Australian Night Parrot

Congratulations to Adrian Boyle, Nigel Jackett, George Swann and Bruce Greatwich, who discovered the extremely rare Night parrot in Western Queensland, Australia and which has now been sighted in Western Australia!   The night parrot was thought to be extinct until three years ago, and the new sighting is more than 1,200 miles (2,000 km) from where the bird was rediscovered in Western Queensland.  See: Night Parrot sighted in Western Australia

So many birds and animals in Australia, as in the rest of the world, are at risk due to habitat loss and also to predation by invasive species, such as feral and free roaming cats. It is very exciting when a species is found to still exist when it was thought to be extinct. This surprising discovery provides a wonderful opportunity for local communities and officials to take appropriate actions to support the continued existence of this rare and quite unusual species.

The Night parrot is not a typical parrot species, since it is active at night instead of during the day, and it prefers an environment which is quite desert-like.

Every native species has a role to play in their environment. That is just one reason it is important that rare species are protected and their survival ensured.  We look forward to more information on this unusual species as bird watchers and biologists share what they learn about the species.

Laurella Desborough