Rare and elusive: the two Bruny birds on visitor wish lists

Name: Codi
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Bruny Island

We will often be sent a wish list by someone before they even arrive on Bruny Island, Inala Nature Tours guide Cat Davidson says, of visiting bird-watchers. Nearly every single time the swift parrot or the forty-spotted pardalote is going to be high on that wish list, because even if they've never seen one, people are very aware of the plight that these two birds are under.

Both these birds are something that on Bruny Island you have a higher chance of seeing than elsewhere, because we have more protections for them here on Bruny, and because the habitat is so strong for them.

Forty Spotted Pardalote in shade Kim Murray — Forty-spotted pardalote. Image: Kim Murray

The swift parrots are needing the blue gum, the black gum and needing places to nest. Around Bruny, thankfully we have all those factors for them. We're also a place that doesn't have the sugar glider. So it is a place where they have more of a chance to have successful breeding.

For the forty-spots, the white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) is found around Bruny Island, both on private land and on some of the public land. So people will come to see the forty-spots. Once they know about that tree type, they can then search down this little bird.

But more often than not for both these bird species, people will end up on an Inala’s doorstep, because having an expert guide does make it so much easier for you to be able to find the bird.

That's because you do need to know far more than just what it looks like. You need to know what it eats and how it lives, so that you can have a chance of finding it in its wild environment.

*the swift parrot (Lathamus discolor) is listed as critically endangered. The forty-spotted pardalote (Pardalotus quadragintus) is currently listed as endangered.

Swift Parrot 66554 — Swift parrot. Images: Dr Eric Woehler

Cat Davidson

Ecology and Birding Tour Guide

Cat is a nature guide who lives on Bruny Island and is a specialist bird and...

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Both these birds are something that on Bruny Island you have a higher chance of seeing than elsewhere, because we have more protections for them here on Bruny, and because the habitat is so strong for them.

But more often than not for both these bird species, people will end up on an Inala’s doorstep, because having an expert guide does make it so much easier for you to be able to find the bird.

That's because you do need to know far more than just what it looks like. You need to know what it eats and how it lives, so that you can have a chance of finding it in its wild environment.

*the swift parrot (Lathamus discolor) is listed as critically endangered. The forty-spotted pardalote (Pardalotus quadragintus) is currently listed as endangered.