Critically endangered parrot on brink of extinction

Young Orange Bellied parrrot being bandedThe critically endangered orange-bellied parrot appears to be moving closer to extinction.

Researchers in Melaleuca in south-west Tasmania say the number of birds in the wild is now down to 21, including just eight females.

The endangered parrot makes an annual journey to the region for the breeding season.

Mark Holdsworth from the orange-bellied parrot recovery team says the drought has contributed to a steady decline in the population.

The team is pinning its hopes on a captive breeding program.

"You'd expect to have some bad years, unfortunately if you've got a few bad years in a row for a very small population that becomes a serious problem," he said.

"We've had to take some bold steps to try and help it out."

Photographer Linda Cains is one of many bird watchers who have flown to remote Melaleuca to see the parrot.

"That it may be extinct in a few years is just dreadful," she said.

The University of Queensland's Hugh Possingham questions whether millions of dollars in government funding should be redirected to save other species instead.

"Where they (other species) were cheaper to save, we were more likely to save them and we had a better long run opportunity to save those species in the wild," he said.

"One issue is can we save the orange-bellied parrot, the second issue is how do we allocate the limited funds we have across all the species in Australia or Tasmania?"