitat of the SwiftParrot is eucalypt forests and woodlandsconsisting primarily of the winter-flowering GreyBox (Eucalyptus microcarpa), Red Ironbark(Eucalyptus tricarpa), Mugga Ironbark (Eucalyptussideroxylon) (far north-east Victoria), Yellow Gum(Eucalyptus leucoxylon) and White Box (Eucalyptusalbens) (Brown 1989; Emison et al. 1987, C. Tzarospers. comm.). They feed in gregarious flocks onnectar where eucalypts are in blossom or wherelerps/psyllids are common. Blakers et al. (1985)describes Swift Parrots feeding on lerp psyllidsamongst Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) aswell as the aforementioned species.

In general terms, Grey Box flowers in autumn whenthe birds first arrive, followed by the Ironbarks

Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 No. 169

Action Statement

Swift Parrot Latham discolor(Photo: Mike Carter)

Distribution in Victoria+ before 1970, since 1970 [source: DSE 2004]

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with Yellow Gum and White Box often floweringlate prior to birds departing for Tasmania.

Life history and ecologySwift Parrots breed in the east and midlands ofTasmania and spend the winter in mainlandAustralia. Migration to the mainland occursbetween January and May; the return journey toTasmania occurs in August and September. Somebirds have been recorded as remaining resident inTasmania through winter, and small numbers mayremain in Victoria during summer (Emison et al.1987).

The roosting sites of the Swift Parrot often differfrom their feeding areas. In Tasmania, Brown(1989) reported that post-breeding birds often flyfor long distances (> 40 km) to feeding sites duringthe day, returning to the roost in the evenings. InVictoria, large groups of Swift Parrots seen feedingin Yellow Gum woodland during the day nearPlenty Gorge have been observed to travel over10km distances in the evening to return to roostsites on the Yarra River (Beardsell 1997).

Whilst little is known of the birds movements onthe mainland, counts conducted each winterbetween 1995 and 1998 show that the parrotsconcentrate mainly in southern and centralVictoria (Tzaros 1996, 1997, 1998a; Kennedy2001), centred on the box-ironbark forestsconsistent with sighting records form previousyears (Emison et al. 1987). It is thought theirappearance elsewhere on the mainland is a resultof dispersal from this centre, as they follow theblossoming of various eucalypt species (Emison etal. 1987).

Birds appear most years in north-east Victoriaalong the Hume Highway corridor, associated withGrey Box and Blakely’s Red Gum (Eucalyptusblakleyi) in April/May then dispersing into box-ironbark habitats. In some years, Swift Parrotsremain throughout winter whilst, in other years,their numbers are high in autumn, low in winterand high again in early spring (I. Davidson pers.comm.), most probably coinciding with morenortherly movements into the western slopes ofNew South Wales.

In the 1950s, several localities around Sydney wereestimated to hold thousands of Swift Parrots, andbefore 1950, the Swift Parrot regularly visited theMt Lofty Ranges in South Australia but is now onlyan irregular visitor (Blakers et al. 1985).

For a full account of species distribution inTasmania and the mainland refer to Brown (1989)and Robinson (1994).

Conservation status

National conservation status

The Swift Parrot has been listed as endangeredunder the Commonwealth Environment Protectionand Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Victorian conservation status

The Swift Parrot has been listed as threatenedunder the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

The Swift Parrot is considered endangered inVictoria (DSE 2003).

Decline and threatsThis species is the only member of the genusLathamus, having some affinities with both thelorikeets and the rosellas. The Swift Parrotpopulation appears to be in decline in Tasmania.In the late 1980s the estimated breedingpopulation was approximately 1,300 pairs (Brown1989), and has subsequently declined to about1,000 breeding pairs (Brereton 1996). Only theendangered Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophemachrysogaster) has a smaller total population (Brown1989).

