Lorne Johnson, 27 Feb. 2003 posed the query:
"What is the rarest Australian bird? Gouldian Finch? Buff-breasted
Button-quail?"
Hope it wasn't that I just failed to notice the correct answer. Don't think
so.
Australia can boast (except that boasting is hardly appropriate) the rarest
bird in the world. None rarer, anyway. Or could. I don't know the current
situation.
Ninox undulata, the endemic Norfolk Island Boobook Owl. Population:
one. A female.
My understanding is that one or more males of the closely related New
Zealand species were to be released on Norfolk in the hope that she would
mate with one, produce fertile offspring, and at least some of her genes
would be preserved.
There must be someone on birding-aus who knows what has happened?
Syd
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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