New hope for Helmeted Honeyeater
Unit 3: Biodiversity Tagged biodiversity, birds, captive breeding, critically endangered, honeyeater 1 Comment »
The Helmeted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops subspecies cassidix) is Victoria’s bird emblem and a critically endangered species. At it’s worst, the population dipped to fewer than 60, and yesterday 13 captive-bred fledgling birds were released into the Bunyip State Park. The birds were reared through a breeding program at Healesville Sanctuary and Sydney’s Taronga Conservation Society, Australia to prevent extinction.
Dozens of the young honeyeaters were rushed to Melbourne Zoo during February, when Healesville was under threat from the Victorian bushfires. The Black Saturday blaze in the Bunyip State Park also burned within about 200 metres of the local honeyeater colony at their most vulnerable time, during the breeding season.
More information about the conservation program from Melbourne Zoo; Australian Government National Recovery Program; species profile and threats and general information about the biology, habitat and behaviour.
