The proposed change in taxonomic status of the Norfolk Island Parrot on the
BirdLife International world list will bring it into line with global species
classifications under the species approach used by BirdLife International. The
change will have no effect on the conservation of this critically endangered
endemic Australian bird.
In Australia species and subspecies are treated equally under all state and
federal laws and the Action Plan for Australian Birds and BirdLife Australia
(and indeed the nation as a whole) has a long tradition of fighting for every
bird population, regardless of how it’s treated taxonomically.
The “Norfolk Island Green Parrot” (as it is known in Australia) has been listed
as critically endangered in the Action Plan for Australian Birds in 1990, 2000
and 2010 - in every instance as a subspecies and the Norfolk Island Green
Parrot has had a dedicated recovery plan in place as a subspecies since 2002.
Hill, R. 2002. Recovery Plan for the Norfolk Island Green Parrot Cyanoramphus
novaezelandiae cookii. Environment Australia, Canberra.
The current (2010) National recovery plan for Norfolk Island lists the Norfolk
Island Green Parrot at species level, however the same National recovery plan
also lists several other threatened subspecies (such as the Western Kermadec
Petrel - Pterodroma neglecta neglecta) alongside species. This is commonplace
in Australian conservation and recovery efforts.
BirdLife Australia is confident that conservation efforts for the Norfolk
Island Green Parrot will continue regardless of how many times its taxonomic
status changes. We are unequivocally committed to the conservation of every
threatened bird species and subspecies in Australia as our involvement in over
a dozens of species and subspecies recovery programs (and in fact dozens of
local conservation programs) over many decades attests.
Good luck to everyone striving to help save the Norfolk Island Green Parrot!
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