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Pacific Conservation Biology Pacific Conservation Biology Society
A journal dedicated to conservation and wildlife management in the Pacific region.
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Social landscape of the night parrot in western Queensland, Australia

Stephen T. Garnett A D , Mark Kleinschmidt B , Micha V. Jackson A , Kerstin K. Zander C and Stephen A. Murphy A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0909, Australia.

B Astrebla Services Pty Ltd, Suite One, 78 Smythe Drive, Highfields, Qld 4352, Australia.

C The Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT 0909, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: Stephen.garnett@cdu.edu.au

Pacific Conservation Biology 22(4) 360-366 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC16014
Submitted: 31 March 2016  Accepted: 30 May 2016   Published: 1 August 2016

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.

Additional keywords: graziers, habitat management, threatened species.


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