Saving our Species: Seeding the future for Superb Parrots

Greening Australia is once again joining forces to save the Superb Parrot with the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program, as a Conservation Co-Investment Partner for 2022-26.

Saving our Species recently announced the five partner organisations who are co-investing alongside the NSW Government to benefit threatened species and ecological communities.

Greening Australia’s project Seeding the future for Superb Parrots across Temperate Grassy Woodlands of southern NSW is one of six taking action across the state.

A Superb Parrot mid-feed amongst restored habitat in New South Wales. Credit: Sandra Henderson.

Nicki Taws, Greening Australia’s program specialist leading the project, said: “Superb Parrots usually nest in tree hollows of mature eucalypts and forage up to 10 km from the nest when they’re breeding. After the youngsters fledge, the whole family can travel more widely. As seed eaters, they rely heavily on plants like wattles, native hop bushes and grasses, so putting these plants back in strategic locations is our focus.

“Landholders that work with us to rebuild Superb Parrot foraging habitats can also benefit from the plantings providing windbreaks, shade and shelter for livestock, and supporting greater biodiversity on their property.”

Landholders in the NSW Riverina and South-West Slopes are encouraged to register their interest in getting involved through Greening Australia’s landholder portal.

Register your interest

Though the project is specifically designed to benefit the Superb Parrot, it also aims to protect and restore endangered and critically endangered vegetation communities: Inland Grey Box Woodland, White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland.

An example of Inland Grey Box Woodland in New South Wales – a potential home for the Superb Parrot.

This project is informed by extensive work undertaken by Greening Australia in the NSW Riverina from 2018-2021, funded by the NSW Government’s Saving our Species Program, Officeworks and the NSW Environmental Trust.

“We are really indebted to local landholders, volunteers, and our partners at NSW DPE, Coleambally Irrigation, Murrumbidgee Landcare, Crown Lands, Riverina Local Land Services for what we’ve been able to achieve along the Murrumbidgee River,” said Nicki Taws.

“Working together over the past three years, we’ve enhanced or restored over 1,000 hectares of Superb Parrot habitat – as well as protecting remnant Sandhill Pine Woodland in the Riverina. This involved sowing over 100 kilograms of native seed and planting 40,000 seedlings – no small task. Collaborations like these are key to the success of all environmental restoration, and will be for this new project too.”

A Superb Parrot stops for a rest in its grassy woodland habitat in NSW.

Saving our Species is one of the biggest conservation commitments ever undertaken in New South Wales, with $175 million invested through the program over 10 years (2016-2026) to conserve threatened species.

Its co-investment scheme sees partner organisations sourcing financial contributions to match government funding for large-scale conservation projects. This funding model has successfully increased the number of projects that can be delivered across NSW – and therefore the number of native species that can be helped.

For more information or to offer support for this project, please send us an online query.

Superb Parrot Habitat Restoration