Indigenous Desert Alliance

The night parrot is a nocturnal, predominantly ground-dwelling parrot that was thought to be extinct for around 100 years.

Night parrot are an important part of tjukurrpa and so are culturally significant to Indigenous people across Australia. Threatened by feral cat predation and habitat loss by wildfire, night parrots are listed as critically endangered.

Participants on the study tour of Pullen Pullen listen out for Night parrot song at dusk.

“It's better working together because we can all let other rangers know... and share tips and advice to protect country and protect the Night Parrot."

Clifford Sunfly, Ngururrpa Ranger

Description

Night parrots are relatively small, growing up to 25cm long. Their feathers are bright green mottled with black along its back, wings and tail, and bright yellow on the belly. They make their roosts in old-growth spinifex, resting during the day out of sight, and coming out at night to forage.

Key Threats

Predation by feral cats and foxes
Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation
Wrong way fire (too often, too intense, too big)

Tracks, signs & traces

The night parrot are elusive, but have distinctive calls which help to identify them on country.

Distribution

Key Actions

Rangers across the desert look after night parrot populations with right-way desert fire and predator management around night parrot habitat. The IDA facilitates research partnerships with NESP Resilient Landscapes Hub to assist ranger teams in establishing long term monitoring programs, facilitate DNA analysis of night parrot scats from roosting sites to examine diet and population structure, and GPS tracking to determine feeding habitats and drinking sites. The IDA have also facilitated a number of exchanges between member groups to promote knowledge sharing.