Night Parrot
Pezoporus occidentalis
Shy, elusive, and very rare nocturnal ground-dwelling parrot of inhabit arid environments, where it nests inside large spinifex clumps. Primarily green with yellow-green underparts and blackish markings throughout, less extensive than in longer-tailed Ground Parrot, in which adults have pale eyes (Night Parrot has dark eyes). The “holy grail” of Australian birds and presumed extinct but recently found in widely separated locations in Queensland and Western Australia.
Identification
A relatively small and short-tailed parrot, the species' colour is predominantly a yellowish green, mottled with dark brown, blacks and yellows. Both sexes have this coloration. It is distinguished from the two superficially similar ground parrot species by its shorter tail and different range and habitat. Predominantly terrestrial, taking to the air only when panicked or in search of water, the night parrot has furtive, nocturnal habits and—even when it was abundant—was apparently a highly secretive species. Its natural habitat appears to be the spinifex grass which still dominates much of the dry, dusty Australian interior; other early reports also indicate that it never strayed far from water. It may also inhabit chenopod shrublands, eucalyptus woodlands, and mallee shrublands. One of the vocalisations of the night parrot has been described as a croak and identified as a contact call. Other calls, mostly short "ding-ding" whistles, and a more drawn out whistle, have been recorded from Queensland and Western Australia.
Taxonomy
Ornithologist John Gould described the night parrot in 1861, from a specimen—the holotype—that was collected 13 km southeast of Mt Farmer, west of Lake Austin in Western Australia. Its specific epithet is Latin occidentalis "western". The species was originally placed within its own genus (Geopsittacus) by Gould, though consensus soon swung in favour of placing it in Pezoporus; James Murie dissected a specimen, observing that it was very similar in anatomy and plumage to the ground parrot. Gould had posited a relationship to the kākāpō based on similarity of the plumage, however Murie concluded they were markedly different anatomically. Despite its close relationship with the ground parrot, its placement in the genus Pezoporus was uncertain, with some authorities leaving it in its own genus, as data on the night parrot was so limited. A 1994 molecular study using the cytochrome b of several parrot species confirmed the close relationship of the taxa and consensus for its placement in Pezoporus. It also revealed that the kākāpō was not closely related to Pezoporus. Analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences in a 2011 study showed that the night parrot most likely diverged from the ancestor of the eastern and western ground parrots around 3.3 million years ago.<p>Alternative common names include porcupine parrot, nocturnal ground parakeet, midnight cockatoo, solitaire, spinifex parrot and night parakeet.
- Scientific name
- Pezoporus occidentalis
- Authority
- (Gould, 1861)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Pezoporus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
The population size of this species is not known, but assumed to be continuing to decline. As of July 2022[update], it is listed on the IUCN Red List as Critically endangered. According to the IUCN Red List the night parrot has a population of 40–500, or possibly larger.[1] It is listed as Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 by the Australian government.[13]<p>Sites identified by BirdLife International as being important for night parrot conservation are the Diamantina and Astrebla Grasslands of western Queensland, and the Fortescue Marshes of the Pilbara.[14]
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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