Austrlian birding friends. I am research more around the Night Parrot. And I find this on the www. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/national/twitchers-cry-foul-in-case-of-the-deceased-parrot/2007/06/22/1182019367467.html
It is funny no?
Why ?
Well the Age writer has copied same ideas – ‘Tasmanian Tiger’ and ‘Budgie’ from Brisbane Times. ‘Dubbed the Tasmanian tiger of the skies, this small, drab, budgerigar-like bird has fascinated scientists’ Naughty naughty! Ha ha ha
And more even funny – Birds Australia keep this record secret to hide it from birdwatchers ‘hunting the bird down.’
But at 2007 they told us all when dead bird found in Queensland like chicken with no head:
Mike Weston, research and conservation manager at Birds Australia, says the “incredible secrecy” prevented a concerted inquiry that might have yielded clues to the birds’ habits. “The way it was handled was most disappointing.”
Ha ha ha – I translate from www it is called ‘hypocpacy’ No?
If may be proper bird watcher go to look and see – may be now we now no more about the Night Parrot? NO? May be too many chickens run with no heads and hiding at their desk?
Richard
Twitchers cry foul in case of the deceased parrot John Huxley | June 23, 2007 THE park ranger Robert “Shorty” Cupitt was repairing a section of track in a remote part of Diamantina National Park, Queensland, when the blade of his grader exposed the headless corpse of a bird he could not immediately identify. The yellow-bellied bird, which appeared to have flown into a nearby barbed-wire fence and had been decapitated, was eventually passed to experts at Queensland Museum. They identified it as a juvenile night parrot. The ultimate, real-life dead parrot. Dubbed the Tasmanian tiger of the skies, this small, drab, budgerigar-like bird has fascinated scientists, frustrated twitchers and inspired artists, poets and novelists for more than a century. Elusive and enigmatic, the night parrot appears to have been relatively common in central Australia in the 19th century. But numbers mysteriously declined, and it was declared extinct by some experts as long ago as 1915. Such is the scientific significance of Shorty Cupitt’s find last September – only the second of its kind in more than a century (see panel) – that it should have been a cause for international celebration, immediate investigation and a concerted search for live birds. Walter Boles, of the Australian Museum in Sydney, who has found only one dead bird in 20 years of searching, says of the find: “It’s an extraordinary event, which should have been followed up immediately.” The birds may have flown. But at least now, after months of apparent inactivity and acrimony, a nationwide coalition of experts and enthusiasts has been set up to look for more birds – live ones. The founders of the National Night Parrot Network, which includes the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, described it as part research sharing group, part rapid response team, ready to climb into a four-wheel-drive or an aircraft and head into the desert on reports of a sighting. Several frustrated birding experts blame the initial delay in chasing the “lead of a lifetime” on a decision by the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, which administers the parks, to suppress news of the find. Steve Wilson, a co-founder of the network who works for Desert Channels Queensland, describes the agency’s behaviour in not sharing details as paranoid. Mike Weston, research and conservation manager at Birds Australia, says the “incredible secrecy” prevented a concerted inquiry that might have yielded clues to the birds’ habits. “The way it was handled was most disappointing.” ===============================
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It is great that a night parrot was possibly / probably seen and I’m not interested in looking back negatively. But I do have a few questions. I’d be interested to know what techniques were used to try and track down this possible sighting – just remote cameras at possible drinking sites? Were any recordings taken to see if birds (or unusual calls) were heard in the area? Were any intense searches undertaken? e.g. Ground Parrots are surveyed using ‘man-power’, and I quote (Emu, 2010, 110, 279–284:): ‘The area searches used ‘beaters’ spaced at ~10 m that proceeded slowly and noisily through the area and counted the Ground Parrots that were flushed. To minimise double counting, the place where each flushed bird landed was noted and if a bird was flushed from that vicinity it was not counted (called a ‘recount’). The area search method obviously requires many people and considerable time and effort compared with the aural survey, and relies on all birds being flushed and seen.’ Were any searches done using techniques like this which are clearly acceptable for Night Parrots closest relative -(Eastern) Ground Parrots in areas which host other endangered (e.g. Eastern Bristlebirds) and unusual species. I assume this survey technique which is used in other parts of the world for other species, is not causing a decline in Ground Parrots (or other species)? I agree with Peter it is a fine line. However, what have we learned so far in Qld and now Vic? Perhaps a more coordinated approach using both the knowledge and science we have in organisations like Birdlife Australia and the man power of the many keen birders / ornithologists could be a future option?
Rob Morris
Brisbane, Australia
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Richard Ostrowski wrote:
If you’re referring to the recent Victoria sighting, a team was sent to investigate. Would it have helped if the details had been given to everyone? There is probably a fine line between not telling enough people and telling too many.
Peter Shute ===============================
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