Protecting a bird you can barely see is no easy task—especially when it hides in the shadows and nests deep within desert grasslands. That’s exactly the challenge conservationists face with the night parrot, a rare green-and-yellow species long considered almost mythical in the Australian outback.
A major effort on Ngururrpa Country in Western Australia set out with a practical mission: find out where these birds live, know what threatens them, and figure out how to keep them safe. By combining Indigenous knowledge with technology that works even while people sleep, the team built a clearer picture of the bird’s fragile world.
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Between 2020 and 2023, a team of Indigenous rangers and scientists got to work by placing rugged audio recorders across dozens of desert sites. These recorders were designed to catch the parrot’s unique nighttime calls.
One of the bird’s calls sounded like a digital telephone—“didly dip, didly dip.” Another resembled a distant bell—“dink dink.” When recordings confirmed the presence of parrots, the team followed up with motion-triggered cameras to monitor the area for predators.
They didn’t stop there. They also collected animal scat to learn what predators were eating and analyzed decades of satellite data to study fire patterns across the landscape.
Habitat
Audio evidence confirmed night parrots were using more than half of the surveyed sites, a strong sign of a real population rather than a few lone wanderers. By tracing the calls, the team located daytime roosts hidden deep within thick clumps of spinifex grass.
The key plant here is bull spinifex, or Triodia longiceps. This tough desert grass forms dome-shaped clumps that provide essential shelter. But not just any spinifex will do. The parrots rely on older, tightly packed clumps to stay cool and hidden during the day. Younger, thinner growth doesn’t offer the same protection.
That’s why fire plays such a big role. If fires sweep through too often, spinifex doesn’t get the years it needs to mature into the dense domes parrots need to survive.
Fires
Desert fires can be sparked by lightning and pushed along by long dry spells. If those fires happen too frequently, the landscape stays in an early-growth phase—not ideal for parrots.
The study found that areas around known roosts were burning too often. But there’s a solution: cooler, well-timed burns done strategically. These controlled fires, planned with help from local Indigenous rangers, can create a natural patchwork of burned and unburned land. That breaks up fuel loads and reduces the risk of one big, damaging blaze wiping out all available shelter.
Predators
Cameras in the area often caught images of dingoes, which at first seemed like a threat to the parrots. But when researchers analyzed predator scat, they found something surprising—cat remains were more common than anything else.
This points to a helpful balance. Feral cats are deadly night hunters and especially dangerous to chicks and young birds. Dingoes, it seems, help control cat populations either by hunting them directly or making the landscape less comfortable for them to hunt in.
In areas where dingoes were active, cat pressure dropped. That means more chances for young parrots to survive.
Numbers
From the recordings and observations, the team estimated that around 50 night parrots could be living in this part of Ngururrpa Country. While that may not sound like much, it’s a significant figure for a bird with so few confirmed populations elsewhere in Australia.
This makes Ngururrpa a crucial stronghold. But it’s a fragile one. A single out-of-control fire, a shift in predator dynamics, or new disturbances like vehicle traffic or grazing livestock could easily tip the balance in the wrong direction.
Solutions
The path forward is clear—and grounded in local knowledge. Fire management should rely on Indigenous rangers who know the land and its rhythms, using satellite imagery to guide seasonal burns that keep fuel loads in check without disrupting parrot habitat.
Predator control should be careful not to remove dingoes, since they play a key role in limiting cat populations.
Other steps include keeping the area quiet and undisturbed, avoiding the introduction of invasive weeds, and preventing livestock from trampling through key roosting zones.
Technology can also help. Feathers can be used for DNA analysis to sharpen population estimates. Small tracking tags could reveal how far night parrots fly to feed and which areas are most important during the harsh dry months.
Lesson
This study is a strong example of what can happen when science works hand-in-hand with local Indigenous knowledge. The night parrot needs mature spinifex, thoughtful fire planning, and a healthy predator balance to thrive.
Ngururrpa Country has shown that with the right tools, timing, and teamwork, even one of Australia’s most elusive birds can have a real shot at survival.
FAQs
Where does the night parrot live?
In dense, mature spinifex grass in Australia’s deserts.
What do night parrots need to survive?
Old spinifex, safe roosts, and low predator pressure.
Are dingoes bad for night parrots?
No, dingoes help control cat populations.
How many night parrots are in Ngururrpa?
Around 50 birds are estimated in the area.
What threatens the night parrot?
Frequent fires, feral cats, and habitat disturbance.
