The Orange-bellied Parrot is one of two species of migratory parrots. Every year they undertake an extraordinary journey, migrating across the Bass Strait twice – in autumn they fly to coastal mainland southeast Australia, and in spring they return to south-west Tasmania to breed over the summer. The Orange-bellied Parrot is regarded as one of the worlds rarest birds. With an estimate population of less the 50 in the wild. One of the main threats to the Orange-bellied Parrot is the lack of females in the wild.

The National Zoo and Aquarium is part of the regional breeding programs for Orange-bellied parrots.