Nurturing habitat to bring back parrot

Despite a stretched-out wet season and a wild fire which burned through Country, Traditional Owners and rangers from the Kyerrwanhdha Thingalkal ( KT) Land Trust on Mary Valley have managed to complete work dedicated to supporting the survival of the Golden-shouldered parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius).

The project, which finished up in June, is supported by Cape York NRM and is part of the broader GSP Recovery Team efforts to manage areas on Cape York Peninsula where the Golden-shouldered parrot is known to nest. 

The KT Land Trust/Mary Valley project aimed to survey, monitor, create exclusion fencing and conduct land management field work such as weed control on Country which historically was a breeding ground for the small endangered bird. 

“While the surveys showed old nests, there is no current indiction the birds are there,” Cape York NRM Biodiversity and Engagement officer Francis Malcolm said. 

“But we know they are close, they are found on the neighbouring property of Artemis Station, which gives us an ideal opportunity to encourage the population to expand onto Mary Valley if we get the habitat right.”

The Thaypan People are the Traditional Owners of Mary Valley, 38,000 hectares of Aboriginal Freehold between Laura and Coen, which was handed back in 2014. The region is represented by KT Land Trust.

Two field visits to Mary Valley over the course of a year helped to establish the location of an exclusion fence around GSP habitat. Training and skills upgrades for rangers were also undertaken to carry out rehabilitation works. 

“They have now created a 14,490 hectare exclusion area to protect the Golden-shouldered parrot from feral and domestic cattle,” Francis said.  “Weed spraying was also conducted, as well as monitoring of fire fuel loads, pasture condition and ground cover.”

The endangered birds nest in conical ant mounds, in grassland areas but increasing woody tree thickening, predation and past poaching, has reduced the population to estimates of 700-1,100 wild birds with around 300 breeding pairs. 

The project was delivered through funding from the Australian Government’s Regional Land Partnerships Biodiversity Bright Spots – Woodlands Program