Donate
Donate
Donate

Can the Norfolk Island parakeet dodge extinction once and for all?

The critically endangered Norfolk Island parrot – known to locals as the Green Parrot – has the dubious honour of having to be rescued from the brink of extinction not once, but twice.
Facebook Linkedin X-twitter Envelope
[print-me target=".print-body, .print-title" do_not_print=".noprint"/]

The critically endangered Norfolk Island Parakeet (Cyanoramphus cookii) – known to locals as the Green Parrot – has the dubious honour of having to be rescued from the brink of extinction not once, but twice.

Found only on Australia’s Norfolk Island, north-east of Sydney, the population of this beautiful parakeet plummeted to just 32 birds in 1988 – making it one of the most endangered birds in the world. The main cause of this desperate situation was predation by invasive rats and feral cats and competition for nest-sites from introduced invasive parrots and starlings.

A recovery plan was soon put into place and by 2008 it was estimated that as many as 200 birds existed in total. The green parrot of remote Norfolk Island had been saved from extinction and bird-lovers around the world rejoiced at this success.

But, over time, complacency set in.

This is where Margaret Christian comes into the picture. Margaret is a dedicated local naturalist and by 2012 she was convinced the green parrot was once again in dire trouble. I made my way to Norfolk Island to see and hear for myself.

I was shocked by how few birds I saw and realised I would need someone who really knew how to survey this type of parakeet properly to convince decision-makers that it was in trouble again. Fortunately, such a person existed – Dr Luis Ortiz-Catedral from Massey University, a world-renowned expert on the closely related parakeets of New Zealand.

By November 2013, Dr Luis documented that there were between 50 and 100 green parrots on the island. Worse still, only 11 were breeding-age females. Island Conservation, together with our partners – Birdlife Australia, The Nature Conservancy, and the Norfolk Island Flora and Fauna Society – devised a plan to convince governments the green parrot was about to go extinct, for the second time in 25 years.

With Dr Luis’ rigorous data and recommendations, and the combined influence of our ad-hoc Green Parrot Recovery Team, we presented our case to decision-makers on Norfolk Island and the Australian Government in Canberra. Finally a letter arrived, the government agreed with our assessment and committed to implement all of our recommended actions.

Ranger to the rescue

But the good news did not end there. Abigail Smith arrived on Norfolk Island – a dedicated ranger with the skills to implement the recovery plan. Abigail and her team set about implementing the plan and within the first year the results were astounding. By September 2014, there were 78 predator-resistant nest sites for the green parrot and 11 active nests. Over winter 51 chicks fledged, of which 25 were female, by far the most productive winter breeding for the species on record. In November 2014, the Australian Government committed an additional $300,000 towards these efforts.

However, the future remains far from certain. A permanent solution is needed to completely remove the threat of feral cats and invasive rats from Norfolk Island. As the history of the green parrot shows, without the constant vigilance of people like Margaret Christian, it could be all too soon before the green parrot faces another, potentially final, crisis.

About Ray

Dr Ray Nias is Southwest Pacific Regional Director at Island Conservation. With his scientific and management background, fundraising experience and knowledge of the Southwest Pacific region, Ray is ideally placed to help make Island Conservation a major force for island conservation in the Southwest Pacific region.

Related Content

Cruise ships are one of several pathways by which new invasive species can reach Norfolk Island. Photo: Thomas Huxley | CC BY-ND 2.0
Norfolk Island conservation project
Saving Australia’s island wildlife from rats and ants
Fact sheet series: Native Plant Communities of Norfolk Island

Hear from us when it matters

Your support to protect critically endangered and vulnerable species from extinction is vital. Together, we can ensure governments prioritise action on invasive species and protect our wildlife and iconic places.

The Invasive Species Council was formed in 2002 to seek stronger laws, policies and programs to protect nature from harmful pests, weeds and diseases.

The Invasive Species Council acknowledges the Traditional Custodians throughout Australia and their connections to land and sea. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Our Work

About Us

Email Preview

Dear [your member of parliament],

[YOUR PERSONALISED MESSAGE WILL APPEAR HERE.] 

Email copy here …

Email copy here …

Email copy here …

Email copy here …



Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Your email address]
[Your postcode]


Your gift is a lifeline for nature.

Our protected areas are being trashed, trampled, choked and polluted by an onslaught of invaders. Invasive species are already the overwhelming driver of our animal extinction rate, and are expected to cause 75 of the next 100 extinctions.

But you can help to turn this around and create a wildlife revival in Australia.

From numbats to night parrots, a tax-deductible donation today can help defend our wildlife against the threat of invasive weeds, predators, and diseases.

As the only national advocacy environment group dedicated to stopping this mega threat, your gift will make a big difference.

Donate Today

Do you need help?

