birding-aus

Night Parrot Debate

To: Andrew Thelander <>, Greg Roberts <>
Subject: Night Parrot Debate
From: Denise Goodfellow <>
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 20:37:41 +0930
Politicians who have no interest in environmental issues are elected either
by voters who have no interest in environmental issues or by those with
other priorities.  

Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
PO Box 71,  Darwin River,
NT 0841
043 8650 835



On 19/10/13 4:11 PM, "Andrew Thelander" <> wrote:

> Greg
> 
> The Night parrot photographed by John Young is the property of the State of
> Queensland, an entity controlled by the likes of Campbell Newman and Jeff
> Seeney. I somehow don't think that remembering the bird's proprietorial status
> is going to help it one iota. Our governments are failing our endangered
> species and we keep re-electing them. Stop the votes (to politicians who have
> no interest in environmental issues) and we might get somewhere.
> 
> cheers
> Andrew
> 
> On 18/10/2013, at 8:48 PM, Greg Roberts wrote:
> 
>> I have been asked by several people to contribute to the latest exchange on
>> this subject and do so reluctantly.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> David Adams has a point when he speculates that the controversy surrounding
>> the Night Parrot discovery can be explained by the fact that it has been
>> handled in a "novel manner".
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I believe Nikolas Haass is correct when he suggests it is reasonable for
>> further evidence to be produced publicly to consolidate the discovery.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> A lesson in history. In the mid-1970s I rediscovered the plumiferus race of
>> the Marbled Frogmouth. It was a highly significant finding at the time; the
>> so-called Plumed Frogmouth had not been seen for some decades and its call
>> was unknown. I immediately publicised the whereabouts of the site. With
>> Chris Corben and other colleagues, we recorded the bird's call; the
>> recordings were distributed widely. Surveys were conducted throughout the
>> bird's range in south-east Queensland and north-east NSW to determine its
>> status and distribution. I published the finding in a peer-reviewed journal,
>> Emu. The results of surveys were published in another journal, Sunbird. I
>> took the view that the interests of the Plumed Frogmouth were best served by
>> both verifying the record publicly and by gathering and publicising as much
>> information as quickly as possible.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> It's called transparency, and without adequate and incontrovertible
>> transparency, controversy is inevitable.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> This debate is not about attacking or defending any particular individual.
>> It is not primarily about believing or not believing the Night Parrot
>> record; I personally believe it.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> What this debate should be centred around is the welfare of the Night
>> Parrot. Too many people forget that this endangered species is not the
>> property of any individual, however noteworthy their efforts in the field
>> may be.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Greg Roberts 
>> 
>> ===============================
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> 
> Andrew Thelander
> Mob: 0400 034 809
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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