Description:

Coxen’s Fig-Parrot is an attractive, small, predominantly green parrot whose seemingly over-large head and bill, together with an extremely short tail, give it a somewhat dumpy, squat and top-heavy appearance. It attains a length of 16cm (Pizzey and Knight 1997). Both sexes are rich green above and yellowish-green below with a yellow-sided upperbreast. The wings are green with the outer sections of the primary feathers dark blue and the inner sections dark grey. The tertial feathers are red. The bill is two-toned: pale grey with a dark grey or black tip, and the eye is brown. The male has a distinctive blue forehead surrounded by a few red feathers and an orange-red cheek patch bordered below by a mauve-blue band. The female is similar but with a smaller blue forehead patch with less or no red, and a duller, smaller orange-red cheek patch (Forshaw 1981; Pizzey and Knight 1997). Immatures and juveniles have not been described.

Coxen’s Fig-Parrot can be confused with several species of lorikeet, particularly the Little Lorikeet (Glossopsitta pusilla) and the Musk Lorikeet (G. concinna). However, the body build, size, bill colour, distinctive head, breast and wing markings, and absence of brown nape and mantle are useful distinguishing features. Furthermore, fig-parrots and lorikeets look and behave differently in flight. The fig-parrot’s dumpy build, broad, pointed wings and almost tail-less silhouette contrast with the overall slimness, small-headed appearance and longer, finer wings of both the Little and Musk Lorikeet (Norris 1964; Corfe 1977). The flight of the Coxen’s Fig-Parrot is rapid and direct (Norris 1964; Corfe 1977; Peddie in Lendon 1979). Like the related Red-browed Fig-Parrot (C.d.macleayana), it presumably does not adopt the lorikeet style of "darting and dodging through gaps in the branches and foliage of the tree-tops" (Bourke and Austin 1947; Forshaw 1981).

The flight call of the Coxen’s Fig-Parrot is a short, clipped, two note call, variously described as a high-pitched ‘zeet-zeet’ (Slater et al. 1986; Pizzey and Knight 1997), ‘tcheek, tcheek’ (Norris 1964), ‘yyit-yyit’ (Corfe 1977), a medium-pitched ‘zzzt-zzzt’ (Martindale 1986), or a rather soft lorikeet-like screech (CSIRO 1996). This call is reputedly indistinguishable from that of other Australian subspecies of fig-parrot (Parker in Holmes 1990), but is harsher and more staccato than the screech of a Little Lorikeet (Martindale 1986). Coxen’s Fig-Parrot does not always call while in flight (Brenan 1924; Peddie in Lendon 1979).

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The Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group

The Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group (BSRLG) has been successful in securing funding to help rescue the Coxen's Fig-Parrot by expanding their feeding habitat in the highly fragmented lowland rainforest of the Big Scrub. The proposal aims to implement recovery actions for this critically endangered parrot by propagating and distributing 10,000 native figs for strategic planting in rural areas of Lismore, Ballina and Byron Shires. The project will also benefit a wide range of fruit eating fauna species including six other threatened species (Wompoo, Rose-crowned and Superb Fruit-doves, Barred Cuckoo Shrike, Black Flying fox and the Eastern Tube-nosed Bat).

This project will help to create a reliable year round fruit resource in the Big Scrub lowlands particularly during the winter period when the availability of fruit can become scarce. Strategic placement of viable food trees over the fragmented landscape of the Big Scrub will help establish "stepping stones" for many fruit eating birds and flying foxes. This will help facilitate the dispersal of a wide range of seeds throughout the region. Additionally fig fruit will become increasingly important as Camphor Laurel replacement strategies take place.

Community Assistance:

In order to produce the large number of fig seedlings needed over the time span of the project, it will require community (ie. YOU) assistance to collect local fig seed from the project area and send it to a central nursery for propagation.

Any fig fruit collected should be placed in a sealed plastic bag and sent ASAP after collection to one of either two central nurseries, depending on where the seed is collected. Fig fruit from the greater Big Scrub area (Byron, Ballina and Lismore) should be sent to

NB: Clearly label parcel FIGS. Each bag of fig seed/fruit should be labelled with the species name (if known), location of collection (e.g. 3km up Fig Road, Figsville or name of remnant), collectors name and contact details and whether the collector thinks the tree was planted or seeded naturally.

