Wildlife

Swift Parrot Welfare and Tasmanian Logging

The swift parrot may be the world's fastest declining parrot, with old-growth logging in Tasmania destroying nesting habitat — welfare and survival are inseparable from habitat protection.

Key Facts

Fewer than 300 swift parrots may remain in the wild
Swift parrots nest exclusively in old-growth blue gum trees in Tasmania
Sugar gliders introduced to Bruny Island predated 40% of a monitored breeding population
Old-growth logging in Tasmania continues despite the species being critically endangered
Climate change is reducing flowering of key manna gum nectar sources

Welfare Considerations

Swift parrots face extreme welfare threats from multiple directions simultaneously. Nest predation by sugar gliders causes direct mortality of adults and chicks. Old-growth logging destroys nesting trees that take over 100 years to develop cavities. Nectar source failure from climate-disrupted flowering causes nutritional stress during breeding. Welfare interventions include predator control at key nesting sites and urgent halt to old-growth logging.

What You Can Do

Support Difficult Bird Research Group swift parrot conservation
Advocate for immediate protection of all remaining old-growth swift parrot habitat
Donate to swift parrot predator control programmes on Bruny Island
Contact Tasmanian government to oppose old-growth logging in swift parrot habitat