Swift Parrot - profile

Indicative distribution

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Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Lathamus discolor

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Commonwealth status: Critically Endangered

Gazetted date: 24 Mar 2000

Profile last updated: 23 Sep 2022

Description

The Swift Parrot is small parrot about 25 cm long. It is bright green with red around the bill, throat and forehead. The red on its throat is edged with yellow. Its crown is blue-purple. There are bright red patches under the wings. One of most distinctive features from a distance is its long (12 cm), thin tail, which is dark red. This distinguishes it from the similar lorikeets, with which it often flies and feeds. Can also be recognised by its flute-like chirruping or metallic "kik-kik-kik" call.

Distribution

Breeds in Tasmania during spring and summer, migrating in the autumn and winter months to south-eastern Australia from Victoria and the eastern parts of South Australia to south-east Queensland. In NSW mostly occurs on the coast and south west slopes.

You can help map Distribution and Habitat
Each year the Swift Parrot Recovery Team relies on the involvement of volunteers to identify areas the birds are visiting and what resources they are using. This information directly helps the recovery effort for this species. Surveys are conducted twice a year and aim to cover the migratory winter range of this species. Mainland surveys are held over one weekend in May and a weekend in August every year. Hearing of observations of Swift Parrots outside of the count weekends are also greatly appreciated.

All information helps and the Recovery Team is also very interested to receive sighting information of these birds outside the survey dates. Surveys are run in combination with the Regent Honeyeater survey effort, another Endangered migratory woodland bird.

Contact BirdLife Australia on 03 9347 0757 or freecall 1800 665 766 to find out more about participating in the mainland Swift Parrot surveys.

Habitat and ecology

Migrates to the Australian south-east mainland between February and October.
On the mainland they occur in areas where eucalypts are flowering profusely or where there are abundant lerp (from sap-sucking bugs) infestations.
Favoured feed trees include winter flowering species such as Swamp Mahogany Eucalyptus robusta, Spotted Gum Corymbia maculata, Red Bloodwood C. gummifera, Forest Red Gum E. tereticornis, Mugga Ironbark E. sideroxylon, and White Box E. albens.
Commonly used lerp infested trees include Inland Grey Box E. microcarpa, Grey Box E. moluccana, Blackbutt E. pilularis, and Yellow Box E. melliodora.
Return to some foraging sites on a cyclic basis depending on food availability.
Following winter they return to Tasmania where they breed from September to January, nesting in old trees with hollows and feeding in forests dominated by Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus globulus.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Threats

Habitat loss and fragmentation from forest harvesting, residential/industrial development, agricultural clearing, senscence and dieback.
Changes in spatial and temporal distribution of habitat due to climate change.
Reduced food availability due to drought conditions.
Competition from introduced bees and large, aggressive honeyeaters for food resources.
Collisions with human made structures resulting in death or injury.
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease vulnerability.
Weed invasion impacting on habitat regeneration and health.
High fire frequency impacting on food resource availability.
Aggressive exclusion from forest and woodland habitat by over abundant Noisy Miners.
Predation by cats.
Illegal capture and trade of wild birds for aviculture

Recovery strategies

A targeted strategy for managing this species has been developed under the Saving Our Species program; click here for details. For more information on the Saving Our Species program click here

Activities to assist this species

Reduce collisions in areas where Swift Parrots are foraging by closing window blinds or letting windows get dirty. Alternatively hang wind chimes, mobiles etc in front of windows. Hang strips of fabric across wire mesh fences.
Retain stands of winter-flowering feed-trees, particularly large mature individuals.
Revegetate with winter-flowering tree species where appropriate.
Participate in biannual surveys to locate the winter foraging areas for this species.

Information sources

Higgins, P.J. (ed.) (1999) Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 4: Parrots to Dollarbird.
Kennedy, S. (2001) Swift Parrots. Results of winter surveys on mainland Australia 1995-2000.
Kennedy, S.J. and Overs, A.E. (2001) Foraging Ecology and Habitat Use of the Swift Parrot on the South-Western Slopes of New South Wales. Corella 25:68-74.
Kennedy, S.J. and Tzaros, C.L. (2005) Foraging ecology of the Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor in the Box-Ironbark forests and woodlands of Victoria. Pacific Conservation Biology 11(3):158-173.
NSW Scientific Committee (2000) Swift parrot - Endangered species determination - final. DEC (NSW), Sydney.
Robinson, D. and Traill, B.J. (1996) Conserving woodland birds in the wheat and sheep belts of southern Australia. RAOU Conservation Statement No. 10. (Birds Australia, Melbourne)
Saunders, D.L. and Heinsohn, R. (2008) Winter habitat use by the endangered, migratory Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) in New South Wales. Emu 108: 81-89
Saunders, D.L., Brereton, R., Tzaros, C., Holdsworth, M. and Price, R. (2007) Conservation of the Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor management lessons for a threatened migratory species. Pacific Conservation Biology 13 (2): 111-119
Swift Parrot Recovery Team (2001) Swift Parrot Recovery Plan. Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Hobart.

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Plains	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Range	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Basalts	Predicted	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga Outwash	Predicted	None
Brigalow Belt South	Talbragar Valley	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Nymagee	Known	None
Murray Darling Depression	Darling Depression	Known	None
Nandewar	Inverell Basalts	Predicted	None
Nandewar	Kaputar	Known	None
Nandewar	Nandewar Northern Complex	Predicted	None
Nandewar	Peel	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Armidale Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Beardy River Hills	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Binghi Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Bundarra Downs	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Deepwater Downs	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Eastern Nandewars	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Glenn Innes-Guyra Basalts	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Moredun Volcanics	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Severn River Volcanics	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Stanthorpe Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Tenterfield Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Tingha Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Walcha Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Wongwibinda Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Yarrowyck-Kentucky Downs	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Coffs Coast and Escarpment	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Ellerston	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Karuah Manning	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Macleay Hastings	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Upper Hunter	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Yuraygir	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Capertee Valley	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Inland Slopes	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Lower Slopes	Known	None
Ocean	Batemans Shelf	Known	None
Ocean	Hawkesbury Shelf	Known	None
Ocean	Manning Shelf	Known	None
Ocean	Twofold Shelf	Known	None
Other State	ACT	Known	None
Other State	Jervis Bay Territory	Known	None
Other State	QLD	Known	None
Other State	SA	Known	None
Other State	VIC	Known	None
Riverina	Murray Fans	Known	None
Riverina	Murrumbidgee	Known	None
Riverina	Robinvale Plains	Predicted	None
South East Corner	Bateman	Known	None
South East Corner	East Gippsland Lowlands	Known	None
South East Corner	South East Coastal Ranges	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bathurst	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bungonia	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Capertee Uplands	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Hill End	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Kanangra	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Monaro	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Murrumbateman	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Oberon	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Orange	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Burringbar-Conondale Ranges	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Lowlands	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Sandstones	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Scenic Rim	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Sunshine Coast-Gold Coast Lowlands	Predicted	None
Sydney Basin	Burragorang	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Cumberland	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Hunter	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Illawarra	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Jervis	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Kerrabee	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Moss Vale	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Pittwater	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Sydney Cataract	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wollemi	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wyong	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Yengo	Known	None

Sounds

Images

Swift Parrot, Bateau Bay, feeding in Swamp Mahogony, Neville Lazarus Image 1 of 4.
View slideshow.

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