Too rare to capture - even in a photograph

The Coxen's Double-eyed Fig-parrot Cyclopsitta diopthalma coxeni, Australia's smallest and most endangered bird. It is so rare that it has never been photographed.

Now a carefully planned tree planting project, funded by the Foundatiopn for National Parks & Wildlife might help this bird get back on its twig.

Few people have ever been so lucky to see one of these tiny parrots in the lush canopy of the coastal rainforest of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.

Its plumage makes it look similar to some species of lorikeet, and the only distinguishing features are an extremely short tail, over large head and overall green, dumpy appearance. Those who claim to have ever seen or heard it discribe its call is a high pitched ‘zeet-zeet’.

With so much elusive behaviour, sightings appear more anecdotal than those of the the Tasmanian Tiger and are often met with similar suspicion.

Little is known about the life of the Coxen's Double-eyed Fig-parrot. The tiny birds are thought to be seasonal migrants. They spend summer at higher altitudes and return to their coastal rainforest habitat in autumn and winter to feed on native figs.

Reliant on fig trees for food, the Coxen’s Double-eyed Fig-parrot declined in numbers because of widespread clearing of its habitat - a fate it shares with many other native Australian species.

"These birds are hardly ever seen, and we cannot be certain that there are actually enough of them left in the wild to save the species. But until we know for sure we most not give up on the Coxen's Fig Parrot. Anything we do to restore the parrots' natural habitat will also benefit many other species in the same situation", said Leonie Gale, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.

The Foundation is funding a major habitat restoration program to tackle this threat to the Fig-parrot and other wildlife.

With support from donors across Australia, contractor EnviTE NSW will plant 2000 fig trees for the parrots across northern New South Wales.

"We are doing this in an attempt to expand the parrots' habitat and to promote the plight of these rare birds", said Julie Reid, Senior Project Officer at EnviTE.

Local Aboriginal people have lent their knowledge to collect seeds from the right native trees, ensuring that a diverse healthy rainforest will grow from them.

The seedlings from native figs and many of the local lilly pillies are now growing in greenhouses. Soon they will be ready for planting at sites on private and indigineous land, close to where the parrots have been recorded.

"We are working closely with the local people and hope that the community will support, become actively involved in and promote the recovery of the parrot. Ideally we want people to develop independent skills to locate and reliably identify and report sightings" said Julie.

In years to come, when the seedlings have become trees, this planting project will increase and connect the habitat for the parrot, providing food and shelter for the birds and many other rainforest species.

The Coxen's Fig Parrot habitat project is a partnership between Environmental Training and Employment (EnviTE NSW) and the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.

You can help too - plant a fig tree for the parrots.

Simply call us on 02 9221 1949 or make a $25 online donation, and we will grow and plant a rainforest fig tree for the parrots on your behalf.

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