The major cause of decline is believed to be loss ofbreeding habitat in Tasmania due to forestryoperations, particularly the harvesting of matureage Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus), coupled withcontinual loss of mainland winter-floweringeucalypts on which the over-wintering birds aredependent (Brown 1989, Gaffney & Brown 1992,Robinson 1994). In Tasmania, it is conservativelyestimated that no more than one third of theoriginal Blue Gum forest habitat remains and iscontinuing to diminish at around 1 000 haannually (Brown 1989). In addition, highmortalities in Hobart from birds hitting housewindows and roadkills from cars are a majorconcern to wildlife authorities (Swift ParrotRecovery Team 2001). It is unknown to whatdegree mortalities of this nature occur on themainland. Being a migratory species, Victoria is itsstronghold on the mainland where its distributionis associated with certain forest types (inconjunction with heavy blossom). Approximatelyeighty-three per cent of the original box-ironbarkvegetation has now been cleared and what is left ishighly modified and fragmented from its originalstructure (ECC 2001).

Since European settlement, the box-ironbarkforests and woodlands have been extensivelycleared and fragmented for agriculture, urbandevelopment and gold mining, and cut for a varietyof wood products (ECC 2001). In essence then, amajor issue may centre on habitat quality ratherthan habitat quantity. For example, many

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sightings of Swift Parrots in recent years have beenalong drainage lines. This may be in response tobetter water and soils and hence better floweringand increased insect abundance. Drainage lines inthe Box-ironbark are mostly highly degraded dueto the practices mentioned above.

White Box appears to be an important foragingresource. Much of its extent is on privately-ownedagricultural land, where it is fragmented andcontinuing to degrade. Rural tree decline and otherincremental processes may be reducing availablequality habitat.

A major limitation to managing for itsconservation continues to be our poor knowledgeof its ecological requirements. In its finalrecommendation the Scientific AdvisoryCommittee (SAC 1991) has determined that theSwift Parrot is:

• in a demonstrable state of decline which islikely to result in extinction,

• significantly prone to future threats which arelikely to result in extinction, and

• very rare in terms of abundance anddistribution.

Existing conservation measures

Biological research and survey

Bi-annual statewide winter surveys commenced in1995 and are undertaken over designatedweekends in May and August each year. Thecounts show that most Swift Parrots in Victoria areobserved on public land, some sites have beenused in two or more years and site use iscorrelated to the extent of tree-flowering (Tzaros1996, 1997, 1998a, S. Kennedy pers. comm.).Ecological research on the foraging ecology of theparrot in Victoria has shown that more than 90% ofobservations were of birds using Red Ironbark,Mugga Ironbark, Yellow Gum or Grey Box and theparrots feed preferentially on clumps of large trees(> 40 cm DBHOB), which are usually the site of themost intensely flowering trees, and are used by ahigher diversity and abundance of othernectarivorous birds, than are found elsewhere inthe forest (Tzaros 1998b, Kennedy 1998, Kennedyand Tzaros 2001, Kennedy and Price 2001). Oftenthese sites are on low-lying, fertile ground that areused by many species of fauna as drought-refuges.

Yellow Gum bird censuses have been ongoing forover 10 years in the Plenty Gorge area (Beardsell inprep.) Winter surveys for Swift Parrots in Grey Boxareas has been undertaken in the Port Phillip Areain previous years.

Habitat inventory

Surveys documenting the botanical and zoologicalsignificance of the greater Melbourne area havebeen prepared (McDougall 1987, Beardsell in prep).

Reports documenting the vegetation assessment ofthe Box-Ironbark Region (Muir et al. 1995) andidentification of remnants (Davidson 1996) havebeen prepared.

As part of the Environment Conservation Council(ECC) investigation of Box-Ironbark Forests andWoodlands, a range of habitat inventories havebeen undertaken eg Large Old Tree Sites, DroughtRefuges (ECC 2001)

Habitat conservation

The Environment Conservation Council (formerlythe Land Conservation Council) has completed afive year study of the Box-Ironbark Forests andWoodlands and has recommended a substantialincrease in the area protected within NationalParks, State Parks and other conservation reserves.The Victorian Government has responded in detailto these recommendations and indicated full in-principle acceptance of the new parks.

