Taronga Western Plains Zoo is home to a number of conservation breeding programs for Australian species including the greater bilby, plains-wanderer, Tasmanian devil and the regent honeyeater.
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These programs all operate behind the scenes at the zoo and have all achieved great breeding success over the past couple of years.
The regent honeyeater is one such program that has been very successful to date.
Commencing in late 2019, this program started with just six pairs of breeding birds and in their first breeding season, achieved amazing results with each pair producing two or three clutches of chicks.
Conservation breeding programs like the regent honeyeater program at Taronga Western Plains Zoo are vital to the long-term survival of the species.
Keepers welcomed over 30 chicks which saw a 100 per cent success rate with all six pairs producing offspring.
Conservation breeding programs like the regent honeyeater program at Taronga Western Plains Zoo are vital to the long-term survival of the species.
These insurance populations in zoo-based environments bolster overall numbers for the species and also support the reintroductions of regent honeyeaters back into the wild, when conditions are favourable.
The regent honeyeater is a critically endangered species, with an estimated 350 birds remaining in the wild today.
Regent honeyeaters are medium-sized black and yellow birds feeding on nectar, obtained mainly from eucalypts and mistletoe.
Once widespread across Australia, they now only exist in small numbers across limited sites from north-eastern Victoria to south-eastern Queensland.
The Central West is one of the remaining areas in New South Wales were regent honeyeaters have been observed.
Seeing a regent honeyeater in the wild can be a rare moment and it is important to report it if you see one.
So if you do see one in the wild, record as much detail as you can about the bird and its location and try and take photos as well.
Then call BirdLife Australia on 1800 621 056 to report the sighting.
These sightings provide valuable information about the remaining wild populations.