More than 30 zoo-bred regent honeyeaters have been released into the wild in the New South Wales Hunter region in a bid to save the critically endangered species.<\/p>\n
The regent honeyeater is one of Australia’s rarest bird species, with fewer than 300 left in the wild.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, 32 of the striking black and yellow birds were released in the Tomalpin Woodlands, south of Kurri Kurri.<\/p>\n
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Mick Roderick says it is the biggest release of the birds to date.\u00a0 (ABC Newcastle: Keely Johnson)<\/p>\n
Another 30 of the birds, also bred in captivity at Taronga Zoo, are set to be released in the same location early next week.<\/p>\n
Birdlife Australia regent honeyeater recovery coordinator Mick Roderick said that would make it the biggest release yet.<\/p>\n
“This is breeding season and as some of these birds flew out of the tents, we actually saw males displaying to females,” he said.<\/p>\n
“So hopefully they’ll head off and start building a nest, which is really, really exciting.”<\/p>\n
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The regent honeyeaters were released from tents. (ABC Newcastle: Keely Johnson)<\/p>\n
Need to breed<\/p>\n
Once recorded between Adelaide and the central coast of Queensland, the regent honeyeater’s range has reduced dramatically in the past 30 years to fragmented woodlands between north-eastern Victoria and south-eastern Queensland.<\/p>\n
A threatened species profile on the NSW Office of Environment website lists loss of habitat to agriculture, timber gathering and residential development as the bird’s biggest threats.<\/p>\n
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The lower Hunter Valley is a honeyeater breeding hotspot. (Supplied: James Bennett)<\/p>\n
Taronga Zoo manager of conservation, recovery and restoration programs, Monique Van Sluys, said it was “very important” to supplement the wild population with zoo-bred birds “to help boost their numbers and hopefully work towards the recovery of the species”.<\/p>\n
Dr Van Sluys said the birds were carefully bred and selected to ensure the best hope of success upon release.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Each year we select the pairs that we breed based on their pedigrees, so we keep the genetics as healthy as possible,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Of those birds, we build the numbers, and the species coordinator selects the birds that would be most appropriate [for release] based on their age and their sex.”<\/p>\n
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Monique Van Sluys says Taronga Zoo plays an important role supplementing the wild population of regent honeyeaters. (ABC Newcastle: Keely Johnson)<\/p>\n
Thursday’s release was the sixth flock to be freed in NSW, and the fourth in the Hunter, as part of a joint captive-breeding program led by Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Birdlife Australia and the NSW government’s Saving our Species program.<\/p>\n
Tracking the birds<\/p>\n
The flock has been fitted with non-invasive radio trackers in a bid to learn more about the birds’ movements.<\/p>\n
“The harnesses on birds are designed to break after 10 weeks, so we’re not lumbering these birds with these things forever,” Mr Roderick said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Every single day for the next five weeks, this team will be out in the bush and tracking where these birds are.”<\/p>\n
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A regent honeyeater rests after being released in the Tomalpin Woodlands in 2022. (Supplied: DCCEEW\/ A Pike)<\/p>\n
Mr Roderick said he expected some of the birds to travel beyond the Hunter.<\/p>\n
“They won’t all hang around,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Each year, we find that some birds don’t go far and some birds like to travel.<\/p>\n
“My hope for this particular release, because it is early spring, is that we might get some breeding.”<\/p>\n
Connection to the land<\/p>\n
The Tomalpin Woodlands area is known for its abundance of flowering gums, the regent honeyeater’s favourite food source.<\/p>\n
“In these woodlands, there’s almost always something flowering. At the moment, we’re right at the start of a very long blossoming event,” Mr Roderick said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“It’s one of the most important patches of forest that is left for threatened woodland birds.”<\/p>\n
The woodlands are partly owned by the Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC).<\/p>\n
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Tara Dever says the regent honeyeater has significant connections with the Wonnarua people. (ABC Newcastle: Keely Johnson)<\/p>\n
Wiradjuri woman and CEO of Mindaribba LALC, Tara Dever, said the regent honeyeater was a critical part of songlines and storytelling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“The regent honeyeater has been losing its song, and the Wonnarua people for 200 years were not allowed to speak in their language,” she said.<\/p>\n
“And so the Wonnarua people are reawakening their language and the regent honeyeater is regaining [its] song \u2014 the connections are really significant.”<\/p>\n
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A regent honeyeater in the wild. (Supplied: DCCEEW)<\/p>\n
Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water principal ecologist Kim Maute said residents across the state were being urged to keep an eye out for the rare birds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“We hope people start looking for these birds in their backyards,” she said.<\/p>\n
“While the release is happening here in the Hunter Valley, it’s likely they will end up quite further afield.<\/p>\n
“And everyone can play a part in making sure these genuinely beautiful birds are spied by future generations.”<\/p>\n