On the brink of extinction, the orange-bellied parrot has been ranked as one of the world's rarest and most endangered species.

The orange-bellied parrot is a migratory bird, which breeds only in coastal south-west Tasmania and spends the winter in coastal Victoria and South Australia. It nests in the hollows of eucalypt trees which grow adjacent to its feeding plains. In early October the birds arrive in the south west and depart after the breeding season usually in March and April.

This small parrot feeds on the seeds of several sedges and heath plants, within areas that have not been burned for 3-15 years. After breeding, migrating birds move gradually northwards up the west coast, through the Hunter Group and King Island in Bass Strait and on to the mainland. They are known to migrate as far as the Coorong in South Australia, and historical records indicate that they have been found as far north as Port Augusta. Throughout this journey the birds usually feed on beach-front vegetation including salt tolerant species such as sea rocket Cakile maritima.

Since European settlement, the orange-bellied parrot has had to cope with the loss of saltmarsh habitat through fire and clearing, the introduction of other seed-eating birds such as sparrows, goldfinches and greenfinches and competition with the native blue-winged parrot Neophema chrysostoma. Predators such as foxes and feral cats have also taken their toll on the population.

Over the past 12 years three recovery plans have been implemented for this parrot and a fourth is currently is being prepared. The Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team comprises individuals from wildlife authorities of Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia, and bird conservation organisations. These are funded by the Australian Nature Conservation Agency. The establishment of a captive breeding for release program to boost the wild population is one of the primary recommendations of the recovery plan.

The Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Plan covers numerous initiatives via various incentives between government and local landholders in Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia. A key objective of the Recovery Plan was a captive breeding component, which would be utilised as a tool in a breed for release program. This role was undertaken by a captive management group, comprising zoological institutions holding the parrots, as well as government agencies involved in the species’ recovery. The captive breeding of this species has proven to be difficult, with low fertility rates and chick survivability. Despite these issues, approximately 30 youngsters are introduced back to the south west of Tasmania each year.

Adelaide Zoo’s involvement in the Captive Management Group began in 2000, with the acquisition of two pairs of orange-bellied parrots. Since this time, 14 chicks have been bred at Adelaide Zoo. In an effort to increase breeding potential in a climate much hotter and drier to what this small parrot species is used to, Adelaide Zoo has developed various techniques including the modification of nesting boxes, the use of misting sprayers to cool ambient temperatures, and most recently the introduction of shade sails and a roof ventilator in the hope of cooling the breeding areas.  All birds bred by Adelaide Zoo are important to the recovery process, and are used for future captive breeding, or for release back into the wild in Tasmania. To date a total of nine Adelaide Zoo-bred orange-bellied parrots have been released back into the wild, the most recent being three birds released in October 2007.