In Australia, a vineyard turned into a refuge for Regent Parrots — ABC News Australia
In Murtho, in Australia’s Riverland region on the banks of the Murray River, Tony and Sherry Townsend are restoring native vegetation on a former vineyard to create habitat for the endangered Regent Parrot. In 2022, the couple decided not to replace 40 acres of uprooted grapevines with another crop, but to return the site to a state with native plants.
As ABC News Australia reports, the owners are working with the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board. Their land was recognised as an almost ideal location for Regent Parrots because it lies on the birds’ flight route.
Restoring habitat for parrots
The number of Regent Parrots in the Riverland has been declining for several years, including because of a shortage of nesting sites. During the latest count, specialists recorded 400 breeding pairs in the region. Population monitoring continues during the breeding season, which runs from August to November.
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Ecologist Melissa Burford said that the parrots breed along the river corridor in river red gums and forage in mallee, Australian shrubland. Therefore, the availability of food resources is important for the species. Kevin Smith, chair of the South Australian Regent Parrot Recovery Team, who has studied these birds for 35 years, called the Townsends’ site the best current example of how restoring native vegetation can help an endangered species.
Viticulture crisis and land-use change
The Townsends had worked in viticulture since the late 1990s and harvested eight crops on the site. According to Tony Townsend, grape prices began falling after 2022, so the family did not see a future for themselves in the industry.
Grape producers in the Riverland are facing an oversupply of produce and a global decline in wine consumption. Industry specialists and the South Australian government advise farmers to switch to more profitable crops, including almonds or olives, but such changes can be costly. The couple used some polyethylene pipes and a small share of their water allocation to support the plants they had planted. Local schoolchildren and four generations of the Townsend family also took part in restoring the area.
