Silent Hearts - a pathway to extinction for antbed parrots

11/04/21 • 21 min

"To survive today, other animals must endure global warming, pollution, and fewer habitats.
More tragically, they must endure the silence of human hearts".
Anthony Douglas Williams
Australia is well known for their history of flora and fauna extinctions, and it seems to be a national trajectory from the lowest level of government to the highest; we keep "developing" land at unsustainable rates and all the "little" developments accumumulate into a mega sized snowball. We have so many "recovery plans" for the habitats we remodel, to the point that most of them can never be fully funded to fruition. The environment, though everyone talks about it, is lowest on the funding ladder and there simply is not enough tax payer funds to support every plant and creature that is in need. At some point in the very near future the average Aussie is going to have to realise that the government just can't fix each and every habitat that we destroy in our development frenzy, it is in fact going to be up to the every day Aussie to say enough is enough, and put their own hand up and say "it is up to me".
It's just this sort of attitude that created a plan to save one of Australia's most threatened parrot; the antbed parrot aka the golden shouldered parrot; also known to the Olkola people as the alwal.
Since the 1920's the golden shouldered parrots have disappeared from more than half their range in Cape York Penninsula. Situated within their northern homelands is Artemis Cattle Station, considered by many a scientist, parrot lover and bird watcher to be the last stronghold of this parrot, but even here their numbers have declined from around 500 to now less than 50. The owners of Artemis Cattle Station, Tom and Sue Shephard, have spent decades trying to ensure that this particular parrot survives, but in recent years have become so concerned over the ever decreasing population, that have stretched out their hands (and their hearts) to a group of scientists and supporters who are willing to get things doing and moving into the direction of actual ground work recovery. This collaboration has become the Artemis Nature Fund.
Today's podcast opens the doors (and hopefully listeners hearts) to the life of a golden shouldered parrot and the birth of the Artemis Nature Fund.
This is a 2 part "special" that is our gift to the dedicated listeners as our Season 4 finale.
This has been an extraordinarily long Season 4 - our demonstration of solidarity with our fellow Australians, and people throught this world, in various lockdowns through Covid19. BirdCast went past the usual season ends to provide lockdown listeners, as was the request, with something bird related to listen to. But as the lockdowns have lifted we are going to take a break and hunt down some great stories for season 5.
So unlike previous episodes Part 2 of Silent Hearts - a pathway to extinction for antbed parrots will be next week! Be sure to listen in.
https://artemis.org.au/

Previous Episode

Ruffling feathers - our home is a black cockatoo nursery

When Larry and Barbara retired to the south of Western Australia they " thought" their days of research and development were behind them - that was until some large and noisy neighbours decided to drop in for a drink.
Since arriving at their home in Nullaki, Western Australia; the 3 species of black cockatoos - which are all endangered - The Carnaby cockatoo/ngolyenok, Baudin's cockatoo/ngolak and the Forest retailed cockatoo/karrak - have made such an impression on Barbara and Larry that they have decided to dedicate their property to the preservation of the species and are inviting every day people to join them in the battle to halt the extinction of these magnificent birds.
So was born the Nullaki Cockatoo Nursery.
The Nursery is in the City of Albany within the Nullaki natural wilderness, around 50km west from the regional town of Albany, Western Australia. It is truly stunningly serene and has been placed under strict wilderness protection through a conservation covenant by the City of Albany.
The word Nullaki is a local indigenious word in noongar language meaning "narrow place of seaweed" - making reference to the nearby inlet (later named Wilson's Inlet by the first european settlers).
Within this Nullaki wilderness Barbara and Larry have listened to the noisy black cockatoos and set up artificial cockatoo nest tubes to compensate for the lack of available cockatoo sized nest sites. They have started with 20 for now and are offering other humans who are interested the ability to buy one of these nest tubes, to make it their own. They are selling these already installed nest tubes for $250AUD. The tube will become the property of the purchaser. Barbara and Larry then voluntarily host the owner's cocky tube in a tree on their own property in the area where all the cockatoos are looking for suitable nest sites.
Barbara and Larry make no money from the sale of the cocky tubes, the $250 is what they paid to have the cocky tubes supplied and installed. They volunatrily offer their time and offer their trees to the new owner's tube.
They have also ensured that the tube's will always be protected and be able to stay ion the "cockatoo nursery" for the lifetime of the tube is written into Barbara's and Larry's land ownership, so that no matter what happens to them, the new owner/s will have to ensure the tube is always in the tree and at the disposal of the cockatoos to use - black cockatoos if they successfully fledge young will return to the same nest site for their lifetime - that way protecting the investor's purchase. On purchsing a tube Larry and Barbara mail you a hard copy of the cocky tube details and a information letter explaining all the ins and outs of the Nullaki Cockatoo Nursery cocky tube purchase.
Realising that not every human has $250 to spend - Larry and Barbara are also offering an entry level rental for $50/breeding season. This private model is something entirely novel to the conservation of the black cockatoo scene of Western Australia and is 100% sure to ruffle some feathers.
Nullaki Cockatoo Nursery Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1716700181869100
Email: [email protected]
Will post Nullaki Cockatoo Nursery photos on Birdman Dad insta, reddit and Facebook pages
birdman_dad
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1892441777643619

Next Episode

Silent Hearts - a pathway to restoration for antbed parrots

"To survive today, other animals must endure global warming, pollution, and fewer habitats.
More tragically, they must endure the silence of human hearts>"
Anthony Douglas Williams
Part 2
Hear what the Artemis Nature Fund is doing to preserve the last stronghold of the wild golden shouldered parrot.
Want to see it for yourself? Check out the videos at:
https://artemis.org.au/
Donations to the preservation efforts for the golden shouldred parrots aka antbed parrots at Artemis Station can be made to the Fund directly via their webpage or you can donate via Landcare Australia until 18th December 2021:
https://fundlandcare.org.au/campaigns/saving-golden-shouldered-parrots-by-practical-on-ground-actions/
Back on December 17th 2021!!