Bird lovers and forest protectors have spoken: the Swift Parrot is the Australian Bird of the Year.
Swifties breed in eastern Tasmania and then fly to the mainland. One place where their population is growing is in the Leard state forest near Boggabri, NSW. But much of the forest has already been destroyed by open cut coal mining, and there are plans in play to clear more native forest to extend the mine.
The federal government can act now to protect habitat and save the fastest parrot on earth from extinction. Birdlife Australia has an open letter to the Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, asking her to act swiftly.
PS – This video in The Guardian, narrated by Tayla Swift the parrot advocate, may have helped the Swift Parrot to win.