Victorian helmeted honeyeaters returned to the wild in historic releaseBy Danielle PopeABC GippslandTopic:Birds1h ago1 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 9:09pmThe helmeted honeyeater is one of Victoria's rarest birds. (Supplied: Jo Howell, Zoos Victoria)In short:A new colony of 21 helmeted honeyeaters has been returned to Cardinia Shire for the first time since Ash Wednesday.The species is critically endangered, with only 200 remaining in the wild. What's next?Scientists will continue to monitor the colony's progress.abc.net.au/news/helmeted-honeyeater-endangered-bird-released-cardinia-shire/105003424Link copiedShareShare articleMore 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.A colony of helmeted honeyeaters has been released into the wild. (Supplied: Jo Howell, Zoos Victoria)An iconic emblemHoneyeaters 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.The species is known for its striking black and yellow plumage, and a bright yellow crest. (Supplied: Jo Howell, Zoos Victoria)"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.Race to recoveryThe 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."Second to the problem of not much habitat, the remaining birds are actually quite inbred … they could move towards extinction because of that lack of genetic diversity," Dr Miller said.Loading...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. "So now [our captive-bred birds] are sitting with stray populations out in the wild, which is absolutely fantastic."Hope for the future 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.Scientists from Zoos Victoria watch on as the critically endangered birds are released into the wild. (Supplied: Jo Howell, Zoos Victoria)"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."This is really just the start," Dr Bradsworth said."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."ABC Gippsland — local news in your inboxGet our local newsletter, delivered free each TuesdayYour information is being handled in accordance with the ABC Privacy Collection Statement.Email addressSubscribePosted 1h ago1 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 9:09pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesAmerican Robert Prevost elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIVLIVEPhoto shows A man in religious robes looks down from a balconyPrice defection slammed as hostile Liberal takeover with Angus TaylorTopic:Political LeadershipPhoto shows Federal shadow minister for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Price standing and speaking outside a voting centre.Drained batteries and broken trust: Energy giant denounced over clean tech schemeTopic:Energy IndustryPhoto shows Man wearing baseball cap and khaki green t-shirt standing next to household Tesla batteryUS and UK strike deal as Trump slashes tariffs on British steel, carsTopic:TariffsPhoto shows Keir Starmer and Donald Trump shake hands and make eye contact Meeting with hate preacher triggers court order for notorious terror leaderTopic:ExtremismPhoto shows image of convicted terrorist Abdul BenbrikaRelated storiesEndangered regent honeyeater spotted in Hunter Valley backyardTopic:BirdsPhoto shows Regent honeyeater on a birdbath with a small band around it's legShrinking habitat, pests, climate change listed as greatest threats to Australia's most endangered speciesTopic:ConservationPhoto shows A larger koala sits next to a smaller koala on a pile of chopped down trees in front of a valley of upright trees.'Beautiful, large and raucous' black cockatoos make themselves known in coastal regionTopic:BirdsPhoto shows A large black cockatoo with a yellow patch on its head, feeding in a banksia tree.Related topicsBirdsCardiniaConservationEndangered and Protected SpeciesTop StoriesAmerican Robert Prevost elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIVTopic:Religious LeadersPhoto shows A man in religious robes looks down from a balconyPrice defection slammed as hostile Liberal takeover with Angus TaylorTopic:Political LeadershipDrained batteries and broken trust: Energy giant denounced over clean tech schemeTopic:Energy IndustryUS and UK strike deal as Trump slashes tariffs on British steel, carsTopic:TariffsMeeting with hate preacher triggers court order for notorious terror leaderTopic:ExtremismJust InIconic fishing competition draws anglers to the NT's remote Daly RiverTopic:Recreational Fishing6m ago6 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 10:32pmMurder charge laid after woman stabbed in Adelaide's northTopic:Homicide27m ago27 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 10:11pmIndia says military stations were attacked by Pakistani drones and missilesTopic:Unrest, Conflict and War39m ago39 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 10:00pmShearers struggle for work as wool production hits century-lowTopic:Wool Growing48m ago48 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 9:50pmMore Just InBack to top