More land at Yellingbo Reserve saved for helmeted honeyeaters

A NEW parcel of land at Yellingbo Reserve has been saved to help the critically endangered helmeted honeyeater, after numbers dwindled to just 190.

A NEW parcel of land becomes available on Friday in an effort to save the critically endangered helmeted honeyeater.

Numbers of the yellow-breasted bird, represented on Victoria’s state emblem and is found only in Victoria, have dwindled to 190.

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The helmeted honeyeater.

Ben Cullen, of Trust For Nature who contributed publicly raised funds to purchase an extra 2.3ha of the Yellingbo Reserve, hoped numbers could rise to 250 in two years.

“They have lost a lot of their habitat to agriculture so we’ve been trying to find ways to protect and retain the swampy, flood plain land they favour,” Mr Cullen said.

“This new reserve will hold an extra 25 to 30 birds which will have a good impact on the species.”

Deputy Premier James Mollino is opening the new section of the reserve with the help of the community-based Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater which monitors the birds’ progress daily.

The land has been purchased with a combination of state and federal government money, publicly raised funds from Trust For Nature and community funding.

It is also 150 years today since naturalist John Gould named the bird and it is 50 years since the Yellingbo Reserve was opened and is clearly helping to save the birds.

“Four years ago, there were only 50 of these birds left so we’re gradually building them up though they’re still one of Australia’s most critically endangered birds,” he said.