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Princess Parrot (Polytelis alexandrae)

The Princess Parrot is a slender, nomadic parrot of arid central and western Australia. It uses spinifex shrublands, open desert woodlands and riverine vegetation, with large hollow-bearing trees needed for breeding. Its irregular movements mean that a site can be occupied after long periods without records, so suitable habitat should not be treated as unoccupied during clearing or construction works.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Vulnerable.

Northern Territory, Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The timing below describes a typical pattern, but rainfall can shift breeding and movement substantially. Because birds may be absent for long periods and then appear in large numbers, survey timing should be matched to recent records, rainfall and suitable habitat rather than relying on one visit.

Use recent records, rainfall, food availability and habitat condition to refine timing for a project site. The absence of birds during a survey does not demonstrate absence from suitable habitat.

  • Breeding, courtship and laying: Breeding is generally reported from September to November, with breeding after rainfall potentially occurring at other times.
  • Eggs and dependent young: Incubation is approximately 3 weeks. Young may remain associated with the nest area and parents for an extended period, and the supplied accounts give inconsistent fledging durations, so disturbance controls should continue through the breeding period and after fledging.
  • Rainfall-linked movement and dispersal: Movements are irregular and may follow rainfall and seasonal plant growth. Birds may disperse widely after wet periods and move from drought-affected areas.
  • Flock and site occupancy variability: The species can be absent from localities for long intervals, including up to 20 years in some Northern Territory areas, then occur in small or large flocks.
  • Highest clearing risk: September to December is the highest risk period because breeding, eggs and dependent young may be present. Clearing of hollow-bearing trees and nearby food plants remains a risk outside these months because breeding can follow rainfall and site occupancy is irregular.

Identification

Princess Parrots are distinctive, long-tailed parrots, but they can be difficult to locate because they are nomadic and may remain absent from an area for many years. Early morning searches are most useful because birds are more active and conspicuous then.

The species is a medium-sized, slender parrot with a long, tapering tail. Adults are mainly dull olive-green, paler underneath, with a blue-grey crown, pink chin, throat and foreneck, yellow-green shoulder patches, a bluish back and rump, a pale blue-green upper tail and a red bill.

Length: 40 to 45 cm

Body mass: 90 to 120 g

Identification: Sex and age differences

Males are generally more brightly coloured, with a blue crown, blue-violet underwing and stronger colour on the rump and wings. Females have a greyer or mauve crown, duller green wings and a shorter tail. Young birds are duller than adults, with adult-type colour differences developing at about 8 to 9 months according to the cited account.

Identification: Field detection and signs

There are no similar species identified in the national survey guidelines. The call is described as a distinctive whistle, with a clack-clack and clucking sound also reported. Birds are often seen in pairs or small flocks of 10 to 20, with occasional flocks of 100 or more.

Nests are in tree hollows, usually in large River Red Gums, marble gums or Desert Oaks. Nest hollows have been recorded at about 6 m above ground in large trees. The species feeds on the ground and in flowering shrubs and trees, so feeding birds, chewed seed pods and fallen seed beneath suitable plants may help locate activity, although the supplied documents do not provide a validated sign-survey method.

  • Search suitable habitat during the early morning by sight and call.
  • Inspect large hollow-bearing eucalypts and Desert Oaks for breeding activity, but do not approach or disturb active hollows.
  • Treat recent absence of birds as inconclusive because intervals of up to 20 years between records have been reported at some Northern Territory localities.

Distribution: National range

The Princess Parrot has a scattered and irregular distribution across the arid interior of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia. Records are concentrated in desert regions and the central ranges, but the species can move well beyond areas where it is regularly recorded.

In Western Australia, the range extends from near Coolgardie and the eastern Murchison River north to near the Fitzroy River. In the Northern Territory, it occurs from the southern Tanami Desert south to Angas Downs and Yulara, and east to Howell Ponds and Alice Springs. In South Australia, it occurs from near Oodnadatta and across the arid interior.

Named areas with records or concentrations include the Great Sandy, Gibson, Tanami and Great Victoria Deserts, and the central ranges. The core range is considered to be within the Great Sandy Desert, although movements and survey coverage make the distribution difficult to define.

Distribution: Strongholds and occurrence pattern

The species is not known to be continuously present at particular sites. It may concentrate in core areas during wet years, then disperse more widely after rainfall. In the Northern Territory, records are reported from Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park, while the exact distribution and residency of birds in the Territory remain unclear.

