Location Information and Data for the TaLocation Information and Data for the Taxon

Location Information and Data for the Taxon

The Green Parrot is restricted to Norfolk Island. It does not currently occur on Nepean and Phillip Islands (1 and 6 km south of Norfolk Island respectively), however, both islands were originally forested and it probably did occur at least on Phillip Island (J. Hicks pers.comm.). At the time of settlement Green Parrots were abundant, with convicts deployed to protect planted corn crops from parrots with sticks (P. Stevenson pers.comm.). The population of Green Parrots may have declined by as much as 90% from the 1700’s to the present. Based on an estimated territory size of 20 ha and an island area of 3825 ha, the pre-European breeding population of Green Parrots on the island is estimated to have been about 190 adult pairs. By 1908 the parrot was restricted to the gullies around Mt Pitt, now within NINP. In 1937 a collecting expedition from the Sminthsonian Institute collected so many birds that Green Parrots were thought to have disappeared and were not sighted for the ensuing two years (P. Stevenson pers.comm.).

In the 1960s-70s the population was estimated at 10-20 pairs (McKean 1976, Smithers and Disney 1969). In 1977-78, island-wide surveys only located parrots in NINP and adjacent forested areas, and the population was estimated at 3-5 pairs (17-31 birds, Forshaw 1981, Schodde et al. 1983). The population is thought to have decreased further in the 1980s (Hermes et al. 1986). From 1988 to 1995 the population did not increase significantly, fluctuating between 3 and 10 pairs, due to an acute scarcity of adult females, with an estimated 6 adult females in 1991-92 (P. Stevenson pers.comm.). This was probably largely due to predation of females at the nest (P. Stevenson pers.comm.). In 1995 the total wild population was estimated at 44 individuals including juveniles which increased to c. 69 and seventeen breeding pairs in 1997 (R. Ward unpubl. data). No total population census has been conducted since 1997, mainly due to the unavailability of a durable colour band surfacing. Green Parrots are now being recorded regularly outside the park and the total population is currently thought to number approximately 160 individuals with 14 known breeding pairs (March 2001). Adult pairs are now more commonly seen suggesting that adult female survival has improved as a result of predator control (R. Ward pers.comm.).

Most of the habitat of the Green Parrot is in national park but some is on private land. The EPBC (1999) requirements for listing areas of critical habitat require that private landowners of land nominated for listing as critical habitat be consulted prior to listing.