FOR HEALESVILLE SANCTUARY’S HELMETED HONEYEATERS
WORDS Hannah Sly | PHOTOGRAPHY Jo Howell, Zoos Victoria
Yellow, black and bursting with attitude, 21 critically endangered Helmeted Honeyeaters bred at Healesville Sanctuary have taken to the skies over Cardinia in south-east Victoria once more.
This bold little bird, one of Victoria’s state faunal emblems hasn’t been seen in the area since they were wiped out in the devastating Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983. Once down to just 60 birds in the wild, Helmeted Honeyeaters now number over 200 – a remarkable turnaround that shows conservation efforts are not just working, but winning.
After Ash Wednesday, just one wild population survived at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area. A second population was later established in 2021 at Yarra Ranges National Park through the breeding program. Now, the release of birds into a third wild site marks a major milestone. This third population reduces the risk of the species being wiped out by a single bushfire, disease outbreak, or other environmental threats. It also boosts genetic diversity by establishing birds in a different location.
Read the full story in issue 63 Spring 2025 here.
