Efforts to save the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot have been boosted with a Victorian animal sanctuary due to release its first parrot into the wild.

The male parrot, named Tas by his keepers, was bred at the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park at Pearcedale, south-east of Melbourne, and will be taken to Tasmania where it will be released

There are fewer than 70 orange-bellied parrots left in the wild and more than 100 are being bred in captivity.

Park director Michael Johnson said the parrot's population had been declining up until recent years.

"The numbers are so low that any small catastrophe might actually wipe out most of the population so we just really have to keep building those numbers up," he said.

"There's been a small increase in numbers over the last year or two and that's basically because of the reintroduction programs that are going on.

"But it will be some time before we think they'll be out of danger."

The bird is a rare migratory parrot that makes an annual voyage between Victoria and Tasmania.

Mr Johnson said that was one of the reasons why the bird was so special.

"Not very many parrots migrate, in fact there are only two species, most parrots will be sedentary or they'll stay in one spot or they'll move around following food," he said.

"But these guys will take the same path backwards and forwards every year and breed in the same spot over summer.

"So it would be a great shame to lose them from that point of view, plus the fact that they're a beautiful little bird."

The Moonlit Sanctuary has about 20 orange-bellied parrots in its breeding program.