birding-aus

DNA confirms elusive Night Parrot found

To: John Graff <>
Subject: DNA confirms elusive Night Parrot found
From: Peter Shute <>
Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 12:30:50 +1000
Have there ever been any attempts to estimate what the population size might 
have been 200 years ago?

Peter Shute

Sent from my iPad

On 10/08/2013, at 11:34 AM, "John Graff" <> wrote:

> From the SPRAT profile for the species
> 
> "The small number of confirmed or verifiable records prevents the population 
> size from being assessed with any accuracy. However, the population size is 
> speculatively estimated to consist of about 50 breeding birds (Garnett & 
> Crowley 2000)."
> 
> Garnett, S.T. & G.M. Crowley (2000).  The Action Plan for Australian Birds 
> 2000.  [Online].  Canberra, ACT: Environment Australia and Birds Australia.  
> Available from: 
> http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/action/birds2000/index.html.
> 
> Cheers,
> John
> 
>> From: 
>> To: 
>> Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 01:25:43 +0000
>> CC: 
>> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] DNA confirms elusive Night Parrot found
>> 
>> Hi Lawrie,
>> 
>> I've also often wondered why that figure gets bandied about. I blame a 
>> non-inquiring media. Like you Lawrie, I can't believe there would be so few, 
>> for the reason you stated. I suspect someone was put on the spot by a journo 
>> at some point and said some offhand comment like "maybe there's as few as 
>> 250". One factoid born!
>> 
>> Eric
>> 
>> On 10/08/2013, at 10:42 AM, "Lawrie Conole" <> wrote:
>> 
>>> Thanks for posting that David.
>>> 
>>> The 'factoid' repeated in this story and in various versions elsewhere -
>>> that there are only 50-250 Night Parrots in existence - continues to amaze
>>> me.  Having just completed a PVA (population viability analysis) for
>>> Carnaby's Cockatoo, I have contemplated some of the demographic factors
>>> that allow a species to persist.  If, as it appears likely, that Night
>>> Parrots still exist in SW Qld and NW WA (and tantalisingly maybe in NW
>>> Vic), there would have to be >250 birds extant across this broad brown
>>> land, surely.  Maybe the difficulty associated with finding the things
>>> clouds otherwise clear heads, and generates low estimates in an attempt to
>>> rationalise the tiny number of sightings by biologists/naturalists??
>>> 
>>> L.
>>> 
>>> ++++++++++++
>>> Lawrie Conole
>>> Kyneton 3444
>>> Australia
>>> lconole[at]gmail.com
>>> ===============================
>>> 
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