Two of our curlews are heading to their new home.

How we're contributing to a national recovery effort.

This week, two bush stone-curlews left The Sanctuary — and we couldn't be more proud of where they're going. Our birds have joined a landmark reintroduction program on Phillip Island (Millowl), led by Phillip Island Nature Park.

It's one of the most significant conservation efforts currently underway for this critically endangered species, and we're honoured to have played a part.

For decades, the haunting call of the bush stone-curlew has been absent from Phillip Island. But that is beginning to change. Phillip Island Nature Parks, in collaboration with leading conservation partners from across Australia, is running a landmark program to reintroduce this critically endangered species to Millowl — its natural home in south-eastern Australia. And if the early signs are anything to go by, it may be one of the most significant conservation milestones this island has seen.

Follow along with Jack, our head bird keeper in the video above as he walks us through the journey the two Curlews made to their new home.

Saying goodbye (for the right reasons) It's always a bittersweet moment when an animal leaves the sanctuary — but this is exactly the kind of outcome we work toward. These birds aren't leaving because we have to rehome them. They're leaving because they're needed.

The bigger picture The bush stone-curlew reintroduction is made possible by a wide network of partners, researchers, volunteers and supporters. Alongside Phillip Island Nature Parks and The Penguin Foundation, the program is supported by organisations including the Coexistence Conservation Lab at the Australian National University, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Alice Springs Desert Park, Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park, the Global Rewilding Alliance, and conservation sponsors across the country. We'll be following the program closely and sharing updates as our birds settle into their new home. If you'd like to learn more or support the program directly, head to the Phillip Island Nature Parks website here.

About The Reintroduction Program

The bush stone-curlew reintroduction program on Phillip Island is a carefully staged, research-driven effort to restore a self-sustaining population of this species to its natural range in south-eastern Australia. Thanks to the island's long-term success in eradicating foxes and protecting native habitat, Millowl is one of the rare places where a reintroduction like this can realistically be trialed.

Since the first release of twelve birds in August 2024, the program has been building carefully — each bird health-checked, fitted with a custom hand-sewn GPS backpack, and released into selected habitat. Researchers download tracking data daily to monitor survival, movement and habitat use. The goal is to translocate up to 100 birds over three years.

Our contribution: genetic diversity A critical part of any long-term recovery program is genetic diversity. A population that's too genetically similar becomes vulnerable — to disease, to environmental stress, to the unexpected. That's where we come in. Our two curlews, along with birds from the Northern Territory and other states, have been welcomed into the Koala Conservation Reserve breeding program on Phillip Island. By broadening the gene pool, we're helping give this population the adaptive resilience it needs to thrive well into the future.

Follow us on Instagram at @BBW to stay across the latest from the island.