Pezoporus occidentalis
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_parrot
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
The Night Parrot faces severe threats from habitat degradation caused by overgrazing, altered fire regimes, and invasive plant species that reduce the quality of its spinifex grassland habitat. Predation by introduced species, particularly feral cats and European red foxes, poses a significant threat to the remaining small population. Climate change exacerbates these pressures by altering rainfall patterns and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events that can destroy critical habitat and nesting sites.
Habitat
The Night Parrot inhabits arid and semi-arid spinifex grasslands, particularly areas dominated by Triodia species, across inland Australia. It prefers dense, mature spinifex clumps that provide cover and nesting sites, often in association with scattered shrubs and near ephemeral water sources.
