PARROT PEOPLE – 12:41 minutes
Director/Producer: Matthew Newton
Synopsis
The Orange Bellied Parrot, the world’s most endangered parrot, is a brilliant little bird staring into the abyss of extinction. Five years ago, there were only 17 known birds in the wild. This film shines a light on the people behind the parrot, the people that refuse to let this bird go extinct. These are the conservation scientists of the Tasmanian’s Orange Bellied Parrot program and their small army of dedicated volunteers.
Themes
- The finality of extinction.
- Fighting extinction of a species
- Habitat Loss
- Sustainability
- Challenges for migratory birds
Discussion questions
- What have you learnt about the Orange Bellied parrot; their size, habitat and migratory habits? How many OBP’s exist in the world?
- What can people do to help the environment? What is citizen science?
- Why is the film called Parrot People rather than the Orange Bellied Parrot?
- What does the possible extinction of this bird make you feel?
- What is the emotional toll on people working with endangered animals or birds?
- What threat does the H5N1 virus pose to birds across the world?
Actions
- Show the Bird Life Australia website (https://birdlife.org.au/) and discuss the Aussie Bird Count and how people can participate and help



