Australia is home to unique wildlife, including the night parrot, Pezoporus occidentalis. This elusive avian species was long considered a creature of myth due to its extreme rarity and secretive nocturnal habits. Its continued existence remains a subject of scientific investigation.
The Elusive Green Ghost
The night parrot is a medium-sized bird, measuring between 22 and 25 centimeters in length with a wingspan of 44 to 46 centimeters. Its plumage is predominantly bright green, adorned with intricate black and yellow bars, spots, and streaks, while its belly and vent display vibrant yellow coloring. This cryptic coloration provides exceptional camouflage, allowing it to blend seamlessly with the dense spinifex grasses of its arid and semi-arid Australian habitat. Unlike most parrots, it is strictly nocturnal, remaining hidden during daylight hours.
It inhabits spinifex grasslands, including stony or sandy areas, and samphire and chenopod associations on floodplains, salt lakes, and claypans. Preferred habitats are characterized by large, dense clumps of mature, long-unburnt spinifex, which offer both shelter and nesting sites. While primarily a ground-dwelling bird, it takes flight when startled or seeking water.
A History of Rarity and Rediscovery
For nearly a century, the night parrot was considered extinct, with no confirmed sightings between 1912 and 1979. Only 22 museum specimens existed prior to 1990, with all but one collected in the 19th century. The first glimmer of hope arrived in 1990 when a dead night parrot was discovered on a roadside in southwestern Queensland, followed by another carcass found in Diamantina National Park in 2006.
In 2013, naturalist John Young captured the first live photographs and video footage of a night parrot in western Queensland. This rediscovery on a property named Brighton Downs, now part of the Pullen Pullen Special Wildlife Reserve, confirmed the species’ existence and spurred conservation efforts. The exact location was initially kept secret to protect the small population, estimated at between 10 and 20 individuals at the time.
Life in the Shadows: Adaptations and Behavior
Night parrots are adapted to their arid environment. During the day, they conceal themselves in tunnels within dense, long-unburnt spinifex hummocks (Triodia longiceps). Their diet consists primarily of seeds from grasses and herbs, especially spinifex.
They forage and drink after sunset. Studies suggest their night vision may be sensitive but with poor resolution. Their distinctive calls include short “ding-ding” whistles and a more drawn-out whistle, along with a croaking contact call. Nests are built on the ground within dense vegetation, such as spinifex clumps or chenopod shrubs, and contain two to four white eggs.
Conservation and Future Outlook
The night parrot is currently classified as critically endangered globally (IUCN Red List) and endangered in Australia. Its population numbers are uncertain, with estimates ranging from 50 to 249 mature individuals, with some estimates suggesting a few hundred across its range. The primary threats to its survival include predation by introduced species such as feral cats and foxes, habitat loss and fragmentation from agricultural expansion and mining, and inappropriate fire regimes that impact old-growth spinifex.
Conservation efforts are underway to protect this species. These include securing known populations, such as the 56,000-hectare Pullen Pullen Special Wildlife Reserve in Queensland. Targeted feral cat and fox control programs are being implemented, along with strategic fire management to preserve long-unburnt spinifex habitats. Ongoing research, including the sequencing of the night parrot’s genome, aims to deepen understanding of its biology and inform future conservation strategies.