AsianScientist (Apr. 6, 2015) – The iconic Tasmanian swift parrot is facing population collapse and could become extinct within 16 years, research published in Biological Conservation has found.
Swift parrots are major pollinators of blue and black gum trees which are crucial to the forestry industry, which controversially continues to log swift parrot habitat.
“Swift parrots are in far worse trouble than anybody previously thought,” said the leader of the study, Professor Robert Heinsohn, from The Australian National University (ANU).
“Everyone, including foresters, environmentalists and members of the public will be severely affected if they go extinct,” Heinsohn said.
The five-year study discovered that swift parrots move between different areas of Tasmania each year to breed, depending on where food is available. The new data was combined with a previous study that showed that swift parrots are preyed on heavily by sugar gliders, especially in deforested areas.
The research predicted that the population of the birds will halve every four years, with a possible decline of 94.7 percent over 16 years.
A moratorium on logging in swift parrot habitat is needed until new plans for their protection can be drawn up, said co-researcher, Dr. Dejan Stojanovic, also from ANU Fenner School.
“Current approaches to swift parrot management look rather inadequate,” he said. “Our models are a wake-up call. Actions to preserve their forest habitat cannot wait.”
The article can be found at: Heinsohn et al. (2015) A Severe Predator-Induced Population Decline Predicted For Endangered, Migratory Swift Parrots (Lathamus discolor).
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Source: Australian National University.
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