Australia is an extremely biodiverse nation, boasting over 800 species of bird. Among these are petite penguins, sand pipers, and tropical cockatoos. One of the island’s delightful species that once flew is the night parrot, a delightfully sweet green and yellow critter with small black flecks on its wings. For most of the 20th century, the species was thought to be extinct. Sightings were virtually nonexistent, and today remain exceptionally rare. Excitingly, as announced in Wildlife Research, a community of at least 50 night parrots has been discovered by researchers and Indigenous rangers in a region of Australia's Great Sandy Desert.
Since the 2010s , scientists have been seeking the birds with fervor. Photographs and recordings of alleged sightings can be quite contested, but are thrilling when verified. The new population, the largest known, was discovered in Western Australia. It is located in the Ngururrpa Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) which is run by the Ngururrpa themselves.
Local Indigenous rangers partnered with researchers to survey the region with song meters. By registering the birds distinctive calls, they were able to determine 17 roosting areas with likely 50 or more parrots. This result was reached by calculating the number of individuals based on unique cries, and estimating from there.
“We the Ngururrpa Rangers have been looking for Night parrots since 2019. First we thought they were only living in one area, on our neighbor's country, but then we started checking in our area and ended up finding evidence that they are here. We are still looking for them, to make sure they are safe, and we are still finding them,” says Clifford Sunfly, a Ngururrpa Ranger, in a statement.
The team also studied the threats to the birds, including natural predators and environmental hazards. Fire is the main risk, they learned. Meanwhile, the ecosystem is balanced by the dingoes, which prey upon the predator of the night parrot, the feral cat. If the elusive, beautiful birds are to be protected, further study and partnership is needed to protect their future.
The magnificent night parrot was believed extinct for a century. Now, the largest known population of the creature has been discovered in a remote corner of Australia.
h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]
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