Key observations from the regent honeyeater post-release monitoring (source BirdLife Australia):
- In the first few days after they flew out of the holding tents, a cluster of up to 30 birds congregated along a major creekline feeding on flowering Forest Red Gum and Grey Ironbark. The tracking team were lucky enough to observe one of the first pairs constructing a nest.
- A couple of birds left Tomalpin in the first few days but were eventually located in bushland near Kearsley where they were also constructing a nest.
- By the third week of post release, the familiar sound of two begging fledglings was heard in the Tomalpin Woodlands, raised by wild birds that the post-release monitoring located.
- Zoo-bred females from this release also paired with wild males and/or zoo-bred males from the 2022 Tomalpin release., Also, for the first time a zoo-bred male (from 2022) paired with a wild female and managed to fledge at least two chicks.
- Breeding was observed almost right up until the Christmas break, though upon the team’s return in early January we found birds had moved into “post-breeding” clusters. By early February more than 20 Regent Honeyeaters (including several juveniles) were found in these shady areas.
- Post release monitoring is continuing as of February 2026 and excitingly, the team have fitted new radio transmitters to three birds, enabling the monitoring to continue hopefully into at least late March.
