Rare Night Parrot Found in New Place

ABC Far North

Birds

In short:

Night parrots are heard in a new place in south-west Queensland.

Researchers will go back soon because they think the rain will help the parrots have babies.

What's next?

Conservation Partners will work with a land owner to protect the place and control wild cats.

A new group of one of the world's most hidden birds may have been found in Queensland's dry desert.

A scientist named Steve Murphy said many new audio recordings showed that the critically endangered night parrots are there.

Steve Murphy is holding a night parrot in 2015.

Only a few hundred of these birds are thought to be living in about two dozen places in the desert.

Dr Murphy said it was hard to find proof of the bird, which was thought to be extinct for almost 70 years.

The fact that the parrot is active at night is very unusual.

The fact that it disappeared also makes it very interesting.

Steve Murphy wants to find the new home of the night parrots.

Dr Murphy said the exact location is a secret to protect the birds and respect the land owner.

He thinks the new group is far enough away to be considered a separate group from the Pullen Pullen birds.

They are still very rare.

The area in southwest Queensland where night parrots live.

Dr Murphy said the recordings support earlier sightings in the area that were not confirmed.

This means conservationists may not need to move night parrots to other places to create safe groups.

A night parrot on the ground.

Rain will bring activity.

Dr Murphy said the discovery makes it important to do more research, especially since there was heavy rain in south-west Queensland.

When night parrots are having babies, they make more noise, which makes them easier to find.

So, the researchers want to go back as soon as they can.

A special recorder is used to detect night parrot calls.

The researchers recorded a lot of audio, equivalent to 20 years of recordings, using 120 special recorders.

Dr Murphy found the recordings earlier this year while analyzing them.

He listened to it many times.

The search was done across many cattle stations.

It was a mix of luck and detective work.

There is a lot of land to search.

The calls were confirmed by another scientist.

A photo of a young night parrot was taken in 2016.

No longer an ex-parrot.

James Watson said the discovery is very likely.

Dr Watson said most research on night parrots involves listening, not seeing.

You don't have to see them to know they're there, you can hear their calls.

More research is needed to understand the sub-groups.

James Watson says listening is the best way to find night parrots.

Fewer than 20 people have seen a night parrot, it's a rare sight.

Night parrots are a hopeful story for saving the bird and working with different groups.

Sean Dooley from Birdlife Australia has not seen a night parrot.

The night parrot is a mysterious bird that many have looked for.

People have been searching for this bird for 100 years.

There will be jealousy among birdwatchers.

The discovery is also important for non-birdwatchers.

It gives hope that we can find a way to save the bird.

Dr Murphy said the next step is to work with the land owner to protect the area and control wild cats.

Maybe one day tourists can visit a night parrot site.

I don't think we're ready for that yet.

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