Night Parrots Pezoporus occidentalis at the Ethel River, Western Australia: Continuing opportunities for conserving habitats around rare permanent springs

Abstract

The combined records of two 20th-century observers (Martin Bourgoin and Julian Ford) of Night Parrots Pezoporus occidentalis at permanent springs on the Ethel River amount to more published records of this elusive bird over a longer timespan (1912–1964) than anywhere else in Western Australia. Likely Night Parrot habitats persisting in the Ethel River area in 2019–2020 include extensive areas of mature Limestone Spinifex Triodia wiseana with other native perennial grasses, hard spinifex on sandplains, patchy perennial tussock grasses on minor floodplains and chenopod shrublands including perennial saltbush. We evaluate these habitats for their past uses and likely continuing changes that might have affected Night Parrots. With a mine under construction upstream in the sub-catchment headwaters and indications that the species is not extinct in the district, there is an urgent need to raise awareness of a uniquely important area and to survey the area for the species. Monitoring and coordinating protective measures across intersecting land uses is likely to improve the future of rare permanent springs and sensitive habitats.