Areas of Red Ironbark and Yellow Gum ofimportance for Swift Parrots have been protectedwithin the Plenty Gorge Park, on the northernoutskirts of Melbourne. Within DSE’s GippslandRegion, Red Ironbark is not harvested.

Habitat management

In the Bendigo area, DSE has forest harvestingprescriptions which are based on habitat re-establishment and the improvement of existinghabitat quality. Both the Midlands and North EastForest Management Plans contain managementguidelines. Parks Victoria managers are looking atimproving habitat management for threatenedspecies in priority habitat sites.

Recovery Team

A National Swift Parrot Recovery Team has beenestablished to co-ordinate conservationmanagement activities. Funding has beensuccessful in obtaining a full-time co-ordinatorbased within the Tasmanian National Parks &Wildlife Service who undertakes research and otherconservation programs directed by the RecoveryTeam.

Recovery Plan

The National Swift Parrot Recovery Plan has beenprepared. The Recovery Actions incorporate thethrust of the Victorian Action Statement as itrelates to management activities and programs

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required in this state to meet conservationobjectives.

Conservation objectives

Long term objective

The long-term objective is to maximise theprotection and retention of wintering habitatthroughout Victoria to ensure that habitatavailability will cater for a minimum of 5 000birds. This figure is based on the known presentbreeding population of 1 000 pairs and the workby Thomas (1991) on determining minimum viablepopulation numbers for long-term security.

[It should be noted that the National Recovery Planobjective is to change the conservation status ofthe swift parrot from endangered to vulnerablewithin 10 years and to achieve a demonstrablesustained improvement in the quality of swiftparrot habitat to increase carrying capacity (SwiftParrot Recovery Team 2001)].

Objectives of this Action Statement

1. Improve our knowledge of Swift Parrotecology;

2. Prevent further loss of habitat by identifyingand protecting the 40 most important sites onpublic land within the next two years;

3. Reverse the ongoing degradation of existingremnant habitat by encouraging landholdercooperation and providing communityawareness programs.

Intended management actionsThe intended management actions listed below arefurther elaborated in DSE’s Actions for BiodiversityConservation database. Detailed informationabout the actions and locations, includingpriorities, is held in this system and will beprovided annually to land managers and otherauthorities.

Research and Survey

1. Continue to identify and map the extent of theover-wintering habitat of the Swift Parrot toidentify important sites that are usedregularly, concentrating primarily on forestsand woodlands consisting of winter-floweringeucalypts, based on the approach used byKennedy and Price (2001).

Responsibility: DSE (Biodiversity & NaturalResources Division, Regions)

2. Investigate the movement patterns of SwiftParrots throughout their winter migration,particularly where large concentrations mayoccur on arrival and departure.

Responsibility: DSE (Biodiversity & NaturalResources Division, Regions)

3. Conduct regular surveys of well known/usedhabitats outside the two count periods -coinciding with peak flowering/lerp events.

Responsibility: DSE (Biodiversity & NaturalResources Division, Regions), Parks Victoria

4. Collect further ecological data (compatiblewith Tasmanian protocols used by Brereton1996) on Swift Parrots at foraging sites,especially at post- and pre-migration periods.Data could be collected as part of a postgraduate study.

Responsibility: DSE (Biodiversity & NaturalResources Division

5. Undertake targeted Swift Parrot surveys tomap and assess the condition of the box-ironbark habitat in key areas of Gippsland,based on reliable Swift Parrot records.

Responsibility: DSE Gippsland Region

Habitat conservation – private land

6. Provide information and advice, includingmaps, regarding the location and managementof Swift Parrot sites to landholders, landmanagers and other authorities, especiallyCatchment Management Authorities and localgovernment authorities.

Responsibility: DSE (Biodiversity & NaturalResources Division, Regions)

7. Incorporate actions to protect, enhance andrestore Swift Parrot habitat into relevantRegional Catchment Strategies or theirsubordinate strategies via Biodiversity ActionPlans. Implement these actions, according topriority, as resources become available, inconjunction with other agencies, communitygroups and landholders.

