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Yellingbo, Woori Yallock Creek sub-catchment, Australia
Have you ever wanted to contribute to conservation of a threatened species? The Helmeted Honeyeater is Victoria's state emblem and is listed as: 1. Critically endangered (DSE Advisory List Of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna In Victoria - 2007) 2. Threatened (Victorian Govt. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988) 3. Critically endangered (Federal Govt. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) Can people make a difference to this bird's long-term survival? We believe anyone can. Check out the 'Take action' button on our homepage (www.helmetedhoneyeater.org.au), then contact us for more details.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

The records keep coming

Another bumper breeding season - new record for Helmeted Honeyeaters...

... and the season is not over yet!


In March 2015 we celebrated a record total number of Helmeted Honeyeaters at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve. The end of the breeding season saw 130 individuals recorded, including 46 fledglings, another record.

In September 2015, 18 captive bred birds were released into Yellingbo, taking this number to a potential 148. We hadn't accounted for all 148, and suspected some didn't make it through the harsh winter, but the population was still doing really, really well.  

BUT, now we are excited.

The 2015-16 breeding season is now heading into it's last month/s. Early signs were that it may be a shorter breeding season than last year due to the drier and warmer year.

At last count however, there were:
  • more breeding pairs than ever before (31)
  • more fledglings than ever before (55 so far - a lot of banding to do!)
  • a larger total population than ever before (up to 182 individual birds).
Stay tuned for the end of season report.

Would you like to be part of the volunteer team that is making a difference to the survival of the Helmeted Honeyeater? Contact us for further details.

Monday, December 7, 2015

Breaking records - again!

In March this year we told you about the record breaking news - more birds than ever before, more breeding pairs than ever before...

Well....

In the 2013-14 breeding season (Aug'13-Feb'14), 36 Helmeted Honeyeater young were raised at Yellingbo. A bumper year!

In the 2014-15 breeding season (Aug'14-Feb'15):
  • in excess of 130 individual birds - a record number of birds since the start of the recovery program in 1989
  • 23 breeding territories - a record number
  • 46 fledglings - beating the 1995-96 record
  • 1 female had triplets for the 2nd year running (plus two additional clutches of 2 offspring each).
THIS BREEDING SEASON so far:
  • more birds than ever before are being observed
  • more breeding pairs and territories than ever before
  • more fledglings than ever before 
  • another female has just had triplets!
  • ... and the season still has a couple of months to go!
How good is that?

Would you like to be part of the volunteer team that monitors the Helmeted Honeyeater populations at Yellingbo? Contact us for further details.