The Regent Honeyeater Recovery Program:
Recent surveys throughout eastern Australia suggest that
the population of the Regent Honeyeater has fallen to a
critically low level, perhaps fewer than 1000 birds.
To help reverse this decline a Regent Honeyeater Recovery
Plan has been developed and its implementation has been
funded by the Australian Nature Conservation Agency (formerly
ANPWS). A Recovery Team has been established to oversee and
guide all activities performed on the Regent Honeyeater's
behalf. A coordinated program of habitat protection and
enhancement across the entire range of the species will be
the corner-stone of the recovery effort. In addition, the
recovery effort incorporates research into several aspects
of the ecology of the Regent Honeyeater that are fundamental
to the successful management of the species. These include
further investigations into the specific habitat requirements
of Regent Honeyeaters and investigation of their local and
large scale movements.
One of the specific objectives of the Recovery Plan is to
establish a network of groups across the species range in
NSW and Victoria. These groups, which consist of interested
people who are prepared to become active in a region where
Regent Honeyeaters visit regularly, will be vitally important
for the long-term success of the recovery effort. Activities
of these groups will include regular bird censuses (targeted
to areas where Regent Honeyeaters have frequently been seen in
the past), monitoring of the flowering of the important
eucalypt species, promoting awareness of the Regent Honeyeater
in their region, and liaising with community groups and
landowners to facilitate good environmental management of the
land. A newsletter will be produced to keep these groups aware
of each others activities, the latest developments in research
and most recent sightings of Regent Honeyeaters.
Observers who report sightings of Regents when they see them
will also be important for helping establish a better idea of
the current distribution and movements of the birds,
particularly if they happen to encounter colour-banded birds.
With such a wide ranging species, observers are required from
throughout Victoria, NSW and southern Queensland.
If you would like to find out more about the Regent Honeyeater,
or help us in our efforts to ensure its survival, either by
reporting sightings or becoming involved in a works group,
For more information, or to report sightings, please contact:
Natasha Schedvin (Regent Honeyeater Recovery Coordinator)
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
PO Box 137, Heidelberg, VIC, 3083.
Phone: (freecall) 1800 621 056 or (03) 450 8690
Fax: (03) 450 8737
e-mail:
Peter Menkhorst
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