Responsibility: Catchment ManagementAuthorities

8. Incorporate information regarding the locationand management of Swift Parrot sites intolocal planning schemes, includingenvironmental significance overlays, and applythe Victorian Planning Provisions so as toprotect these sites.

Responsibility: Shires

9. Encourage landholders to protect, enhance andrestore Swift Parrot habitat on private land,targeting known important areas. This couldbe achieved in a variety of ways, includingvoluntary agreements, incentives, conservationcovenants and the Land for Wildlife scheme.

Responsibility: DSE (Regions), CatchmentManagement Authorities

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Habitat conservation – public land

10. Protect by the use of appropriate zoning andprescriptions the areas identified by Kennedyand Price (NRE 2001) as being the mostimportant Swift Parrot habitat on Crown landwithin the box-ironbark forests of centralVictoria (see Appendix 1). These areas are tobe designated as Swift Parrot ManagementAreas (SPMAs). SPMAs may overlap with areasmanaged for the conservation of other species,including Powerful Owl, Brush-tailedPhascogale and Squirrel Glider. The number,size and location of SPMAs may be amended inline with new information.

Responsibility: DSE (Biodiversity & NaturalResources Division, parks & Forests Division,Regions), Parks Victoria

11. Within State forest, SPMAs are to bedesignated as Special Management Zones andmanaged to protect the key habitat featuresfor Swift Parrots. All larger trees will beprotected from harvesting and all activitieslikely to disturb Swift Parrots will be excludedwhile the birds are foraging within the areas.

Responsibility: DSE (Regions, Parks and ForestsDivision)

12. Ensure that SPMAs within conservationreserves are managed to maintain or enhancetheir value as Swift Parrot habitat. All largertrees will be protected and all activities likelyto disturb Swift Parrots will be excluded whilethe birds are foraging within the areas.

Responsibility: Parks Victoria

13. Undertake regular liaison with Department ofDefence to ensure that management ofPuckapunyal and Mangalore takes account ofSwift Parrot requirements.

Responsibility: DSE (Regions)

14. Ensure that mineral exploration, mining andextractive industry activities are planned andconducted to minimise impacts on Swift Parrothabitat, especially within SPMAs. Whereimpacts are unavoidable, ensure thatrehabilitation works enhance or restorehabitat.

Responsibility: DSE (Regions), Parks Victoria

Community awareness and involvement

15. Develop and circulate community awarenesstools including brochures, posters, slide-showsand web pages.

Responsibility: DSE (Biodiversity & NaturalResources Division)

16. Involve local Field Naturalist groups inidentifying heavy winter-flowering eucalypts

and check for Swift Parrots throughout thewinter period.

Responsibility: DSE (Biodiversity & NaturalResources Division)

ReferencesANZECC (2000) Threatened Fauna List. ANZECC

Endangered Fauna Network Secretariat,Environment Australia, Canberra.

Beardsell, C. (1997) Sites of Faunal and HabitatSignificance in North East Melbourne. NillumbikShire Council: Eltham, Victoria.

Blakers, M., Davies, S.J.J.F., & Reilly, P.N. (1984) TheAtlas of Australian Birds. Royal AustralasianOrnithologists Union: Melbourne UniversityPress.

Breckwoldt, R. (1986) The Last Stand: ManagingAustralia’s Remnant Forests and Woodlands.AGPS: Canberra.

Brereton, R. (1997) The Swift Parrot (Lathamusdiscolor) Recovery Plan 1997-1999. Parks &Wildlife Service, Dept. Environment and LandManagement, Tasmania.

Brown, P.B. (1989) The Swift Parrot Lathamusdiscolor - A report on its ecology, distributionand status, including managementconsiderations. Department of Lands Parks &Wildlife, Tasmania.

Brown, P.B. (1990) Swift Parrot. in Threatened Birdsof Australia, ed. by J. Brouwer and S. Garnett,Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union andAustralian National Parks & Wildlife Service,RAOU Report No. 68. p.75-76.

Davidson, I. (1996) Overview Report on remnantvegetation in the box-ironbark region. UnpublReport. Department of Natural Resources andEnvironment, Benalla.