  • Give additional weight to recent records, rainfall conditions, suitable food plants and the presence of hollow-bearing trees when assessing site use.
  • Do not conclude that a site is unoccupied solely because targeted searches have not detected birds.

Distribution: Population and trend

Available estimates are uncertain. The cited assessment estimated approximately 1,200 mature individuals and considered the population stable, but stated that confidence in the estimate was low. Peripheral records in south-western and north-western Western Australia, northern South Australia and the northern Northern Territory were reported to have become less frequent since the 1950s.

Estimated mature individuals: Approximately 1,200

Estimated extent of occurrence: Approximately 1.3 million km²

Estimated area of occupancy: Approximately 470 km²

Trend: Thought to be stable, with low reliability

Habitat: Vegetation communities

Princess Parrots occupy open, arid vegetation where spinifex, shrubs and scattered trees provide food, cover and nesting opportunities. They are most often associated with swales between sand dunes, but may also use dune slopes, dune crests, riverine vegetation and other open woodlands.

Typical habitat is shrubland and savanna woodland in swales between sand dunes. Common vegetation includes Triodia spinifex with Eremophila, Grevillea and Hakea shrubs and scattered emergent trees. Other recorded habitats include open mallee-spinifex, marble gum woodland, Desert Oak woodland, eucalypt stands, savanna woodland, riverine forest and littoral vegetation.

Habitat: Structural features

Suitable sites generally combine open ground for feeding, flowering shrubs and seed-producing plants, and scattered mature trees. Large hollow-bearing trees are particularly important where breeding occurs. Dense foliage in Desert Oaks and eucalypts can provide daytime loafing and refuge sites.

  • Map mature River Red Gums, marble gums and Desert Oaks before clearing.
  • Retain hollow-bearing trees and the surrounding native shrubs and spinifex wherever practicable.
  • Assess adjacent swales, dune margins and riverine vegetation as habitat even when no birds are detected during the initial inspection.

Habitat: Climate and elevation

The species is associated with the arid regions of central and western Australia. The supplied documents do not provide a defined elevation limit. Occurrence can change with rainfall, drought and seasonal plant growth.

Foraging habitat: Food plants and feeding sites

Princess Parrots are herbivores that feed both on the ground and in flowering shrubs and trees. Food availability is likely to influence their movements, particularly after rainfall and during flowering or seed production.

The diet includes grass seeds, Acacia seed pods, other seeds, flowers, nectar and leaves. Acacia fruit and blossoms are identified as preferred foods in the cited general account. Birds feed on the ground and in flowering shrubs and trees, including vegetation in dune swales and open woodland.

  • Inspect ground beneath Acacia, spinifex and other seed-producing plants for recent feeding activity.
  • Check flowering shrubs and trees, especially where food plants occur near scattered mature trees or watercourses.
  • Include flowering and seed-producing vegetation in the site habitat assessment, not only trees with hollows.

Foraging habitat: Movement in response to food

The species is nomadic or irruptive, and may move in response to seasonal plant growth and rainfall. Birds may breed in core areas during wet years, then disperse more widely after rainfall. A fixed local foraging range has not been established for the species.

Known home range: Not established in the supplied documents

Foraging pattern: Ground feeding and feeding in flowering shrubs and trees

Movement trigger: Rainfall and seasonal plant growth are suspected to influence movements

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding depends on large trees with suitable hollows, including trees that may be isolated within otherwise open desert vegetation. Breeding can be concentrated in short-lived aggregations after rainfall, so breeding habitat can be important even where records are intermittent.

Princess Parrots nest in hollows in River Red Gums, marble gums and Desert Oaks. A central Australian study found nesting only in marble gum hollows during the study breeding event. Pairs may nest alone or in small colonies of up to 10 pairs. Adults have been observed to fledge one or two young, and up to five in some cases.

