Species 1. Anthochaera phrygia.
Regent Honeyeater.
Estimated Numbers
~300 remain.
The Challenge
The challenge for humanity to save the Regent Honeyeater from extinction lies in addressing the multifaceted threats it faces, including habitat loss, climate change, and predation by invasive species. As a species that relies on specific woodland ecosystems in southeastern Australia, the loss of its native habitat due to urban development, agriculture, and logging has drastically reduced its population. Conservation efforts must not only focus on habitat restoration and protection but also involve community engagement and education to mitigate human impact, monitor populations, and implement effective breeding programs.
About the work
— Understories: Regent Honeyeater…
…features sixteen acrylic birdhouses which, when uninterrupted sing and archival audio of the correct songs of the Regent Honeyeater. These birdhouses use microcomputers to hear each other and produce a call and response pattern to each other, following a pattern of teaching-each-other the correct songs. When their habitat is interrupted the birdhouses dim, and they begin to sing the wrong songs, following the patterns of interspecific singing taking place in real populations. Birds slowly re-teach each other the correct songs and their correct songs return over time.
The team is currently writing up this into an academic paper and more details will appear here soon.