Photo: NSWNPWS What species are we after? Strangler Fig (Ficus watkinsiana) Small-leaved (Fig (Ficus obliqua) Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) White's Fig (Ficus virens) Deciduous Fig (Ficus superba var. henneana) Rusty Fig (Ficus rubiginosa) Sandpaper (Fig Ficus fraseri) Creek Sandpaper (Fig Ficus coronata)

Fig seed/fruit collection guidelines:

Search for flying fox spits. Flying foxes chew the fruit and spit out the seeds in compact chunks. (Mainly seed with the fruit removed). Otherwise collect ripe fruit and send in a sealed plastic bag. Ripe fruit can be determined by splitting the fruit in half and looking for small round seeds attached to the inner wall of the fruit. For those interested in growing their own figs, soak the fruit to kill any grubs and then mash with coarse riveer sand. Spread sparsely over seed tray with coarse river sand and keep in shade house. Beware of seedlings damping off.

The Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) is NSW’s most comprehensive attempt at establishing a legislative framework to protect and encourage the recovery of threatened species, populations and communities. Under the TSC Act, the Director-General of National Parks and Wildlife has certain responsibilities including the preparation of recovery plans for threatened species, populations and ecological communities. This Draft Recovery Plan has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the TSC Act.

Recovery Objectives:

The overall objective of this Recovery Plan is to prevent extinction of Coxen's Fig-Parrot and to ensure the viability of wild populations in the long term.

Specific objectives of this Recovery Plan are to:

• protect and maintain wild populations and their habitat from human-induced threatening processes in the long term;
• protect and maintain the full genetic diversity of Coxen's Fig-Parrot;
• understand the ecology of Coxen's Fig-Parrot;
• increase the extent, quality and connectivity of the habitat of Coxen's Fig-Parrot.
• Recovery Criteria
• Wild populations have not suffered reduction due to anything other than stochastic events.
• Ecological research and monitoring strategies are established.
• Wild populations are located.
• Knowledge of the bird’s conservation status, current distribution, life history and taxonomic status is significantly increased.
• Historical, existing and potential threats are identified.
• Existing habitat is conserved and key areas of degraded and former habitat are rehabilitated.
• Active community participation in Coxen's Fig-Parrot recovery is established.
• Recovery Actions
• Implement a community strategy to significantly raise community awareness of Coxen's Fig-Parrot and its plight so that the community supports, becomes actively involved in and promotes the recovery of Coxen's Fig-Parrot and develops independent skills to locate and reliably identify Coxen's Fig-Parrot and report sightings.
• Locate wild populations and implement an ecological research and monitoring strategy.
• Undertake an assessment of Coxen's Fig-Parrot habitat.
• Undertake a program to protect known habitat, rehabilitate current habitat and revegetate former habitat of Coxen’s Fig-Parrot.

Community awareness strategy

The support and active participation of the community are crucial to the success of the Coxen’s Fig-Parrot recovery program, with community members being responsible for undertaking many important tasks in the present recovery plan. However, successful implementation of the entire plan necessitates effectively communicating the required actions not just to the general public, but more broadly, to include government agencies, forestry and farming industries, researchers, funding bodies, special interest groups, and other target groups. A good public education and information program provides a means of involving all participants in the recovery process and is, therefore, a vital component in the overall plan.

The objective of the strategy is to raise community awareness of Coxen's Fig-Parrot and its plight to the extent that the community "adopts" Coxen's Fig-Parrot, develops independent skills to reliably locate, identify and report sightings of the bird and, importantly, becomes proactive in the conservation and rehabilitation of its habitat.

In NSW, the threat caused by fragmented habitat may be slowly mitigating as a result of government and privately sponsored community rainforest reafforestation programs. Many earlier planted rainforest areas and gardens are now maturing and producing fruit (R.J. Hunter pers. comm., S. Horton pers. obs.), however, the majority of potential habitat for the fig-parrot still remains degraded. J.B. Williams (pers. comm.) believes that lowland subtropical rainforests in NSW are both increasing in area and species diversity, while in southern coastal Queensland, loss of lowland subtropical rainforest has probably stabilised, and rehabilitation programs are beginning (P. Young pers. comm.).

Logging and associated disturbance of subtropical rainforest/eucalypt ecotones which may be part of the breeding habitat, may also be a threat for some birds. Forshaw (1981) emphasises the special need to protect the rainforest edge where burning, clearing or logging operations not specifically targeted at the rainforest can be particularly damaging.

Mature figs which remain as isolated paddock or shade trees on agricultural or other land, e.g., council land, on the north coast of NSW and in south-east Queensland probably form an important winter food source (J. Young pers. comm.). A potential threat is lack of recruitment to these isolated groups of figs.