For the first time in almost half a century, Critically Endangered Helmeted Honeyeaters have returned to Cardinia in south-east Victoria, where they were once found until the Ash Wednesday bushfires (1983).
On an autumnal May morning, 21 iconic yellow and black birds bred at Healesville Sanctuary fluttered off into their new forest home on Bunurong Country establishing a crucial third wild population in the fight against extinction.
With fewer than 250 Helmeted Honeyeaters remaining in the world, establishing a new population is crucial to ensure the ongoing survival of one of Victoria’s faunal emblems.
By having multiple populations, it lowers the risk of losing an entire species to environmental disasters such as bushfire.
Helmeted Honeyeaters populations can only be found in two other locations – Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area and in Yarra Ranges National Park.
The third population at Cardinia will help grow the population and maintain genetic diversity among the birds. Greater genetic diversity leads to healthier populations, enhancing their survival, breeding success, overall fitness, and ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
Zoos Victoria Helmeted Honeyeater Field Officer Dr Nick Bradsworth said it’s a major milestone for the recovery program to see the highly social, gregarious birds back here on Bunurong Country.
“To see them flying around and squabbling with each other where they would have been doing this over 40 years ago, it feels like the right thing,” Dr Bradsworth said.
“This is just the start. We are just going to keep building from here. Hopefully, we can create even more populations throughout eastern Victoria through their former range, so our bird faunal emblem can thrive for years to come.”
As the honeyeaters establish themselves in a new ‘neighbourhood’ a dedicated team will conduct an intense period of monitoring and supplementary feeding to ensure the species is thriving at this new location.
The Cardinia habitat could support up to 50 birds.
Eight additional Honeyeaters will be released to Yellingbo to further bolster that population.
The Helmeted Honeyeater recovery program is one of Victoria’s threatened species success stories.
In 2013 there were just 60 honeyeaters surviving in the wild.
Now there are more than 200, highlighting that the recovery measures have been effective.
