As swift parrots near extinction, will the ancient forests fall silent, turning their presence into a distant memory?
‘a swift existence,’ captures the fragility of the critically endangered swift parrot. With an estimated 500 left in the wild, I was eager to document swift parrots in their wild, natural habitat and create awareness before it was too late.
These birds, once a vibrant presence in the ancient forests of Australia, are now on the brink of extinction. Their story is a reminder of our impact on the natural world and the need for conservation.
WATCH THE FILM
PRODUCTION
A selection of photos from the film shot in Tasmania. I’ll share more about the process of making the film shortly!
Spread the Word
Sharing this short film with your networks would be greatly appreciated to raise awareness and hopefully inspire meaningful conversations, thoughts and actions.
LEARN MORE & Participate
Hopefully the film has piqued your interest and curiosity on the world around us! These resources and activities may help you learn and contribute more to biodiversity, urban ecology and a better future.
1. Learn more about the threat to Swift Parrots
Reason behind decline of rare Aussie bird prompts calls for major change. The drop from 2,100 to fewer than 500 swift parrots coincided with a dramatic degradation of its breeding grounds. Experts fear extinction is next. https://au.news.yahoo.com/reason-behind-decline-of-rare-aussie-bird-prompts-calls-for-major-change-033906622.html
Read the research: Quantifying forest degradation, deforestation and land use change in vital swift parrot breeding habitat | https://rdcu.be/esWr2
Citation: Owens, G., Heinsohn, R., Gibbons, P. et al. Quantifying forest degradation, deforestation and land use change in vital swift parrot breeding habitat. Sci Rep 15, 8546 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92231-1
2. Engage with nature & start bird watching
eBird (Global) – Keep track of your bird lists, photos, and sounds. Explore the latest sightings from around the world and is the largest birding community. Your observations contribute to science and conservation with data used by researchers.
Merlin (Global) – Identify the birds you see or hear. There’s a free global bird guide with photos, sounds, maps, and plenty more. Created by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Great for bird watching.
3. Help create a better future
Birdlife Australia – If you want to know more about Australia’s native birds, or to help create the best possible future for Australia’s birds and their habitats, visit Birdlife Australia for comprehensive resources about birds, creating a bird friendly backyard or participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
WIRES (Australia) – Visit the WIRES website for more information if you find a sick, injured or orphaned native animal. WIRES mission is to actively rehabilitate and preserve Australian wildlife and inspire others to do the same.
Press Contacts
Please visit the Electronic Press Kit for more information, or contact me directly below for any enquiries.
John Kha 