DSE (2003) Advisory List of Threatened VertebrateFauna in Victoria - 2003. Biodiversity & NaturalResources Division, Department of Sustainabilityand Environment: Melbourne.

DSE (2004) Atlas of Victorian Wildlife (electronic faunadatabase). Department of Sustainability andEnvironment: Melbourne.

Duncan S. & Sherwin, C. (1994) Flora and Fauna ofthe Box-Ironbark Region: Strategic Directionsand Priority Actions. Second Draft. Departmentof Conservation & Natural Resources,Melbourne.

ECC (2001) Box-Ironbark Forests and WoodlandsInvestigation Final Report. EnvironmentConservation Council

Emison, W.B., Beardsell, C.M., Norman, F.I., & Loyn,R.H. (1987) Atlas of Victorian Birds. Departmentof Conservation Forests & Lands and RoyalAustralasian Ornithologists Union, Melbourne.

FNCV (1993) Box & Ironbark WoodlandConservation - Proceedings of the VNPAConference held in Benalla in August 1992.Vict. Nat.110 (1).

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Gaffney, R.F. & Brown, P.B. (1992) The Swift ParrotRecovery Plan: Research Phase. Department ofParks, Wildlife and Heritage: Tasmania.

Garnett, S. (1992a) The Action Plan for AustralianBirds. Aust. Nat. Parks & Wildl. Serv., PiriePrinters, Canberra. update to 2000 – seebelow??

Garnett, S. T. (ed) (1992b) Threatened and ExtinctBirds of Australia. RAOU Report No.82, RAOU& Aust. Nat. Parks & Wildl. Service: Canberra.

Garnett, S. & Crowley, G. (2000) The Action Plan forAustralian Birds - 2000. Swift Parrot - pp. 327-330. Birds Australia/Natural Heritage Trust.Environment Australia: Canberra.

Higgins, P. (ed)(1999) Handbook of Australian, NewZealand & Antarctic Birds. Vol. 4: Parrots toDollarbird. Swift Parrot pp. 412-425. OxfordUniversity Press: Melbourne.

Kennedy, S. (1998) Foraging ecology of the SwiftParrot (Lathamus discolor) in the Box/Ironbarkregion of Victoria. Unpublished report to theDepartment of Natural Resources andEnvironment.

Kennedy, S. (2001) Swift Parrots. Results of Wintersurveys on Mainland Australia, 1995-2000.Unpublished report to the Department ofNatural Resources and Environment.

Kennedy, S. & Price R. (2001) Characteristics ofpriority Swift Parrot foraging sites in the Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands of Victoria.Unpublished report to the Department ofNatural Resources and Environment.

Kennedy, S. & Tzaros C.L. (in prep.) Foragingecology of the swift parrot Lathamus discolor inthe Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands ofVictoria.

Land Conservation Council (1978) Report on NorthCentral Study Area. LCC Victoria.

Lendon, A.H. (1973) Swift Parrot. In AustralianParrots in Field and Aviary. Angus & Robertson,Sydney. p.297-301.

McDougall, K. M. (1987) Sites of BotanicalSignificance in the Western Region. Departmentof Geography, University of Melbourne.

Muir, A.M., Edwards, S.E. & Dickens, M.J. (1995)Description and Conservation Status of theVegetation of the Box-Ironbark Ecosystem inVictoria. Flora & Fauna Branch Tech. Report No.136. Department of Conservation & NaturalResources: Melbourne.

RAOU (1990) Threatened Birds of Australia. edit.by J. Brouwer and S. Garnett, RAOU Report No.68, Moonee Ponds.

Robinson, D. (1994). Research Plan for ThreatenedWoodland Birds of Southeastern Australia. ARITech. Report No.133. Department ofConservation & Natural Resources: Melbourne.

SAC (1991) Final recommendation on a nominationfor listing: Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor(Nomination no. 173). Scientific AdvisoryCommittee, Flora and Fauna Guarantee.Department of Conservation and NaturalResources: Melbourne.