Typical breeding season: September to November; breeding may occur at other times after rain

Clutch size: Usually 3 to 6 eggs, commonly reported as 4 to 6

Incubation: Approximately 3 weeks

Fledging or young-rearing period: The supplied accounts report approximately 2 to 3 months in one section, but also report 2 to 3 weeks elsewhere; treat nests and dependent young as sensitive throughout the breeding period

Age at first breeding: Approximately 2 years in the generation-length estimate

Generation length: 7.7 years

Captive longevity information: Maximum recorded longevity of 13.4 years in the cited generation estimate, with a captive record extending to 24 years

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat requirements

Breeding trees are generally large and hollow-bearing. Recorded nest trees include River Red Gum beside watercourses, marble gum and Desert Oak away from water. Nest hollows have been recorded at approximately 6 m above ground.

  • Inspect large eucalypts and Desert Oaks for hollows before clearing, trenching, access construction or tree pruning.
  • Protect active nest trees and avoid disturbance around breeding aggregations during the breeding and dependent-young period.
  • Retain surrounding food plants and sheltered trees because breeding sites occur within open desert vegetation rather than in isolated nest trees alone.

Sheltering habitat: Resting and refuge sites

The species uses trees and open vegetation for resting, refuge and movement through arid country. Details of roost dimensions and daily refuge requirements are limited, so mature trees and connected native vegetation should be retained where they occur with suitable feeding habitat.

Princess Parrots are reported to loaf in large, densely foliaged trees, especially Desert Oaks and eucalypts on dune slopes and in swales. They may also perch in trees when flushed from the ground. Small flocks commonly use the same general habitat, with larger flocks occasionally encountered.

  • Retain large trees with dense foliage in and beside swales, dune margins and open woodland.
  • Avoid flushing birds repeatedly from resting trees during hot parts of the day.
  • Keep native shrubs and spinifex around retained trees where they provide cover and feeding opportunities.

Sheltering habitat: Hollows and roost structures

Tree hollows are used for nesting in River Red Gums, marble gums and Desert Oaks. The supplied documents do not specify hollow entrance dimensions, cavity depth, roost height beyond an approximately 6 m nest record, or a separate winter roost type.

  • Record hollow-bearing trees, hollow entrances and evidence of current use before works begin.
  • Do not remove dead or partly dead trees solely because they have low canopy cover, as they may retain usable hollows.
  • Where works are unavoidable near hollow-bearing trees, use a qualified fauna ecologist to assess disturbance and retention options.

Threats: Clearing and habitat degradation

Threat information is incomplete because the species is difficult to survey and its movements are irregular. The main documented risks relevant to projects are loss or degradation of food plants and hollow-bearing trees, altered fire, grazing and introduced predators, with artificial water potentially changing competition and habitat use.

Clearing can remove large hollow-bearing trees, seed-producing shrubs, spinifex and riverine vegetation used for feeding, nesting and shelter. Habitat degradation associated with altered fire, sheep, rabbits, camels and other introduced herbivores may reduce food availability and change the structure of arid vegetation.

  • Avoid clearing mature eucalypts, marble gums and Desert Oaks, especially where they contain hollows.
  • Minimise removal of Acacia, flowering shrubs, spinifex and other native food plants.
  • Keep stock, construction compounds and vehicle movements from degrading retained habitat.

Threats: Fire and weeds

More intense fire, altered fire frequency and changed fuel loads may kill hollow-bearing trees and reduce food availability. Buffel Grass can increase the spread and intensity of fire and contribute to habitat loss. Fire operations can also physically damage habitat and birds.

  • Plan fire prevention and vegetation management to avoid high-intensity fire around hollow-bearing trees and breeding areas.
  • Control Buffel Grass where it threatens stands of old hollow-bearing trees.
  • Prevent construction activities from creating new ignition sources or spreading weed seed.

Threats: Predators, capture and disease

Feral cats are identified as a threat, particularly around breeding aggregations. The Northern Territory profile also reports possible nest raiding for eggs and fledglings. Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease has been recorded in the species, but its effect on population size is unknown.

  • Do not attract feral cats or other predators to work areas through food waste, water or unsecured materials.
  • Report suspected nest raiding, injured birds and signs of disease through the relevant wildlife authority.
  • Avoid handling birds unless authorised and necessary for approved fauna management.

Threats: Water, competition and other project pressures

Artificial watering points may allow more water-dependent parrots to expand into arid areas and compete with Princess Parrots, although this proposed effect has not been demonstrated. The supplied documents do not identify roads as a specific threat, but road construction can still remove or fragment suitable vegetation and increase disturbance at retained habitat.

