Social landscape of the night parrot in western Queensland, Australia

Abstract

The attitudes of the owners or managers of properties potentially supporting populations of night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) in western Queensland, Australia, were explored using interviews to understand whether they would be sympathetic to the species’ conservation. Eighteen interviews were carried out by a former member of the local grazing community and found a high level of support for conservation, especially if it did not unduly disrupt existing grazing management practices and there was compensation in the event property management needed to change. This included trying to limit burning and not overgrazing habitat in which the parrot might occur. It also included the cessation of wild dog baiting, which is conducted to reduce calf losses, although concern about wild dogs was deeply entrenched. While some graziers were indifferent, none were openly antagonistic to parrot conservation that might involve their property. The results suggest that collaborative management with local graziers can contribute substantially to conservation of the night parrot in the region and any fears that graziers might be antagonistic to night parrot conservation are ill-founded.