Night Parrot has genome sequenced by CSIRO for the first time

One of the rarest and most elusive birds on the planet, one that used to call large parts of the NT home, the night parrot, has had its genome sequenced for the first time ever by the CSIRO.

Steve Murphy holding the male Night Parrot freshly removed from the mist net on 6 May 2016. – Photo by Rachel Barr.

One of the rarest and most elusive birds on the planet, one that used to call large parts of the NT home, the night parrot, has had its genome sequenced for the first time ever by the CSIRO.

The development is hoped to answer questions on the genetics and biology of the highly elusive and nocturnal species, that had long been believed extinct, and aid in future conservation efforts.

CSIRO’s Australian National Wildlife Collection director Dr Leo Joseph said this latest development will allow them to learn things about the bird that they previously only could have guessed.

“The genome will enable us to explore the genetic basis of why the night parrot is nocturnal – a very unusual feature in parrots,” he said.

“We’ll investigate faculties like navigation, smell, beak shape and its less-than-optimal night vision.

“Researchers will also be able to run statistical analyses on the genome of this individual to estimate past population sizes of night parrot populations in Australia.

“Now, we have the capability to compare this annotated genome with other, closely related parrots, shedding light on the reasons behind its scarcity and limited distribution compared to many of its relatives.”

The night parrot was largely distributed throughout arid and semi arid parts of Australia up until the early 1900s, including the majority of the Northern Territory.

More recent records of the species have been mainly located throughout varying parts of Queensland and Western Australia, but unconfirmed recordings of what was believed to be the bird vocalising was recorded in southern NT in 2017.

Mr Joseph said the decline in the bird’s numbers was likely due to predation from cats and foxes as well as fire and habitat loss.