It was upgraded to critically endangered in 2016, meaning it faces an extremely high risk of extinction. The parrot was first listed as endangered in 2000, just after the EPBC Act was introduced. The swift parrot is found nowhere else on the planet. After breeding, they migrate across Bass Strait and spend autumn and winter feeding on flowering gums along the NSW south coast before returning to Tasmania’s southern forest region to breed again.
The bright green and red birds breed in summer and spring in south-eastern Tasmania. Swift parrots are a unique species found nowhere else on the planet. “The big failure comes from the fact that under the current laws it’s still possible to log the bird’s habitat,” Ingwersen says. The world doesn’t seem to care a great deal about biodiversity decline.” The swift parrotĭean Ingwersen, the chair of a recovery team for the critically endangered swift parrot and also woodlands bird program manager for BirdLife Australia, has watched as the outlook for the migratory bird has gone rapidly downhill. “That’s sadly not the way the world works. The world doesn't seem to care a great deal about biodiversity decline Andrew Blacl One would hope that would be taken very seriously and every effort would be made to ensure they’re looked after. It found additional birds in north-west NSW in areas covered by minerals exploration licences that have not been referred to the federal government for assessment.Īndrew Black, an honorary research associate with the South Australian Museum who sits on a NSW advisory group on the grasswren, says: “Here we have a critically endangered bird. In the case of the grasswren, BirdLife Australia received funding from the NSW government to carry out basic surveys. Several submissions to the review of the EPBC Act call for listing of a species to trigger clear requirements that governments must act to protect a species. Photograph: Thomas HuntĪ minister must not act inconsistently with a recovery plan when making decisions under the act, but there is no system for tracking what actions are being taken and nor is there a requirement for plans to be implemented.
The grey range thick-billed grasswren is among a ‘forgotten flock’ of birds at significant risk of extinction in the next two decades. One of seven grasswren subspecies, the grey range thick-billed grasswren was thought to be extinct until it was found near White Cliffs, in north-west New South Wales, in 2008. It is among a group of species, often described as “little brown birds”, which can be overlooked in favour of more charismatic, colourful animals. The species is among a “forgotten flock” of birds at significant risk of extinction in the next two decades but attract only limited resources and attention. We think the federal government should refer it and stand up to the state government and say you should do better than this.” The grey range thick-billed grasswren Meanwhile, Peck says, the species is being pushed towards extinction: “I think it highlights that there are too many loopholes. But the federal environment department says while the government recognises the importance of the pine plantations to the cockatoos, the WA government “has put forward the view” that the clearing was lawful because it predated the legislation. They wrote to the former environment minister, Greg Hunt, back in 2014. The WA government argues the logging is exempt because it began before the laws were introduced.įor years environmental advocates have sought federal assistance. But the clearing has not triggered an assessment under federal laws. I think it highlights that there are too many loopholes Adam PeckīirdLife says it has legal advice suggesting harvesting the pine plantations is having a significant impact on the cockatoo under criteria laid out in the EPBC Act. A decade of counting has found the Perth population of the Carnaby’s black-cockatoo has declined by 30%. “Our research clearly shows that habitat clearance is leading to a decline in the Perth population and this will continue unless the government acts to revegetate the area,” Peck says.Įvery year BirdLife Australia runs the great cocky count, a citizen science survey. He says it is having a serious impact on the Carnaby’s black-cockatoo population. The state government used to replant the pines but stopped in 1996 after discovering mature trees were intercepting rainfall and reducing the recharge of an important water resource for Perth, the Gnangara groundwater aquifer.Īdam Peck, a black cockatoo project coordinator for BirdLife Australia, says the pines used to cover 23,000ha but are reduced to about 5,000ha and will be gone within three or four years.
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