Birdwing Butterfly Habitat for Recovery
The Richmond Birdwing Butterfly (Ornithoptera richmondia) is one of the largest and most beautiful native butterflies found in Australia.
It plays an important role in the rainforest ecosystem, acting as a pollinator
and an overall indicator of the health of the rainforest ecosystem
Living in the sub-tropical rainforests of Australia, the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly was once widely distributed along the East Coast of Australia from Mary River Heads in Queensland to Grafton in New South Wales; today it is only found in isolated pockets of sub-tropical rainforest.
Clearing of its native larval food plant, the Birdwing Vine (Pararistolochia praevenosa), which has declined from two-thirds of its original range, and invasions of poisonous weeds, have drastically reduced numbers and fragmented populations causing inbreeding that is threatening the very survival of the butterfly.
Rainforest Rescue is committed to the recovery of this important sub-tropical rainforest species through the planting of Birdwing Vines within South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales.
Donations to this project will contribute to the recovery of this beautiful
native rainforest species through the planting of Birdwing Vines that
will provide food and habitat to sustain butterfly populations throughout
sub-tropical Australia.
Funding for this project will also enable Rainforest Rescue to host a series of education workshops to encourage members of the local community to plant Birdwing Vines in their own backyard, as well as assisting in research through recording sightings of Richmond Birdwing Butterflies and Vines.
To record locations of wild and planted Birdwing Vines and sightings of all life-cycle forms of the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly, please contact the Richmond Birdwing Conservation Network for inclusion on their online database.
Links to more Richmond Birdwing Butterfly information
