The night parrot [1] [2] ( lat. Pezoporus occidentalis ) is a bird of the parrot family. The only species of the genus. Recently combined in one genus with an earthen parrot .
| Night parrot |
 |
| Scientific classification |
|---|
| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
|
| International scientific name |
|---|
Pezoporus occidentalis
( Gould , 1861 ) |
| Synonyms |
|---|
Geopsittacus occidentalis |
| Area |
|---|
|
| Security status |
|---|
Endangered speciesIUCN 3.1 Endangered : 22685237 |
|
Content
Strong physique, small in size (about 24 cm long) and with discreet plumage . Coloring is yellowish-olive with a scaly black pattern, the belly is yellow. The tail is relatively short.
It lives in the central and western regions of Australia .
Inhabit rocky dry semi-deserts . Active at night . They usually fly a short distance. When night falls, they fly out in search of food and a watering place. They feed mainly on the seeds of prickly shrubs. The night parrot remains one of the most elusive and mysterious birds in the world, few people have been able to see it.
They build nests in the thick of thorny bushes a few centimeters from the ground. The female lays up to 5 eggs .
This species was quite numerous in the 19th century . Estimation of the population size is currently a subject of controversy. Some researchers believe that the parrot disappeared as a result of the predation of dogs and cats, others that the population is not in danger. The last time it was discovered by scientists in remote parts of Queensland in 1990 . Prior to this, in 1979, a group of scientists from the Museum of South Australia observed a flock of birds in northern South Australia. Since 1937, taken under protection, listed in the Red Book. In August 2015, after 18 months of searching in the south-west of Queensland, Australia, for the first time in 25 years, one individual of this species was caught alive, tagged and released [3] [4]
- ↑ Boehme R. L. , Flint V. E. The Bilingual Dictionary of Animal Names. Birds. Latin, Russian, English, German, French / Ed. ed. Acad. V. E. Sokolova . - M .: Rus. lang., "RUSSO", 1994. - S. 119. - 2030 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00643-0 .
- ↑ Fisher D., Simon N., Vincent D. Red Book. Wildlife at risk / trans. from English, ed. A. G. Bannikova . - M .: Progress, 1976. - S. 326—327. - 478 p.
- ↑ Night parrot capture and tagging hailed as 'holy grail' moment for bird lovers
- ↑ Elusive night parrot captured for the first time in 100 years in Queensland - video
