Premier

Threatened Regent Honeyeaters Take Flight At Chiltern

11 April 2017

Around 100 captive bred Regent Honeyeaters will be released into Victoria’s north-east this week as part of the Andrews Labor Government’s plan to stop the decline of the state’s unique biodiversity.

Community-based monitoring of previous releases has confirmed relatively high post-release survival and provided a unique opportunity for volunteers to actively participate in a threatened species recovery program.

The release will occur on Wednesday and Sunday this week in the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, which is considered Victoria’s key habitat location for the species.

The Regent Honeyeater is listed as 'Threatened' under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act and is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ under the Commonwealth Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

The 2017 Regent Honeyeater Captive Release and Community Monitoring Project is partly funded by the Labor Government’s $2 million Icon Threatened Species Program, and is supported by the Labor Government’s biodiversity plan Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037.

The plan was released last week and encourages Victorians to better value, protect and connect with their natural environment.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio

“Regent Honeyeaters are a striking bird species and with less than 400 remaining in the wild and as few as 50 individual birds in Victoria, we’re playing our part in this vital recovery program.”

“Projects like these showcase Victoria as a national leader in biodiversity protection and management.”

Quote attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes

“Saving the Regent Honeyeater is a big challenge that takes collaboration and innovation from a wide range of partners and the community.”

Quote attributable to Dean Ingwersen, BirdLife Australia’s National Regent Honeyeater Recovery
Co-ordinator

“The success of the 150-person strong volunteer monitoring program in Victoria has documented terrific results, including successful breeding of captive-bred Regent Honeyeaters in the wild.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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