While a new method of counting has resulted in the estimates of an endangered bird species being revised upwards, researchers say it in no way means the threat of extinction has lessened for the swift parrot.
New research has found the population has many as 500 individuals, an increase on the 300 estimated in a 2020 survey.
The new research, conducted by The Australian National University (ANU), has confirmed fears the population of swift parrots — which breeds only in eastern Tasmania — is rapidly declining.
Researcher Dejan Stojanovic and his team from ANU’s environment department recorded the new estimate by using a more precise method involving genetic markers and an updated sample size from a decade’s worth of data, replacing the previous population estimate.
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