  • Do not install new permanent water points near suitable habitat without assessing effects on grazing, competing parrots and food plants.
  • Manage temporary water, waste and vehicle access so they do not degrade retained habitat or attract predators and introduced herbivores.
  • Assess indirect effects of access tracks, powerlines, camps and construction traffic where they remove or divide suitable habitat.

Survey methodology: 1. Early morning area searches and transects

Princess Parrots are nomadic and irruptive. They may be absent for long periods, then occur in groups or breeding aggregations after rain. A single negative survey does not demonstrate absence, particularly in suitable arid habitat.

Search suitable habitat in the early morning, when birds are active and conspicuous. Use observers who can identify the species by sight and call.

Target swales between sand dunes, open mallee and spinifex, desert oak woodland, marble gum woodland, riverine vegetation and flowering shrubs with scattered trees.

Survey on foot along transects or by area search across all suitable habitat within and adjacent to the disturbance footprint. Record all sightings, calls, flock size, behaviour, feeding areas, roost trees and potential breeding trees.

Recommended timing: Early morning

Recommended effort: 20 hours over 10 days

Target habitat area: Areas smaller than 50 hectares

  • Complete 20 hours of area searches or transect surveys over 10 days in areas smaller than 50 hectares.
  • Space survey days to cover different weather and activity conditions where practicable, and document rainfall and recent flowering or seed availability.
  • Do not rely on heat of the day for detection, because resting birds can be quiet and difficult to locate.

Survey methodology: 2. Targeted searches at waterholes

Search waterholes in suitable habitat during the late dry season, when birds may concentrate around available water.

Watch waterholes for birds arriving, drinking, bathing or departing, and inspect nearby trees and shrubs for feeding, roosting and nesting activity.

Record the waterhole location, water availability, observation time, flock size and direction of travel.

Recommended timing: Late dry season

Recommended effort: 20 hours over 10 days

  • Complete 20 hours of targeted searches over 10 days where suitable waterholes occur.
  • Continue observations during suitable morning activity periods and record any use of artificial or natural water points.
  • Treat waterhole observations as evidence of local use even if no birds are detected elsewhere on the site.

Survey methodology: 3. Breeding and habitat feature checks

Inspect large hollow-bearing trees in and near the disturbance area, particularly River Red Gums, marble gums and desert oaks.

Look for hollows approximately 6 metres above ground, birds entering or leaving hollows, nest material, feeding adults, fledglings and groups gathering around trees.

Survey during September to November, while recognising that breeding may occur at other times following rain.

Typical breeding period: September to November

Breeding after rainfall: Breeding may occur at other times following rain

Recorded nest height: Approximately 6 metres

Typical clutch size: 3 to 6 eggs

  • Map each potential nest tree and record tree species, location, hollow position, approximate height, entrance condition and signs of current use.
  • Extend searches beyond the clearing boundary to identify retained trees, feeding areas and movement routes that may be used by birds displaced by the works.
  • Treat a suspected breeding aggregation as a high-priority fauna management area and obtain advice from the project ecologist before disturbance.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use the 20 hour over 10 day effort for area searches or transects and, where suitable waterholes are present, the 20 hour over 10 day targeted waterhole effort as the project baseline.
  • Record survey dates, start and finish times, observers, methods, weather, rainfall history, habitat condition, fire history, water availability, effort, detections and limitations.
  • Report a claimed absence only with a documented, evidence-based survey assessment, because the species is difficult to detect and may be absent for long intervals.
  • Submit verified records, including nil records where required, to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and provide records to the project ecologist and approval authority.
  • Retain photographs, GPS locations, call recordings, field sheets and shapefiles with the project environmental records.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise impacts

Plan the work around the species' irregular movements, breeding habitat and dependence on large hollow-bearing trees. Avoid removing habitat that may be used only intermittently.

