7/26/2023 0 Comments Cronette birdPrior to 2013, all that was known about Night Parrot behaviour and ecology was based on anecdotal reports or inference 1. In 19, individual Night Parrot bodies were discovered 3, 4, but it was not until 2013 that photos of live birds and the discovery of a population in southwest Queensland enabled the first scientific study of this species 5. Only 25 scientific specimens were collected between 1845 and around 1875, after which confirmed reports of living birds were absent for more than a century, despite an enormous potential range covering the majority of interior Australia 2 and intense search efforts by several expeditions 1. It is a small (100 g), highly cryptic, nocturnal parrot that lives only in the arid interior of Australia. The Night Parrot ( Pezoporus occidentalis) is considered to be one of the world’s most elusive birds 1. Based on the endocast and optic foramen measurements, the Night Parrot fits into a common pattern of decreased retinal input to the optic lobes in birds that should be explored more thoroughly in extant and extinct species. We propose that the visual system of the Night Parrot might represent a compromise between the need to see under low light conditions and the visual acuity required to detect predators, forage, and fly. Our data suggests that the Night Parrot likely has lower visual acuity than most other parrots, including its congener, the Eastern Ground Parrot ( P. The endocast of the Night Parrot revealed relatively small optic lobes and optic foramina, especially compared with closely related grass parakeets, but no apparent differences in orbit dimensions. Here, we used μCT scans of an intact Night Parrot specimen to determine if its visual system shares similarities with other nocturnal species. Recent field studies have revealed some insights into Night Parrot behaviour, but nothing is known of its sensory abilities. The Night Parrot ( Pezoporus occidentalis) is a rare, nocturnal parrot species that has largely escaped scientific investigation due to its behaviour and habitat preferences.
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