Critically endangered night parrot captured by Martu rangers in east Pilbara
In short:
A rarely seen bird has been filmed at a watering hole in WA's remote east Pilbara.
It is the first time the night parrot has been observed drinking water, with researchers previously theorising it did not need to do so.
What's next:
This discovery will help inform future mine planning.
Rare footage of the critically endangered night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) has been captured by Martu rangers in the east Pilbara.
It provides new insight into what resources the elusive bird requires to survive and helps inform approvals underway at a nearby mine site.
The night vision footage recorded in September shows a night parrot at a watering hole a few hundred kilometres east of Port Hedland.
WA Museum Boola Bardip's night parrot specimen. (Supplied: Arianna Urso / Western Australian Museum)
Due to the parrot’s nocturnal nature and its known existence in only two remote locations of north-east WA and western Queensland, little is known about the bird.
So much so that for 80 years it was thought to be extinct.
Endemic to Australia, there are estimated to be between only 50 and 500 birds in the species remaining.
Why is this significant?
Nick Leseberg is a researcher at the University of Queensland and Bush Heritage Australia and has been studying the rare bird for nearly a decade.
"The night parrot is a fascinating bird because we can't study it in all the usual ways that you would study a bird — by watching it during the day," he said.
Previously it was unknown if the bird visited water sources, with ornithologists theorising it may be satisfied with water ingested from eating succulent plants.
Night parrot researcher Nick Leseberg says the recording is significant for the understanding of the bird. (ABC Science: Ann Jones)
But, a 2017 discovery found that birds do need to visit water sources and this recent video is thought to be the first time it has been captured on tape.
"It's actually really significant," Dr Leseburg said.
"So it shows us that not only is water something that they probably need frequently, particularly during hot times of year, but it also tells us that when water is not available in the landscape, they do probably have to adjust and maybe move out of areas to places where water is available."
The video recording showed the nocturnal bird drinking from a water hole. (Supplied: Jamukurnu-Yapalikurnu Aboriginal Corporation )
Knowing the ground-dwelling bird needs to be within a certain distance of a water source helps inform conceptual modelling to map where they can be found.
Dr Leseberg said the more information gained about critically endangered animals and the resources they require to survive would help to conserve the species.
"If you don't know these things, you can't conserve it and you can't recover it," he said.
Mining, protection and conservation
Rio Tinto’s developing copper-gold mine Winu sits 60 kilometres from where the latest footage was captured.
In July 2024, acoustic monitoring detected bird calls belonging to the night parrot after six years of environmental monitoring by Rio Tinto.
Plans for a borefield as part of the Winu mine were relocated as a result.
There has been a concerted effort between Jamukurnu-Yapalikurnu Aboriginal Corporation (JYAC), Rio Tinto and environmental consultants Biota to track the nocturnal creature to help inform further planning.
For the Martu people, the protection and conservation of the parrots' natural environment is paramount.
Rio Tinto's Winu mine in the east Pilbara is currently awaiting environmental approvals. (ABC: Stephen Stockwell)
JYAC chief executive Rebecca Girdwood said the collaborative approach assists in decision-making around things such as fencing and mining roads.
"Making sure that where we have those known habitats, that those areas are protected will be really important in terms of ensuring that there's responsible development," she said.
"We're actually looking at how those habitats can be protected into the future."
The mine is currently awaiting environmental approvals.
Rio Tinto's website states "we’ve removed all identified night parrot habitat from the project’s development envelope to minimise any possibility of disturbing them".
Working together
Martu people know the night parrot as Kurrual Kurrual.
Their country covers 14 million hectares across the Western Desert lands.
After hearing plenty of audio of what was identified as the sound of the parrot, the teams were excited to see visual confirmation.
"I think there was a lot of jumping up and down," Ms Girdwood said.
Martu rangers use local knowledge to assist in the research. ( ABC Goldfields: Giulia Bertoglio)
"Everyone was just thrilled after thousands and thousands of hours of audio recordings, to actually see that translated into something actually real rather than just the knowing that they are out there."
Ms Girdwood said the collaborative approach united knowledge from multiple areas of expertise.
There were no sightings of the night parrot between 1912 and 1990. (Supplied: Rachel Murphy)
"It’s bringing the Martu knowledge of landscape, water, animal movements and then obviously the western science of the acoustic monitoring, the camera trapping and the vegetation mapping," she said.
"The animals that live there, the birds that live there are all very important to Martu and so knowing that actions are being taken to ensure that their longevity and their protection is going to be very important going forward."