Over the past few decades, the number of extinct species has been steadily rising. However, when animals like the Night Parrot were recently found again, they were celebrated on social media.
In Western Queensland’s Pullen Pullen Reserve, photos were taken for the first time of species that were thought to have died out 100 years ago. The beautiful pictures it took have made birdwatchers “elated,” according to The Guardian.
Four friends from Broome, Bruce Greatwich, George Swann, Adrian Boyle, and Nigel Jackett, made the discovery. They had been finding wild birds for seven years, so they were very good at it. Bruce Greatwich told Guardian Australia, “We are quite experienced in these habitats, so to hear something new was very exciting.”
During a nine-day birding trip, the group found the species. Bruce Greatwich said that the bird calls they heard on a salt lake in the interior were “very interesting,” and that they were different from the calls of other species. They were happy, but also cautious.
The next morning, a night parrot with green, yellow, and black feathers greeted one of the team members, George Swann. When he saw the striking appearance, it made him feel a lot of different things. He told the others right away, and when they got there, they saw it take off again from among the spinifex.
Because they always had cameras, they had already taken pictures of the bird.
“We were thrilled and as happy as could be. To see something happen that we have been working on for a long time and that many people have tried to make happen… We were obviously very, very happy. George Swann shared.
The Australian Night Parrot is a species that is very close to extinction. Scientists think that this mottled brown, black, and yellow bird is the most mysterious species in the world. Since more than a decade ago, no living examples of this species have been caught on camera. The recovery of these four people is a big step forward for the evolution of the species and for the mining industry in the state of Washington.
Rohan Clarke, the head of research ecology, said, “We now know that night parrots do live in Western Australia. Mining companies, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Parks and Water… They will have to put a lot more weight on reported sightings now and in the future when deciding whether to build something or destroy habitat in the area.
