Hi Philip.
Dogs could flush Night Parrots' thus disclosing their
presence, not catch them. Although doubtless generally nomadic, some NP
populations or family groups should be found in specific areas where
conditions suit or where they they breed. Once located they could be trapped
or netted if need be to establish a breeding population, or the area fenced
off to exclude predators and encourage a natural population to establish
itself.
The dogs don't have to be able to recognise an actual Night
Parrot, trained bird dogs may recognise "bird" smell and react accordingly.
Any bird will be flushed, not just Night Parrots.
Dogs can pick up other cues, eg sound and movement.
The presence of a dog quartering through vegetation will
flush birds, whether the dog knows they are there or not, an instinctive
reaction by the birds. Not every bird will be flushed but most would if the
dog was close enough.
"Pointers" pick up the presence of a bird and "point" at
the bird. Birds don't just sit there waiting to be picked up, they fly off,
ie they "flush". NPs can fly.
"Retrievers" pick up bird that have been shot and bring
them back to the shooter. Retrievers would not be suitable, the NPs would
not be shot except on camera.
Any smart Cattle-dog might be good enough to sniff out a
few birds, persistence over large areas would be the key when searching
"blind"
Motion activated digital surveillance cameras can be
fitted with infra-red for night viewing and have a range of up to a hundred
metres, more than necessary . Mark Carter would know more about that than
I do, but cameras are a practical proposition.
Hi Jeff,
The NPs are presumably holding their own, but fencing off
some peninsulas in WA and excluding cats and foxes has apparently resulted
in a huge resurgence of rare mammalian wildlife, and this could happen with
NP's once their niche is known. Finding them in the first place and
defining their needs is what an expedition could achieve.
Fencing off a a few hundred hectares in some remote desert
location would be a different ballgame. Camels walk through just about
anything,
Cheers
Michael
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