Paradise Park and Begawan Foundation to help Mitchell’s Lorikeets

The Begawan Foundation, founded by Bradley and Debbie Gardner, operates a small, but first class, bird breeding facility on the island of Bali and are helping the rare Mitchell’s Lorikeet.

David Woolcock (PPark Curator), Debbie Gardner (Begawan Foundation co-Founder), Louise Caddy (PPark Head of Parrot Section), Bradley Gardner (Begawan Foundation co-Founder)

Initially their focus was solely on the Bali Starling. But more recently they have been working with the Mitchell’s Lorikeet which is now considered to be extinct on both Bali and Lombok, the only two islands in the world where it was to be found.

Paradise Park has been working with the Mitchell’s Lorikeet in captivity since November 2011 when several birds were acquired from the private sector.  Since then a succession of young birds have been produced so that now we are in the enviable position of being able to provide a dozen birds to be sent back home to Bali.

David Woolcock, Paradise Park’s Curator, comments “I visited the Begawan Foundation in May of 2016 to initiate the programme to return these birds to Bali.  The Begawan Foundation was chosen to receive the birds as they have already demonstrated their ability to keep and breed the species and their bird keeping and veterinary skills at the centre are exemplary.”

“There are still quite a few hurdles to overcome before the birds can go back. Most of them to do with licensing, health testing and logistics, but having overcome such hurdles in the past when we returned Blue throated Macaws to Bolivia we are confident that we shall get there in the end and that the Mitchell’s Lorikeets will soon be on their way.”

This will be the first phase of an initial four year programme in conjunction with the World Parrot Trust. The WPT have already funded the construction of six enclosures for Mitchell’s Lorikeets at the Begawan Foundation and are currently funding the construction of further accommodation for these beautiful but extremely rare birds.  In the coming years there are plans to release birds back into the wild that will utilise the birds sent over from the UK and their future offspring.

More from the Begawan Foundation here

LEFT: Mitchell’s Family at Paradise Park MIDDLE: Mitchell’s Lorikeet chicks at Paradise Park RIGHT: Mitchell Lorikeet Breeding Facility at Begawan Foundation