  • Avoid clearing large River Red Gums, marble gums, desert oaks and other hollow-bearing trees wherever practicable.
  • Retain swales between dunes, spinifex, flowering shrubs, scattered trees, riverine vegetation and known feeding or roosting areas within the project area.
  • Retain connected habitat between breeding trees, water sources, feeding areas and nearby refuge vegetation, rather than isolating individual trees.
  • Avoid works around a confirmed or suspected breeding aggregation until the project ecologist has assessed the site and the required approvals and controls are in place.
  • Control the spread of Buffel Grass and other weeds that can increase fire intensity or reduce habitat quality.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

EPBC status: Vulnerable

Known state listings in the supplied material: Northern Territory, Vulnerable; South Australia, Vulnerable

Usual breeding period: September to November

  • Check whether the proposed action is likely to have a significant impact on the EPBC listed species and refer it under the EPBC Act where required.
  • Check the applicable state or territory threatened species listing, clearing controls, wildlife permits and fauna handling requirements before works begin.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that defines survey results, no-go areas, habitat retention, clearing stages, fauna handling, injured animal response, stop-work triggers and reporting responsibilities.
  • Schedule clearing outside September to November where practicable, and reassess the site after substantial rainfall because breeding may occur outside the usual period.
  • Stage clearing so that retained habitat, water sources and escape routes remain available while each work area is opened.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

  • Complete the approved pre-clearance survey before vegetation removal and repeat the inspection if works are delayed, rainfall triggers breeding activity or the work footprint changes.
  • Mark all retained hollow-bearing trees, potential nest trees, feeding areas, water points and no-go habitat on plans and on the ground.
  • Install exclusion fencing around retained habitat where it can prevent machinery entry and protect trees, shrubs, hollows, nests and water sources.
  • Brief all machine operators and spotter catchers on the species' appearance, call, habitat, likely movement routes, stop-work triggers and incident reporting process.
  • Confirm that an appropriately authorised person is available to direct clearing and manage any fauna encounter.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

Use a slow, supervised clearing process. The fauna spotter catcher should have authority to pause machinery whenever a bird, nest, hollow or other retained habitat feature is at risk.

  • Inspect the work area each day before machinery enters, including retained trees, hollow-bearing trees, shrubs, water points and any known roost or feeding locations.
  • Keep the fauna spotter catcher in direct communication with the machine operator and stop machinery when the spotter catcher gives the agreed stop signal.
  • Clear in stages towards retained habitat so mobile fauna can move into suitable areas, while avoiding driving animals towards roads, active machinery or isolated habitat.
  • Keep exclusion fencing, no-go markers and access controls in place and repair any damage before work continues.
  • Do not burn, mulch or stockpile cleared material near retained habitat until the fauna inspection is complete.

During habitat disturbance: Hollows, trees and other habitat features

  • Do not fell a hollow-bearing tree until the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist have inspected it for birds, nests, eggs, chicks and roosting animals.
  • Retain hollow-bearing trees in place wherever practicable, because nests have been recorded in River Red Gums, marble gums and desert oaks.
  • If an approved removal is unavoidable, use the project fauna management plan for staged removal, hollow inspection, nest checks and any approved nest box or habitat replacement measures.
  • Inspect felled trees, branches and mulch piles for injured or concealed fauna before they are moved, chipped or burned.
  • Protect logs, fallen timber, rocks, burrows, dense shrubs and water points that are identified in the fauna management plan, even though the supplied species records focus mainly on trees, shrubs and hollows.

During habitat disturbance: Fauna encounters and stop-work response

  • Stop work immediately if a Princess Parrot is found in the clearing, enters an active work area, is using a hollow-bearing tree or is associated with a suspected nest or breeding aggregation.
  • Allow the bird to leave without pursuit where it can move safely into retained habitat, and do not use inexperienced personnel to catch it.
  • Only an appropriately authorised fauna handler should capture, handle or relocate a bird, and handling should be limited to what is needed for immediate safety, assessment and approved relocation.
  • Relocate a captured, uninjured bird only to nearby retained habitat identified in the fauna management plan and only under the applicable permit or approval.
  • Take an injured bird promptly to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer, keep it quiet and minimise handling during transport.
  • Do not resume work until the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist have checked the area, documented the event and confirmed the control measures.

During habitat disturbance: Records and incident reporting

  • Record every sighting, capture, injury, nest, hollow inspection, relocation, mortality, stop-work event and unauthorised impact with date, time, GPS location, observer and action taken.
  • Record flock size, age class where known, behaviour, direction of movement, habitat used and whether the observation followed rainfall or occurred near water.
  • Notify the project environmental officer and approval authority of any mortality, nest disturbance, breeding aggregation or failure of a required control.
  • Submit verified records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and retain the data with the project compliance records.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance inspection

Check that clearing did not injure birds or damage retained breeding habitat. Keep controls active while disturbed areas remain accessible to machinery and during follow-up works.

