SPECIES: Lathamus discolor — Swift Parrot
CLASSIFICATION: Critically endangered
Fancy your life and behaviour revolving around your food source! The Swift Parrot is one such example. It's behaviour is quite predictable, migrating from mainland Australia across to Tasmania at around the same time each year, where it remains for most of the breeding season. For much of this time, its food is the nectar of a gum endemic to Tasmania, the Tasmanian Blue Gum, the Swift Parrot just can't get enough of it. Unfortunately for the Swift Parrot, it's biggest threats are predation (a favourite food source of Sugar Gliders) and loss of habitat. Current estimates are 1000 pairs or less left in the wild, with a recent study completed by ANU suggesting this species could very well be extinct by 2031. That's not good.