A magnificent Grevillea in flower - sweet nectar for the Regent Honey Eater ( a critically endangered bird endemic to South Eastern Australia.)
I spent the best part of an hour watching and listening to these beautiful birds - it was wonderful to see them flying around and feeding from the flowers.
In the mid-1990s, as part of the National Recovery Program, Regent Honeyeater chicks were collected from the woodlands of Chiltern, Victoria and the Capertee Valley, New South Wales.
Our captive breeding program has produced a number of healthy generations. Individuals from the group can be seen in our “Wollemi” walk through exhibit and more than 50 have been released to the Ironbark woodlands of Chiltern, Victoria. It is this group of released birds that we hope will mix with wild individuals to help establish healthy wild populations.
The Taronga Zoo Education Team is undertaking a project to conserve the endangered Regent Honeyeater (Xanthomyza Phrygia). This species is under threat from habitat degradation and fragmentation due to extensive clearing for agriculture and numbers are estimated to be as low as 1,500 adults. This project aims to engage students from three schools in the Capertee Valley area in conservation efforts and to restore habitats for the native and reintroduced honeyeaters.
Beautiful bird, flower and bokeh. What more can one want? Hope you're keeping ok. Sorry I've not been around much. Life is getting in the way of 365 at the moment. Fav
You must have gasped when you saw how good this photo was? Or perhaps you always do this? Nice to hear about it - would be great to listen to all the birds too!
@maggiemae thank you so much - I was very pleased when I saw it - the flit around so quite a few shots end in the trash in the hope off getting a good one
@shepherdmanswife oh indeed I do - that is why I spend so much time at zoos and animal parks - my two favourite spots at taronga are where this was taken and in the rainforest aviary - the birds in there are glorious
thank you for your visits and lovely comments
thank you so much - I was thrilled to capture this