Superb Parrot - Nswfmpa.org

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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
Animal Care Studies - Western Sydney Institute of TAFE, RichmondFigure 10. Psyllids (lerp insects) live under these coverings or tests (lerps) and suck sapfrom Eucalyptus leaves.Small groups of P. swainsonii will visit homesteads, farm buildings or stockyards to feedon spilled grain, and in crop-growing districts they are attracted to roadsides where grainspills from passing trucks. Often in the company of Yellow Rosellas Platycerus elegansflaveolus, they come to feed on blossoms in groves of introduced sugar gums Eucalyptuscladocalyx, which are widely planted as windbreaks in farmlands throughout theMurrumbidgee Irrigation Area; the entire flower is eaten and not merely chewed toextract nectar. Near Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, and along mid reachesof the Murrumbidgee River P. swainsonii has been observed extracting seeds fromripened and unripened wattle Acacia, pods.During summer P. swainsonii feed actively in the mornings up to 09:00 and in theafternoons after 17:00. In winter P. swainsonii tends to be active for more of the day. Forboth seasons P. swainsonii spends the greater part of the morning and afternoon activeperiod feeding quietly on the ground. Usually P. swainsonii feed in groups of up to 7-8birds but have been observed occasionally in flocks of 100 birds feeding in the canopy ofone forest red gum Eucalyptus tereticornis. There have been observations of P.swainsonii feeding with Crimson Rosellas Platycerus elegans nigrescens, and otherspecies, in stubble paddocks or wheat crops. P. swainsonii drink in the morning and lateafternoon at rivers, preferring spits of sand as watering places, drinking in relays of twoto three birds by flying down to the sand to drink then returning to the trees. (Brooker andKleinig 1990) (Forshaw 2002) (Hadlington and Johnston 1987) (Higgins 1999)(Streatfield 1995) (Webster and Ahern 1992)Keith Naylor 28/3/2005 Version 3 21
Page 2 and 3: Animal Care Studies - Western Sydne
Page 32: Animal Care Studies - Western Sydne
Page 71 and 72:
Animal Care Studies - Western Sydne
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121:
show all

Superb Parrot - Nswfmpa.org

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?