Saving the Norfolk Island Green Parrot

Summary

Summary
The Norfolk Island Green Parrot (Cyanoramphus cookii) is one of Australia’s rarest birds and is on the brink of functional extinction. Once widespread, it now survives in very low numbers, largely confined to Norfolk Island National Park. Listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act, it also ranks as Critically Endangered in the Action Plan for Australian Birds. Declines are driven by predation from rats and cats, competition with introduced Crimson Rosellas, shortage of nesting hollows, and in breeding depression.

This project delivers urgent, on-ground conservation actions alongside long-term strategies to secure the species. Emergency actions include rat and cat control, reducing competition from rosellas, providing safe nesting sites, and genetic and population monitoring. Long-term planning includes feasibility studies for establishing an insurance population through translocation, and extensive community and citizen science engagement to ensure enduring support.

Project Strategy

• Threat mitigation: Cat desexing and microchipping program, Felixer cat trap trials, Goodnature rodent traps at nest sites, and Crimson Rosella management.

• Nest site management: Repair of existing nest hollows, installation of new predator-proofed hollows, and testing of innovative “Hollow Hog” cavity creation.

• Research & monitoring: Population monitoring via surveys and genetic sampling to assess diversity, viability, and sex ratio.

• Translocation feasibility: Assess Phillip and Lord Howe Islands for establishment of an insurance population.

• Community engagement & citizen science: Recruit and train volunteers for nest searches, bird identification, and surveys; roll out public engagement programs to build community support.

Key Achievements

• Deployment of citizen science bird monitoring program, with local residents trained in bird surveys.

• Island-wide survey for natural hollows undertaken to inform breeding site protection.

• The first island-wide population censes complete 

• Recovery team being developed 

Partners

• Threatened Species Conservancy (TSC) – project lead, community engagement, citizen science, species experts.

• Parks Australia – Norfolk Island National Park (NINP) – on-ground management, monitoring, predator control.

• Australian National University (ANU) Difficult Bird Research Group – genetics, population dynamics, ecological research.

• Norfolk Island Flora and Fauna Society – community engagement, cat desexing program.

Conservation Status

• Norfolk Island Green Parrot (Cyanoramphus cookii): Endangered (EPBC Act) 

Costs (Funds Spent & Still Required)

• Stage 1 – Emergency Actions (underway): Nest site surveys, initial population monitoring.

• Stage 2 – Long-term Actions (future funding required): Expanded predator and competitor management, full citizen science program, translocation and captive breeding feasibility and implementation, ongoing population genetics and monitoring.