• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
C2a(i); D	C2a(i); D	C2a(i); D1

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2022	Critically Endangered	C2a(i)
2019	Endangered	D
2018	Endangered	B2ab(iii)c(ii,iii,iv); D
2016	Endangered	B2ab(iii)c(ii,iii,iv); D
2013	Endangered	B2ab(iii)c(ii,iii,iv);D
2012	Endangered	B2ab(iii)c(ii,iii,iv);D
2009	Critically Endangered	D1
2008	Critically Endangered
2007	Critically Endangered
2004	Critically Endangered
2000	Critically Endangered
1996	Critically Endangered
1994	Critically Endangered
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type	Australia	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	1,100,000 km2	medium
Number of locations	7-20,10	-
Severely fragmented?	yes	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	40-500, 200 mature individuals	poor	estimated	2020
Population trend	decreasing	-	inferred	-
Generation length	4.66 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	7-15,10	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: Targeted acoustic surveys across the country since 2013 have detected no more than 30 individual Night Parrots, although comprehensively surveying the large areas of potential habitat where the bird might occur is difficult. Research suggests that wherever the species is found, more individuals occur than are detected, but not many more. The failure to find many additional sites, despite searching, suggests that it is prudent to assume there may be no more. Expert consultation regarding densities known at available habitat indicates a population estimate of 40-500 individuals with a best estimate of 200 (Leseberg et al. 2021b). In any given subpopulation, there is thought not to be any more than 30 individuals (and more likely 20) (Leseberg et al. 2021b).

Trend justification:

The species continues to persist at two of the sites found since 2013 where multiple follow up surveys have occurred (N. P. Leseberg and A. H. Burbidge unpublished, in Leseberg et al. 2021b) but longer term analyses of trends in sightings suggest that there has been a gradual attrition of surviving subpopulations so a continuing decline is assumed. Since 1960, there have been continuing probable records from the northern part of the species’ historical range, but no records from northwest Victoria, and only two records from southern South Australia, suggesting a contraction from the southeast (Leseberg et al. 2021a). There are also no probable records from the southern Northern Territory since 1960. Since 2000, there have been probable records from only two regions of the Night Parrot’s historical distribution: western Queensland, and central northern Western Australia. The lack of probable records from the south east of the species’ historical range suggest the Night Parrot is locally extinct in southern South Australia and north west Victoria. Likewise, the absence of probable records from the southern Northern Territory since before 1960 suggest local extinction. Importantly, increased rates of both unconfirmed reports and probable records from elsewhere as the range contraction progresses, point to the range contraction being genuine rather than an artefact of survey effort. The results of this research and widespread searches for the species in western Queensland (N. Leseberg unpublished, in Leseberg et al. 2021b), and emerging data from searches in central and northern Western Australia, point to the species occurring in very low numbers, at extremely low densities, and in isolated, resident populations. The probable extreme fragmentation of the population poses a significant extinction risk. Furthemore, expert opinion concludes that if no management occurs, populations at specific sites will continue to decline over the longer term (N. Leseberg in litt. 2021). Currently, only the population on Pullen Pullen SWR in western Queensland is under specific management, which represents a small percentage of the total population and therefore suggests an overall continuing decline for the species.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Australia	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Australia	Diamantina and Astrebla Grasslands
Australia	Fortescue Marshes

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Grassland	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	major	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	major	resident
Altitude	0 - 600 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching - Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion, Species mortality
Climate change & severe weather	Temperature extremes	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Species disturbance, Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion, Species mortality
Human intrusions & disturbance	Recreational activities	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species disturbance
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Felis catus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Vulpes vulpes	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Viral/prion-induced diseases - Avipoxvirus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Viral/prion-induced diseases - Beak and Feather Disease Virus (BFDV)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality
Natural system modifications	Other ecosystem modifications	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/night-parrot-pezoporus-occidentalis on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.