Gliders were thought to eat swift parrots. Cameras showed something different
For over a decade, sugar gliders have been considered a major threat to the critically endangered swift parrot. But new research has called that into question.
For over a decade, introduced sugar gliders in Tasmania have been seen as a major threat to the future of the critically endangered swift parrot. However, a recent study involving acoustic monitoring, motion cameras, and necropsies has revealed that sugar gliders do not prey on swift parrots. The Commonwealth-funded research, led by Dr. Matt Webb and Dr. Leanne Wicker, employed a comprehensive approach to investigate the glider-swift parrot interaction over two breeding seasons.
Despite detecting sugar gliders at and inside nests, there was no evidence of predation. Instead, the study found that sugar gliders, along with birds like currawongs and starlings, were competing with swift parrots in nests. The researchers attributed this to competition-related aggression, as well as habitat loss and fragmentation.
Conservation efforts should consider the complex relationship between sugar gliders, swift parrots, and other environmental factors, rather than focusing solely on sugar glider predation.
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