Powering protection for the superb parrot

Tree hollows take decades to form, but they can be lost in an instant. For hollow‑dependent threatened species like the superb parrot, this means fewer places to breed and a risk to their survival.

With support from Flow Power, the Saving our Species program is trialling specially designed nest boxes to support breeding, alongside hundreds of hectares of habitat revegetation on farms.

A new approach to nesting

To help address this, Saving our Species is installing 150 next-generation engineered nest boxes across ten breeding locations in NSW.

These next-generation boxes have been engineered to better replicate natural hollows and reduce risks associated with traditional timber designs.

Over 3 years, cameras and sensors that monitor temperature and humidity will track whether superb parrots use the boxes to see if they’re suitable for raising their chicks successfully.

The findings will help guide future habitat restoration for other hollow‑dependent species as well.

Why this matters

Apart from their beauty, superb parrots play an important role in keeping woodland ecosystems healthy.

But their survival depends on increasingly rare tree hollows. They provide perfect insulation and protection for breeding parrots and other fauna, especially in a climate that is getting hotter.

However, a challenge is that these hollows take over a century to form, yet they’re being lost through human activities, natural mortality, and more extreme weather.  

In a climate that is getting hotter, the loss of suitable hollows poses an increasing risk to eggs and chicks during the breeding season.

There’s little evidence that superb parrots use timber nest boxes. In some cases, traditional timber nest box designs can overheat in summer, reaching temperatures that are fatal for eggs and chicks.

The power of partnership and co-investment

Flow Power prioritises conservation as part of their everyday business. This partnership shows how shared commitment to responsible land stewardship can drive real impact for threatened species conservation.

Flow Power’s support is funding critical monitoring equipment, helping researchers understand whether nest boxes provide safe conditions for breeding. Access to land co-located with Flow Power's Cootamundra Energy Project also enables future habitat protection on the ground. This combination of investment and land access is enabling high-quality monitoring at active breeding sites.

Kait Williamson, Head of Community and Stakeholder Engagement at Flow Power, says:

“Protecting biodiversity where we operate is important to us. Supporting this project allows us to contribute to practical conservation outcomes while learning more about how landscapes can support threatened species alongside renewable energy operations.”

Damon Oliver, Team Leader Projects, says:

“Co-investment from partners like Flow Power allows us to do more than we could on our own. It helps us expand monitoring efforts, strengthen the evidence base and accelerate conservation outcomes for species like the Superb Parrot.”

Looking ahead

Superb parrots are known for their agility and playful flight, looping and darting across the landscape. With support from partners, there is real optimism that these birds will continue to bring colour and movement to our woodlands for generations to come.

Partnerships like this, as well as with other sectors and the NSW community, that are grounded in shared, long-term stewardship, are key to turning this optimism into lasting outcomes.

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