Crowdfunding bid to save endangered parrot

CANBERRA — As part of a new effort to help save the critically-endangered swift parrot from extinction on the island state of Tasmania, Australian researchers have turned to crowdfunding to help bankroll a new and potentially lifesaving piece of technology.

Scientists from the Australian National University and the National Environmental Science Program on Wednesday revealed that they were seeking donations from the public to help save the swift parrot, which is currently at risk of extinction due to predatory sugar gliders — a species of gliding possum introduced to Tasmania early last century.

In a media release, ANU conservation scientist Doctor Dejan Stojanovic said the number of swift parrots in Tasmania had been consistently declining as a result of being massacred by sugar gliders, which eat the small birds as well as eggs and chicks at night when the parrots sleep.

He said as it was hard to get conservation funding, the researchers were turning to crowdfunding to help bankroll a device which helps protect the parrots in their manmade nesting boxes — also funded by the public last year.

“If we don’t intervene immediately, this year could be a huge blow to the conservation of this species,” Stojanovic said.

“We have developed a sugar glider excluding device that locks the front door of nest boxes at night, when parrots are at risk, but opens during daylight to let parrots move freely.”

Stojanovic said due to the generosity of Australians last year, the conservationists had been able to install hundreds of nesting boxes on Bruny Island on Tasmania, but the next step would involve installing the antipossum technology.

“With the support of more than 1,000 people through crowd funding, and by working with arborists and volunteers, last year we installed hundreds of nest-boxes on Bruny Island,” he said.

“Unless we can install enough possum excluders this year, those big gains will be lost and we could have less swift parrots than ever before by the New Year.”