Descriptions of known vocalisations of the Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis

Abstract

Until recently, the only descriptions of Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis vocalisations were anecdotal reports from observers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The 2013 discovery of an extant population of Night Parrots in western Queensland led to the first contemporary descriptions, and further calls were described following the 2017 discovery of Night Parrots at a site in central Western Australia. Ongoing field studies have shown that the species has a complex repertoire and, although there are some similarities in vocalisations between sites, there is much spatial and temporal variation. It is likely that call recognition will be the primary means of detection for this cryptic species, underscoring the importance of cataloguing vocalisations across the species’ range. Accordingly, we describe all known vocalisations from the three sites where Night Parrots are known to occur.