On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 09:44:17AM +1100, Simon Mustoe wrote:
> There are too many misconceptions and untruths being
> told about Orange-bellied Parrots ...
Bird-o could lead by example here, it still says:
"In the week when researchers announce the world population of
Orange-bellied Parrots (OBPs) has dropped from just 35 to 21 birds"
As I pointed out in a previous email, this isn't true the researchers
say the Melaaleuca population has been stable for 3 seasons and there are
21 adults at Melaleuca now, the same as last season.
Last season the OBP people captured 21 Melaleuca juveniles for the
captive breeding program. They think 2 juveniles were taken by predators
and only 4 Melaleuca juveniles were left to migrate north.
So 21 coming back seems reasonably good news and without the intake
to the captive breeding program, surely there would have been a
small increase in OBP adults at Melaleuca this year.
As far as global population goes, the OBP people seem to say there are
currently 30ish OBPs (adults+juveniles) at Melaleuca plus hopefully a
few more elsewhere.
I'm happy to be corrected here but that my reading of the various
bits and pieces from the OBP people.
Even if there are 50 OBPs in the wild, they are obviously in desperate
trouble with extinction in the wild possible in a few years. There is
no need to exaggerate their plight.
Andrew
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