The night parrot is a small parrot endemic to the continent of Australia. It has also been known as porcupine parrot, nocturnal ground parakeet, midnight cockatoo, solitaire, spinifex parrot and night parakeet. It is one of the most elusive and mysterious birds in the world, with no confirmed sightings of the bird between 1912 and 1979, leading to speculation that it was extinct. Sightings since 1979 have been extremely rare and the bird's population size is unknown, though based on the paucity of records it is thought to number between 50 and 249 mature individuals, and it is classified by the IUCN as a critically endangered species.
Region
Arid interior of Australia
Typical Environment
Occupies very sparsely vegetated deserts and semi-arid plains dominated by spinifex (Triodia) grasslands, chenopod shrublands, and samphire around salt-lake margins. Uses stony gibber plains, dune fields, and hardpan flats where dense grass tussocks provide shelter. Roosts and nests deep within spinifex hummocks and forages in adjacent open areas. Distribution is patchy and often tied to areas with recent rainfall and seeding grasses.
Altitude Range
0–800 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The night parrot is one of the world’s most elusive birds, long feared extinct until a handful of confirmed records emerged late in the 20th and early 21st centuries. It is strictly nocturnal and spends daylight hidden deep within spinifex clumps, making detection extremely difficult. Its rediscovery in remote arid Australia sparked major conservation efforts focused on predator control and habitat protection.
Triodia grass
Live night parrot held by ornithologist Steve Murphy
Temperament
secretive and nocturnal
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and direct between cover
Social Behavior
Typically encountered singly or in pairs, occasionally in small groups when food is abundant. Nests on the ground in a domed structure hidden within dense spinifex tussocks. Breeding is thought to be closely linked to rainfall events and seed availability. By day it remains concealed, emerging after dusk to forage.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Calls include soft, bell-like whistles and clear, ringing notes heard at night, often described as ‘ding-ding’ or piping tones. Also gives quiet contact calls and harsher notes when flushed.
Plumage
Dense, scalloped plumage with heavy mottling; green base color overlain by blackish barring and buff-yellow streaking that provides exceptional camouflage.
Diet
Feeds primarily on seeds of spinifex and other arid-zone grasses and herbs, taking fallen seed from the ground and sometimes plucking directly from seed heads. Will also consume seeds of chenopods and samphire when available. Diet composition varies with recent rainfall and seeding cycles in the desert.
Preferred Environment
Forages at the edges of dense spinifex clumps, across open flats, and along margins of salt lakes and claypans where seed accumulates. May visit water sources opportunistically during dry periods.
