Orange-bellied Parrot

The Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) is a small broad-tailed parrot endemic to southern Australia, and one of only two species of parrot which migrate. The adult male is distinguished by its bright grass-green upperparts, yellow underparts and orange belly patch. The adult female and juvenile are duller green in colour. All birds have a blue frontal band and blue outer wing feathers. The diet consists of seeds and berries of small coastal grasses and shrubs.

The Orange-bellied Parrot breeds in Tasmania and winters in coastal grasslands on southern mainland Australia. With only 36 wild birds known to be alive after the summer 2011/12 breeding season, it is regarded as a critically endangered species.

Orange-bellied Parrots are being bred in a captive breeding program with parrots in Taroona, Tasmania, Healesville Sanctuary, Adelaide Zoo, Melbourne Zoo and the Priam Parrot Breeding Centre. The captive population consists of 208 birds, with a target of 350 birds by 2016/17. Because of the alarming decline in the wild population recent years, an additional 21 birds from the wild population were captured in 2010/2011 to further improve the genetic diversity of the species' captive breeding program as an "insurance" against extinction.