Swift Parrot Recovery Team.(2001) Draft SwiftParrot Recovery Plan. Department of PrimaryIndustries, Water and Environment, Hobart.

Thomas, V.C. (1991) Recovery Plan -Research Phasefor Long-footed Potoroo. Unpublished Report toANPWS.

Tzaros, C.L. (1996) A report on the winter surveyof the Swift Parrot in Victoria, 1995.Unpublished report to the Department ofNatural Resources and Environment.

---------------- (1997) A report on the winter survey ofthe Swift Parrot in Victoria, 1996. Unpublishedreport to the Department of Natural Resourcesand Environment.

---------------- (1998a) A report on the winter surveyof the Swift Parrot in Victoria, 1997.Unpublished report to the Department ofNatural Resources and Environment.

---------------- (1998b) The Swift Parrot Lathamusdiscolor: a study of its foraging ecology in theBox-Ironbark ecosystem of northern Victoria.Unpublished report to the Department ofNatural Resources and Environment.

Woodgate, P., & Black, P. (1988) Forest CoverChanges in Victoria 1869 -1987. Department ofConservation Forests and Lands: Victoria.

Compiled by Alan Webster, Port Phillip Region, RobPrice, North West Region and Kim Lowe, Parks,Biodiversity & Natural Resources Division

Further information can be obtained fromDepartment of Sustainability and EnvironmentCustomer Service Centre on 136 186.

Flora and Fauna Guarantee Action Statements areavailable from the Department of Sustainability andEnvironment website: http://www.dse.vic.gov.au

This Action Statement was prepared under section19 of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 underdelegation from Chloe Munro, Secretary,Department of Natural Resources and Environment,October 2002.

© The State of Victoria, Department ofSustainability and Environment, 2003

Published by the Department of Sustainability andEnvironment, Victoria. 8 Nicholson Street, EastMelbourne, Victoria 3002 Australia

This publication may be of assistance to you but theState of Victoria and its employees do not guaranteethat the publication is without flaw of any kind or iswholly appropriate for your particular purposes andtherefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss orother consequence which may arise from yourelying on any information in this publication.

ISSN 1448-9902

Appendix 1: Sites identified by Kennedy and Price (2001) as important habitat for Swift Parrot in the Box-ironbark forests and woodlands..(Ref.: Kennedy, S. & Price R. (2001) Characteristics of priority Swift Parrot foraging sites in the Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands of Victoria. Unpublished report to the Department of NaturalResources and Environment.)

Sites wholly within conservation reserves following

ECC Box-ironbark recommendations

Big Tottington State Forest

Clunes State Forest

Crosbie State Forest

Dalyenong State Forest/Flora Reserve

Dunolly-Tarnagulla SF/Tarnagulla Flora Reserve

Graytown State Forest

Lyell State Forest

Mandurang SF/Spring Gully Water Reserve

Moliagul State Forest (Dardanelles Track)

Paddy’s Ranges State Park

Shelbourne State Forest

Tunstalls State Forest

Wellsford State Forest

Whipstick SP/Eaglehawk RP/uncommitted.

Boweya Flora and Fauna Reserve

Chiltern National Park

Dookie Bushland Reserve

Killawarra State Forest

Warby Ranges State Park

Deep Lead Flora and Fauna Reserve

Glynwylln State Forest

Jallukar State Forest

Morrl Morrl State Forest

Sites partly within State forest and partly within

conservation reserves following ECC Box-ironbark

recommendations

Havelock State Forest/Timor State Forest

Maldon State Forest

Rushworth State Forest

St.Arnaud State Forest

Wareek State Forest (Chadwick Dam)

Spring Plains/Argyle State Forest

Illawarra State Forest

Sites wholly within State forest following ECC Box-

ironbark recommendations

Costerfield State Forest

Diamond Dam

Dunolly-Tarnagulla SF (Murderers Hill-Wet Gully)

Kingower State Forest

Lockwood South SF

Mt. Hooghly SF

Redcastle State Forest (Holt’s Flat)

Sandon State Forest

Sedgwick State Forest

One-Eye State Forest