A nesting record and vocalisations of the Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis from the East Murchison, Western Australia

Jackett, Nigel; Greatwich, Bruce R.; Swann, George; Boyle, Adrian

doi:10.20938/afo34144150

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Prior to 2013, all that was known about Night Parrot behaviour and ecology was based on anecdotal reports or inference 1 . The recent efforts of several researchers have since yielded data on Night Parrot movements 6 , vocalizations 7 , breeding behaviour 8 , a better understanding of habitat and dietary requirements 2,6 and new populations discovered elsewhere in Australia 1,9 . Understanding more about the behaviour and ecology of this unique species is critical for species management throughout their range 1,2 , but the highly elusive behaviour of Night Parrots presents a major challenge to filling in knowledge gaps based on fieldwork alone.…”

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confidence: 99%

The endocast of the Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) reveals insights into its sensory ecology and the evolution of nocturnality in birds

Iwaniuk

Keirnan

Janetzki

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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The Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) is a rare, nocturnal parrot species that has largely escaped scientific investigation due to its behaviour and habitat preferences. Recent field studies have revealed some insights into Night Parrot behaviour, but nothing is known of its sensory abilities. Here, we used μCT scans of an intact Night Parrot specimen to determine if its visual system shares similarities with other nocturnal species. The endocast of the Night Parrot revealed relatively small optic lobes and optic foramina, especially compared with closely related grass parakeets, but no apparent differences in orbit dimensions. Our data suggests that the Night Parrot likely has lower visual acuity than most other parrots, including its congener, the Eastern Ground Parrot (P. wallicus). We propose that the visual system of the Night Parrot might represent a compromise between the need to see under low light conditions and the visual acuity required to detect predators, forage, and fly. Based on the endocast and optic foramen measurements, the Night Parrot fits into a common pattern of decreased retinal input to the optic lobes in birds that should be explored more thoroughly in extant and extinct species.

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confidence: 99%

The endocast of the Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) reveals insights into its sensory ecology and the evolution of nocturnality in birds

Iwaniuk

Keirnan

Janetzki

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…In 2013, an extant population of birds was discovered in western Queensland (Koch 2013), and the bird has since been detected at several locations in Western Australia (see, e.g. Jackett et al 2017;Mills & Collins 2017;Collins 2021). Research suggests that Night Parrots are relatively sedentary Murphy, Silcock, et al 2017).…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This area consisted of patchy Triodia hummocks on otherwise open ground, with some scattered shrubs. This is typical of Night Parrot long-term stable roosting habitat elsewhere (Jackett et al 2017;Murphy, Silcock, et al 2017). Three models of popular ARU were tested: Song Meter 3 (SM3) and Song Meter 4 (SM4) (Wildlife Acoustics Inc., Concord, Massachusetts, USA), and Bioacoustic Audio Recorder (BAR) (Frontier Labs, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia).…”

Section: Establishing the Acoustic Arraymentioning

confidence: 99%

Accounting for both automated recording unit detection space and signal recognition performance in acoustic surveys: A protocol applied to the cryptic and critically endangered Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis)

et al. 2021

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Research into the suitability of autonomous recording units (ARUs) when surveying for vocal species is increasing. Simultaneously, there has been extensive research into methods for efficiently extracting signals of interest from the acoustic data sets that accrue from the deployment of ARUs. For some species, bioacoustic monitoring supported by computerised signal detection offers the only effective and efficient method for widespread survey. In these circumstances, the detection space of both the ARU and the performance of the signal detection process must be considered concurrently, but typically, these two elements have been considered separately. Here, using the Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) as a case study, we consider both ARU detection space and the signal detection process to develop a robust and repeatable survey protocol for the species. After developing a call recogniser for the Night Parrot, we test its performance on a data set of Night Parrot calls given at a known distance from an array of ARUs. Having established a relationship between ARU type, recogniser performance and distance, we determine the sampling radius of an ARU for a given recogniser score cut-off, and the associated probability of detecting a Night Parrot that calls within that sampling radius. Using these data, we outline how to develop a robust and repeatable survey protocol for the Night Parrot, with a defined probability of detection. This protocol could be adapted for other scenarios where deployment of ARUs is necessary to determine a species' status and distribution.

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“…on sandplains or Limestone Spinifex elsewhere seem likely to be suitable for roosting. Where such habitat is well away from the river (and its likely predator 'hotspots') and includes isolated stands on bare ground, these may also be possible nesting sites (Jackett et al 2017;Murphy et al 2017;Olsen 2018).…”

Section: Other Habitat Of Possible Importance To Roosting Night Parrotsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Night Parrots Pezoporus occidentalis at the Ethel River, Western Australia: Continuing opportunities for conserving habitats around rare permanent springs

Curry¹,

Nicholson²,

Wykes³

2021

AFO

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The combined records of two 20th-century observers (Martin Bourgoin and Julian Ford) of Night Parrots Pezoporus occidentalis at permanent springs on the Ethel River amount to more published records of this elusive bird over a longer timespan (1912–1964) than anywhere else in Western Australia. Likely Night Parrot habitats persisting in the Ethel River area in 2019–2020 include extensive areas of mature Limestone Spinifex Triodia wiseana with other native perennial grasses, hard spinifex on sandplains, patchy perennial tussock grasses on minor floodplains and chenopod shrublands including perennial saltbush. We evaluate these habitats for their past uses and likely continuing changes that might have affected Night Parrots. With a mine under construction upstream in the sub-catchment headwaters and indications that the species is not extinct in the district, there is an urgent need to raise awareness of a uniquely important area and to survey the area for the species. Monitoring and coordinating protective measures across intersecting land uses is likely to improve the future of rare permanent springs and sensitive habitats.

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A nesting record and vocalisations of the Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis from the East Murchison, Western Australia

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

The endocast of the Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) reveals insights into its sensory ecology and the evolution of nocturnality in birds

The endocast of the Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) reveals insights into its sensory ecology and the evolution of nocturnality in birds

Accounting for both automated recording unit detection space and signal recognition performance in acoustic surveys: A protocol applied to the cryptic and critically endangered Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis)

Night Parrots Pezoporus occidentalis at the Ethel River, Western Australia: Continuing opportunities for conserving habitats around rare permanent springs

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