Hunter Valley locals are gearing up for a huge game of Eye Spy for something beginning with ‘R’, when more than 70 critically endangered Regent Honeyeaters are released into the skies of Wonnarua Country.
The flock of zoo-bred birds will fly out over lands owned by the Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council as part of ongoing efforts to boost population numbers in the wild.
With around 300 Regent Honeyeaters left in the wild, NSW’s Hunter Valley is the centre of their range and a key breeding location.
Specially fitted non-invasive radio trackers will help researchers keep a close eye on the released birds as they cross the Tomalpin Woodlands.
But it’s also likely the birds will fly into backyards, parks and school grounds, which is why ecologists are calling for all eyes on the skies.
Easily spotted by their beautiful yellow and black feathers, these birds have become synonymous with the region, yet their movements remain a mystery.
Do they make a beeline for sandstone Country breeding haunts? Or do they hop around the Hunter’s blooming eucalypts with flocks of wild-born birds?
The data collected from this landscape-size game of Eye Spy will have a real and direct impact on answering these questions and help save this critically endangered bird from extinction.
This is the fourth bird release in this location, and marks 30 years since the Regent Honeyeater conservation breeding program began in 1995.
To date more than 220 Taronga Sydney Zoo and Taronga Western Plains Zoo-bred birds have been released onto Mindaribba lands, areas of exceptional habitat and a diversity of flowering gums.
Reporting your Regent Honeyeater sightings is easy with a step-by-step guide and online portal at BirdLife Australia: http://www.birdlife.org.au/what-to-do-if-you-see-a-regent-honeyeater/
This critical conservation project is a joint effort between the NSW Government’s Saving our Species Program, Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Birdlife Australia and Local Land Services.
DEPARTMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER SPECIES EXPERT, KIM MAUTE:
“Reintroducing this critically endangered species into the wild is one way the NSW Government is ensuring the survival of this species.
“But everyone can play a part in making sure these genuinely beautiful and musical birds are spied by future generations.
“We encourage everyone to keep an eye out for these birds during spring and share your sightings so we can continue to make the best conservation decisions for this iconic bird”.
MINDARIBBA LOCAL ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL CEO, TARA DEVER:
“It’s time to let people know how special it is. This piece of Wonnarua Country, at the foot of old Tumblebee Mountain, is as much a part of everyone who has grown up here as it is to the Regent Honeyeater.
“These zoo-bred Regent Honey Eater releases are critical to the survival of the species.
“My grandparents and their parents before them had Regents in their backyard at Stanford Merthyr. We want our grandchildren to have them in theirs.
“The Regent Honeyeater is still here because this place of Kurri Kurri, this salty water place, is a good place, it’s special Country.
“This is not something that can be left to a few anymore – there is no time left to think about your involvement. Its protection starts with every man, woman and child in Kurri Kurri and beyond understanding that this bird is significant to them.
“The golden sunlight of their wings reflects the warm beauty of the Tomalpin Woodlands and Kurri Kurri itself.”
WELFARE AND CONSERVATION DIRECTOR AT TARONGA CONSERVATION SOCIETY, ANDREW ELPHINSTONE:
“The Regent Honeyeater is a flagship species, pollinating and maintaining habitat both sides of the Great Dividing Range, but faces an uncertain future.
“Over the past 30 years breeding Regent Honeyeaters we’ve heard some remarkable stories of Taronga Zoo-bred birds pairing and breeding with wild birds, travelling vast distances and being sighted 10-years after their release.”
REGENT HONEYEATER RECOVERY ADVISOR AT BIRDLIFE AUSTRALIA, MICK RODERICK:
“The Tomalpin Woodlands are probably the single-most important site for Regent Honeyeaters, and it is a privilege to be able to help save this bird from extinction by supplementing the population on Wonnarua Country.
“We have seen females from previous releases pairing with wild male Regent Honeyeaters and successfully breeding, which is the truest sign of success for the team which is great news.”
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