ABSTRACT
The Regent Parrot Polytelis anthopeplus is a species that is now far less common and widespread than previously recorded. The nominate subspecies Polytelis anthopeplus anthopeplus found in southwest Western Australia is still widespread, but nowhere common, while the other subspecies P. a. monarchoides is listed as Endangered in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. A conservation project conducted in Western Australia to develop a register of artificial nest hollows deployed for target species of black cockatoos Calyptorynchus sp. and Zanda sp. identified the Regent Parrot as being the species that used artificial nest hollows most often after Carnaby’s Cockatoo Z. latirostris. In most instances Regent Parrots took advantage of newly deployed artificial hollows within the first 1-2 years of them becoming available. Regent Parrots used 35 of 40 large diameter (375-400 mm), 1.0-1.5 m deep artificial nest hollows at two study sites near Lake King, Western Australia. Of the artificial nest hollows used by Regent Parrots across nine monitored sites, each artificial hollow was used within 1.9±2.93 years of deployment and for an average of 2.3±1.47 years (avg±standard deviation). Individual artificial hollow use ranged from no use through to six years of use. This finding has important implications for the conservation of both subspecies of Regent Parrot.
