Martu rangers in the east Pilbara region have captured rare footage of the critically endangered night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). This discovery offers new insights into the bird's survival needs and aids in the ongoing approvals for a nearby mining project. The night vision footage, recorded in September, shows a night parrot at a watering hole located a few hundred kilometers east of Port Hedland. The bird is known for its elusive nature and is found only in two remote areas: north-east Western Australia and western Queensland. For 80 years, it was believed to be extinct. Current estimates suggest there are only between 50 and 500 night parrots remaining in the wild. Nick Leseberg, a researcher at the University of Queensland and Bush Heritage Australia, has studied the night parrot for nearly a decade. He noted, "The night parrot is a fascinating bird because we can't study it in all the usual ways that you would study a bird — by watching it during the day." Previously, it was unclear whether the night parrot visited water sources. Ornithologists speculated that the bird might obtain sufficient moisture from succulent plants. However, a 2017 discovery confirmed that the birds do need to access water. The recent footage is believed to be the first visual evidence of the bird at a water source. Dr. Leseberg emphasized the significance of this finding, stating, "It shows us that not only is water something that they probably need frequently, particularly during hot times of year, but it also tells us that when water is not available in the landscape, they do probably have to adjust and maybe move out of areas to places where water is available." Understanding the bird's need for proximity to water sources is crucial for conservation efforts. Dr. Leseberg remarked, "If you don't know these things, you can't conserve it and you can't recover it." The Winu copper-gold mine, developed by Rio Tinto, is located 60 kilometers from where the footage was captured. In July 2024, acoustic monitoring detected night parrot calls after six years of environmental monitoring by the company. As a result, plans for a borefield associated with the mine were relocated. A collaborative effort involving the Jamukurnu-Yapalikurnu Aboriginal Corporation (JYAC), Rio Tinto, and environmental consultants Biota aims to track the night parrot to inform future planning. JYAC chief executive Rebecca Girdwood highlighted the importance of protecting the bird's habitat. "Making sure that where we have those known habitats, that those areas are protected will be really important in terms of ensuring that there's responsible development," Girdwood said. The mine is currently awaiting environmental approvals. According to Rio Tinto, "we’ve removed all identified night parrot habitat from the project’s development envelope to minimize any possibility of disturbing them." The Martu people refer to the night parrot as Kurrual Kurrual. Their traditional lands span 14 million hectares across the Western Desert. After hearing numerous audio recordings of the parrot, the teams were excited to finally see visual confirmation. Girdwood expressed the team's enthusiasm, saying, "I think there was a lot of jumping up and down. Everyone was just thrilled after thousands and thousands of hours of audio recordings, to actually see that translated into something real rather than just the knowing that they are out there." She also noted the value of the collaborative approach, which combines Martu knowledge of the landscape with western scientific methods. "The animals that live there, the birds that live there are all very important to Martu, and so knowing that actions are being taken to ensure that their longevity and their protection is going to be very important going forward," Girdwood said.