  • Inspect the cleared area, retained trees, felled vegetation, stockpiles and access tracks for injured, trapped or dead birds before demobilisation each day.
  • Reinspect hollow-bearing trees and nearby retained habitat for displaced birds, nest activity and damage from machinery or fire operations.
  • Confirm that exclusion fencing, no-go markers and retained habitat protection measures remain intact after construction and maintenance activities.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

  • Monitor retained habitat, known water points and nearby breeding or feeding areas during the project period, particularly after rainfall and during September to November.
  • Compare post-works records with pre-clearance records, including sightings, flock size, habitat use, water availability, hollow condition and evidence of breeding.
  • Document all exceedances, mortalities, habitat loss and corrective actions in the project environmental report.
  • Continue any approval condition monitoring and submit required records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database.
  • Review whether clearing increased weed cover, grazing pressure, fire risk or access by feral predators, and refer required controls to the land manager.

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and ongoing controls

  • Apply any EPBC or state offset requirement specified by the approval, using the approved calculation, location and management arrangements.
  • Maintain retained habitat, water source protections and weed, grazing, predator and fire controls for the period required by the approval or fauna management plan.
  • Do not remove temporary exclusion fencing or habitat protection markers until the responsible environmental officer confirms that construction risks have ended.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure and food resources

Rehabilitation should restore the arid habitat features used for feeding, roosting and breeding. Recovery work should be linked to monitoring because the species can be absent for many years between records.

  • Re-establish native shrubland and open woodland in swales and other suitable arid habitat, using locally appropriate native species from the affected vegetation community.
  • Include native spinifex, Grevillea, Hakea, Eremophila, Acacia, marble gum, River Red Gum and desert oak where those species are appropriate to the site and seed or plant material is available.
  • Restore flowering and seed-producing shrubs and trees because the species feeds on grass seeds, Acacia seed pods, nectar, flowers and leaves.
  • Reinstate natural drainage and protect watercourses, riverine vegetation and suitable water points from erosion, stock access and unnecessary disturbance.
  • Remove Buffel Grass and other invasive plants from rehabilitation areas before they increase fuel loads and fire intensity.

Rehabilitation actions: Replace breeding and refuge features

Priority nest box location: In or near breeding aggregations

Recorded breeding trees: River Red Gum, marble gum and desert oak

Recorded nest height: Approximately 6 metres

  • Retain existing large hollow-bearing trees as the first option for breeding habitat.
  • Where an approved action removes a suitable hollow-bearing tree, install nest boxes only where the project ecologist and relevant authority consider them appropriate, and place them in or near a known or potential breeding area.
  • Use the approved nest box design, placement, inspection and maintenance schedule, because the supplied documents identify nest boxes as a trial priority rather than providing a standard design.
  • Retain or reinstate fallen timber, dense shrubs and other refuge features identified during the pre-clearance survey.
  • Protect regenerated trees so they can develop future hollows, recognising that nest hollows have been recorded in large trees.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire, grazing and predator management

  • Use a fire regime that maintains habitat, avoids loss of hollow-bearing trees and retains food resources.
  • Manage fire at the scale needed to avoid large, intense fires and to prevent Buffel Grass from increasing fire spread and intensity.
  • Manage sheep, cattle, camels, rabbits and other introduced herbivores so grazing does not degrade recovering food plants or habitat.
  • Control feral cats, with particular attention to known or restored breeding aggregations.
  • Monitor the effects of artificial watering points and increased water-dependent parrot use where these changes may increase competition or grazing pressure.

Rehabilitation actions: Rehabilitation monitoring and success measures

  • Inspect rehabilitation areas for plant survival, native shrub and spinifex recovery, weed cover, grazing damage, fire damage and the condition of retained or installed hollows.
  • Monitor restored sites during early morning surveys and at suitable waterholes using the species' recommended 20 hours over 10 days where the site and project requirements warrant targeted survey effort.
  • Record Princess Parrot sightings, calls, flock size, feeding, roosting, nesting and use of nest boxes or restored trees, without treating non-detection as proof of absence.
  • Set project-specific completion criteria for vegetation establishment, weed control, fire protection, nest box condition and habitat connectivity before works commence.
  • Review the rehabilitation plan if monitoring identifies increased fire risk, loss of food plants, feral cat activity, grazing damage or competition associated with artificial water.

Sources