08-05-2025
Victorian helmeted honeyeaters returned to the wild in historic release
More than 20 iconic yellow and black helmeted honeyeaters have fluttered off into their new forest home on Bunurong Country in eastern Victoria.
The birds were bred at Healesville Sanctuary near Melbourne as part of a conservation program establishing a crucial wild population in the fight against extinction.
Zoos Victoria helmeted honeyeater field officer Nick Bradsworth said the release in Gippsland this month was a bittersweet time for those involved in the program.
"It is an emotional moment for the recovery team, and so many of our partners, to have had helmeted honeyeaters return to this area after an absence of over 40 years," Dr Bradsworth said.
Scientists are hopeful the continued introduction of new colonies of the birds will help re-establish their numbers and ensure their survival.
Honeyeaters are unique to Australasia, with around 170 species recorded.
The helmeted honeyeater is known for its striking black and yellow plumage, and a bright yellow crest or "helmet", which distinguishes the bird from other honeyeaters.
Dr Bradsworth said the helmeted honeyeater was chosen in 1971 as Victoria's bird emblem partly because it was only found east of Melbourne.
"Its historic distribution used to be from the Yarra Valley down to the Westerport Bay and through the hills of the Koo Wee Rup swamps," he said.
Zoos Victoria estimated there were only 200 helmeted honeyeaters in the wild.
The birds are listed as threatened under Victorian legislation and endangered under Commonwealth legislation.
The species has not been seen in the Cardinia area since the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983.
The team at Healesville Sanctuary has been part of a national recovery plan for the species, with a focus on population management and the establishment of new colonies in the wild.
Healesville Sanctuary's helmeted honeyeater breeding program lead, Kim Miller, said the team was hopeful the new population of birds at Cardinia would help improve the genetic diversity of the species.
Dr Bradsworth said Zoos Victoria had been working closely with other local organisations to rehabilitate the habitat ahead of the birds' release.
"They are listed as critically endangered still, but we're actively working to help reverse their decline, and so one of those factors is through re-introductions into the wild, mainly with captive-bred birds," he said.
As the honeyeaters establish themselves, a dedicated team will monitor and provide supplementary food to ensure the species thrives in its new location.
Scientists from Healesville have managed to attach tiny VHF radio transmitters to the birds' tails, allowing them to track the birds, although Dr Bradsworth has managed to come up with his own way of identifying the colony.
"All of the birds have unique colour combinations on their legs, so I can actually identify which individuals are which … who they pair off with, and where they go," he said.
All involved hope the release is the beginning of re-establishing the iconic species.
"We do hope to increase the number of sites in years to come, bolster numbers with captive-born birds and hope that they thrive into the future."
