Bruny Youth Stories Prize

The Pardalotus quadragintus otherwise known as the forty-spotted pardalote is an endemic species found only in southeastern Tasmania. The bird has a small and petite body with adults only weighing in around 10 grams and has a small habitat strict to dry eucalypt forests dominated by white gums which were logged immensely during the 1900s, this made the bird an easy target to predators and extremely vulnerable to habitat loss.
 

99% of the forty-spotted pardalotes population resides on Bruny Island and Maria Island in south east Tasmania because of this conservation efforts that included expanding their habitats and creating safe havens for the birds on the islands became extremely important, on Bruny Island in places such as “Inala” made bird houses and habitats for the birds to thrive in without the risk of deforestation and low risk of predators invading and taking over. Within a few years, the numbers began to grow at a consistent rate, numbers as low as 450 in 2009 to over 1,500 individuals by the 2020s. The efforts by mainly volunteers had paid off, with numbers continuing to grow there is high hope for the bird’s recovery over the years to come.
 

The story of the forty-spotted pardalote shows that even when hope is low, we still strive to make a difference. It reminds us that even if a species appears to be on the brink of extinction, the efforts of passionate individuals can lead to its recovery in the not-too-distant future.

Winners of the Bruny Youth Story Prize will be announced at The Bruny Island Bird Festival on Sunday, the 22nd of March at 12 pm in the Adventure Bay hall. This prize is proudly brought to you by The Bruny Kids and Nature Project, led by Claire Boost and the Tasmanian Community Fund.