Accordion Content

A silent crisis is unfolding across Australia. Every year, billions of native animals are hunted and killed by cats and foxes. Fire ants continue to spread and threaten human health. And the deadly strain of bird flu looms on the horizon. Your donation today will be used to put the invasive species threat in the media, make invasive species a government priority, ensure governments take rapid action to protect nature and our remarkable native wildlife from invasives-led extinction, death and destruction.

Donate Now

If you are having technical trouble making a donation, please read this guide.

Please fill out the following form and one of our team will be in contact to assist as soon as possible. Please make sure to include any helpful information, such as the device you were using (computer, tablet or mobile phone) and if known, your browser (Mozilla Firefox, Chrome, Safari etc).

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Drop files here or
Accepted file types: jpg, gif, png, docx, doc, pdf, txt, Max. file size: 10 MB, Max. files: 4.

    Dear Project Team,

    [YOUR PERSONALISED MESSAGE WILL APPEAR HERE.] 

    I support the amendment to the Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Heritage Management Plan to allow our incredible National Parks staff to use aerial shooting as one method to rapidly reduce feral horse numbers. I want to see feral horse numbers urgently reduced in order to save the national park and our native wildlife that live there.

    The current approach is not solving the problem. Feral horse numbers have rapidly increased in Kosciuszko National Park to around 18,000, a 30% jump in just the past 2 years. With the population so high, thousands of feral horses need to be removed annually to reduce numbers and stop our National Park becoming a horse paddock. Aerial shooting, undertaken humanely and safely by professionals using standard protocols, is the only way this can happen.

    The government’s own management plan for feral horses states that ‘if undertaken in accordance with best practice, aerial shooting can have the lowest negative animal welfare impacts of all lethal control methods’.

    This humane and effective practice is already used across Australia to manage hundreds of thousands of feral animals like horses, deer, pigs, and goats.

    Trapping and rehoming of feral horses has been used in Kosciuszko National Park for well over a decade but has consistently failed to reduce the population, has delayed meaningful action and is expensive. There are too many feral horses in the Alps and not enough demand for rehoming for it to be relied upon for the reduction of the population.

    Fertility control as a management tool is only effective for a small, geographically isolated, and accessible population of feral horses where the management outcome sought is to maintain the population at its current size. It is not a viable option to reduce the large and growing feral horse population in the vast and rugged terrain of Kosciuszko National Park.

    Feral horses are trashing and trampling our sensitive alpine ecosystems and streams, causing the decline and extinction of native animals. The federal government’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee has stated that feral horses ‘may be the crucial factor that causes final extinction’ for 12 alpine species.

    I recognise the sad reality that urgent and humane measures are necessary to urgently remove the horses or they will destroy the Snowies and the native wildlife that call the mountains home. I support a healthy national park where native species like the Corroboree Frog and Mountain Pygmy Possum can thrive.

    Kind regards,
    [Your name]
    [Your email address]
    [Your postcode]


    Dear Project Team,

    [YOUR PERSONALISED MESSAGE WILL APPEAR HERE.] 

    I support the amendment to the Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Heritage Management Plan to allow our incredible National Parks staff to use aerial shooting as one method to rapidly reduce feral horse numbers. I want to see feral horse numbers urgently reduced in order to save the national park and our native wildlife that live there.

    The current approach is not solving the problem. Feral horse numbers have rapidly increased in Kosciuszko National Park to around 18,000, a 30% jump in just the past 2 years. With the population so high, thousands of feral horses need to be removed annually to reduce numbers and stop our National Park becoming a horse paddock. Aerial shooting, undertaken humanely and safely by professionals using standard protocols, is the only way this can happen.

    The government’s own management plan for feral horses states that ‘if undertaken in accordance with best practice, aerial shooting can have the lowest negative animal welfare impacts of all lethal control methods’.

    This humane and effective practice is already used across Australia to manage hundreds of thousands of feral animals like horses, deer, pigs, and goats.

    Trapping and rehoming of feral horses has been used in Kosciuszko National Park for well over a decade but has consistently failed to reduce the population, has delayed meaningful action and is expensive. There are too many feral horses in the Alps and not enough demand for rehoming for it to be relied upon for the reduction of the population.

    Fertility control as a management tool is only effective for a small, geographically isolated, and accessible population of feral horses where the management outcome sought is to maintain the population at its current size. It is not a viable option to reduce the large and growing feral horse population in the vast and rugged terrain of Kosciuszko National Park.

    Feral horses are trashing and trampling our sensitive alpine ecosystems and streams, causing the decline and extinction of native animals. The federal government’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee has stated that feral horses ‘may be the crucial factor that causes final extinction’ for 12 alpine species.

    I recognise the sad reality that urgent and humane measures are necessary to urgently remove the horses or they will destroy the Snowies and the native wildlife that call the mountains home. I support a healthy national park where native species like the Corroboree Frog and Mountain Pygmy Possum can thrive.

    Kind regards,
    [Your name]
    [Your email address]
    [Your postcode]