Superb Parrot - Nswfmpa.org

Animal Care Studies - Western Sydney Institute of TAFE, Richmond3.3 Conservation StatusIUCN: Vulnerable C2b CITES: IIThe single sub-population of this species is estimated to contain a total breedingpopulation of probably less than 5000 breeding pairs and declining. These populationestimates relate to surveys documented during the period 1992 to 1997. Current wildpopulation numbers are unknown. Research should now be conducted to gauge whetherthere has been a further decline in numbers and if the conservation status of P. swainsoniineeds to be reviewed.Captive population: Current ARAZPA institutional holdings for 2004 are:Male: 19 Female: 20 Unknown: 7NSW Department of Environment and Conservation registered holdings for New SouthWales (Neilly, B. 2004 pers. communication 21 Sep):Total male, female and unknown 2003: 2667Total male, female and unknown to September 2004: 1806(Garnett 2000) (Higgins 1999) (Johnson 2004)3.4 Diet in the WildP. swainsonii spend much time on the ground, where they feed on seeds of grasses andherbaceous plants. Their diet also includes fruits, berries, nuts, nectar blossoms, andinsects and their larvae obtained in the treetops or among the outer branches of shrubs.There have also been recorded observations of P. swainsonii feeding on fallen seedamong and presumably from wild geranium Erodium sp., barley grass Hordeummurinum, burr medic Medicago denticulata, spear grass Stipa sp., and wallaby grassDanthonia sp. It has been noted that during winter and spring P. swainsonii spent moretime feeding among green weeds, and were observed feeding on the green seedheads ofmilk thistle Sonchus oleraceus, wild mustard Sisymbrium sp., shepherd’s purse Capsellasp., barley grass, and stinging nettles Urtica urens.During surveys conducted during the 1985 and 1986 breeding seasons, 55% of foragingobservations were of P. swainsonii feeding on the ground, with the remaining greaterproportion of feeding being conducted at 18% feeding on flowers, 15% feeding onleaves, 8% small branches and 2% cereal crops. The favoured foods include berries of thedwarf cherry Exocarpus strictus, seeds of white top grass Danthonia caespitosa, barleygrass Hordeum leporinum, not fully ripened wheat or oats, and flower buds and berries ofgrey mistletoe Amyema quandang, and box mistletoe A. miquelli. P. swainsonii was alsoobserved foraging in the canopy of eucalypts, feeding on all stages of flowers and fruitsfrom young buds through to ripened seed capsules, of river red gums Eucalyptuscamaldulensis, black box E. largiflorens and yellow box E. melliodora, while on thesouthwestern slopes of New South Wales white box E. albens was utilised in the samemanner. In central-west New South Wales P. swainsonii was observed in bimble box E.populnea feeding on psyllid lerps. (refer Figure 10)Keith Naylor 28/3/2005 Version 3 20