Australia's night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) was once thought to be extinct but live sightings three years ago and a chance photo that led to the capture of the nocturnal bird confirmed that the bird's population continues to thrive.
Now, this ground dweller that comes out to find food at night have more odds for survival as more actions have been made to protect the species.
The rare night parrot gets a new home in a newly declared secret sanctuary in a remote location in Queensland.
Bush Heritage Australia, a non-profit organization that aims to conserve biodiversity in the country, has procured a 56,000-hectare sanctuary where it can safeguard Australia's most elusive bird.
Poachers and curious birdwatchers are among the major threats to the continued existence of the night parrot but the sanctuary will be fitted with surveillance cameras to deter them. Traps will also be installed to safeguard the birds from predators.
"The secrecy of the site has been one of the best friends of the night parrot. Keeping the site confidential for as long as we can is very important," said Bush Heritage Australia regional manager Rob Murphy.
Jim Radford, the science and research manager of Bush Heritage said that there could be up to 30 birds at the reserve. Because little is known about the elusive bird, scientists are not certain on how many of these birds would be needed to have a viable breeding population.
The bird was first recorded in 1845 but it was rarely seen. It was earlier believed to be extinct until dead specimens were found in 1990 and 2006. In 2013, naturalist John Young was able to capture photos and a short video of the bird.
Findings of new studies were at odds with what was known about the bird based on the observations made by naturalists in the 1880s. The parrot for instance, appears to be sedentary rather than nomadic.
Researchers acknowledge that there's a lot more to be learned about the biology and behavior of the bird. Experts, for instance, have not yet seen a nest and are not even sure if the parrot drinks water.
"It's such an iconic bird and probably the holy grail for bird watchers," Radford said. "At the moment it remains the only population of night parrots in the world, which is why it's so intriguing."
Besides the location of the colony, the actual recordings of the bird's call are also being kept a secret.
