Science for Saving Species Research findings factsheet Project 5.1 Better offsets for the night parrot Background Biodiversity offsets are commonly used to compensate for unavoidable impacts of development on species or ecosystems by aiming to create an equivalent benefit for the same species or ecosystem elsewhere. In Australia, offsets are routinely prescribed as conditions of approval for proposed development that will impact species or ecological communities listed as threatened either nationally under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, or under state and territory laws. Figure 1: Night parrot (Image: Steve Murphy) For offsets to work as intended, we need to be able to quantify how This project developed an approach the effectiveness of particular much benefit an offset action will for eliciting the knowledge of offset actions. We tested the provide for a species or ecosystem threatened species experts in a approach using several case at a site level in order to make structured way, so as to guide study species that commonly sure that the offset completely estimates of both the benefits trigger offset requirements, and compensates for the impact from and the costs of alternative offset for which developing appropriate the development. For many poorly- approaches. Although it doesn’t offset proposals is considered understood species and ecological replace field-based studies, it can challenging. Here, we describe the communities, however, important help decision-makers ensure that approach and findings for one of knowledge gaps exist. This makes offset decisions are based on these species – the night parrot it hard to know what type and how the best available information at Pezoporus occidentalis. much offset action is needed to the time, and help identify how offset a given impact. much uncertainty there is about Biodiversity and Conservation Science DESERT support services Authors Martine Maron, UQ; Megan Evans, UNSW and UQ; Jessica Walsh, Monash University and UQ; Nick Leseberg, UQ/Adaptive NRM; Allan Burbidge, WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions; Steve Murphy, Adaptive NRM; Stephen Garnett, Charles Darwin University; Julian Reid, Australian National University; Alex Kutt, Tasmanian Land Conservancy; Rod Kavanagh, Australian Wildlife Conservancy; Rob Davis, Edith Cowan University; Alexander Watson, Australian Wildlife Conservancy; John Read, Ecological Horizons; Mike Bamford, Bamford Consulting Ecologists; Stephen van Leeuwen, WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions; Kate Crossing, Desert Support Services; Micha Jackson, UQ; Tida Nou, UQ; Scott Spillias, UQ; Zoë L. Stone, Massey University Missing then rediscovered The night parrot is a cryptic, nocturnal bird endemic to Australia’s arid interior. Night parrots were widespread until the late 19th century, and were collected occasionally until around 1870 when they began to decline severely. A reported sighting in 2005 in Western Australia led to subsequent searches for the species and the first biodiversity offset for potential disturbance to night parrot habitat in the Fortescue Marshes. In 2013, there was another sighting (accompanied by a photograph) of the night parrot, and a small subpopulation was located in remote western Queensland. In 2017, the species was found at separate sites in central and northern Western Australia, with further records from the site in northern Western Australia made by the Paruku Indigenous Rangers in 2018. Since then, the species has been Figure 2: Historical and potential current range of the night parrot in Australia detected at a further five sites in (Map by Nick Leseberg et al.) northern Western Australia. fly to feed on floodplains, run-on The night parrot is listed as Little was known about the areas, and drainage systems, usually Endangered under the Environment behaviour and habitat use of with a high diversity of grasses and Protection and Biodiversity this secretive species, but recent other groundcover. The two primary Conservation Act 1999, but there is research has improved our threats to the species are likely to be no National Recovery Plan in place understanding of the bird’s ecology. inappropriate fire regimes and cat for the species. The Action Plan for At sites where the night parrot has predation, with other threats likely Australian Birds 2020 lists the night been detected, they occupy roost to include habitat degradation from parrot as Critically Endangered, with sites typically in areas of long- livestock grazing, fox predation and few (<10) tiny subpopulations and unburnt spinifex hummocks, and invasive weeds such as buffel grass. a continuing decline highly likely. Current approaches to offsets for night parrots Given the lack of available species in Queensland, and surveys Direct offsets need to focus on information, biodiversity offsets in areas with historical records. reducing the impact of threatening for the night parrot have included processes on the species, but The substantial body of research monetary contributions towards guidance is needed as to what type on the species since 2014 is highly a regional conservation initiative and how much action to take to valuable, but research alone does or research plan. Offset payments counterbalance a given impact. not achieve a direct benefit for the from mining have funded a night parrot population, and so national research plan for the cannot counterbalance impacts. night parrot, research on the Engaging experts to improve offset strategies We elicited information about the of online anonymous surveys We asked the experts to envisage effectiveness and cost of a series with 11 night parrot experts, who the outcomes for night parrots in of management activities (detailed collectively had expertise across each hypothetical offset site after in Figure 3) that may benefit night the parrot’s geographical range. 20 years if current management parrots, based on expert knowledge. Experts provided quantitative did not change (‘do nothing’), and To do this, we first identified estimates of the benefits of a range if particular management actions, candidate management actions of management actions at two or combinations of these actions, based on interviews with two key hypothetical offset sites which had were implemented. We also explored night parrot experts. Next, we different types of environments, the costs and cost-effectiveness used a structured expert elicitation site conditions and past land of these alternative strategies. protocol involving two rounds management (Box 1). Figure 3: Potential management actions Feral cat control (standard): Feral cat control (alternative): trapping and/or shooting; expert Indigenous hunters and that could benefit night supported by seasonal baiting and Felixer grooming traps parrot populations. Experts considered how these actions, alone and in different combinations, would Feral fox control: Fire management: best practice (seasonal aerial and ground baiting, benefit night parrots mosaic ecological burns trapping/shooting) at two different to encourage a variety of habitat ages hypothetical offset sites (see Box 1). Protected Area Protect habitat: designate core X habitat or degraded potential Restore degraded land: cessation of X habitat as a protected area, grazing and regular burning; general fire and grazing dingo persecution is minimised, management, fencing erected; site is allowed to recover dingo persecution is minimised Box 1: Hypothetical offset sites and benefit indicator Management actions are likely consistently for at least two years) To estimate the benefits of different Site 1: Current night parrot habitat to differ in their benefit Siteto night 2: Degradedwere found in the most recent management actions, a suitable parrots at different types of sites. monitoring year. benefit indicator was required. We therefore asked expertspotential to night parrot The benefit indicator needs to Site 2. compare the relative benefits of be able to be readily measured habitat Degraded, management actions (Figure 3) at and monitored at the site level, potential two different hypothetical offset and be highly likely to relate to night parrot sites, each 100,000 ha in size: the viability of the species. For the habitat: A grazing property with 3.00 night parrot, experts were asked Site 1: Current night parrot habitat Site 1. CurrentSite 2: Degradedsubstantial disturbance from to use the number of stable night night parrotpotential nightgrazing parrot and fires where no night parrot roosts at which night parrots habitat:habitat A parrots are currently found, but have been recorded consistently large cattle has the appropriate matrix of both at the same location for 2 years property with low grazing pressure spinifex and floodplain herb field ) 3.00 as the benefit indicator. and minimal human disturbance vegetation, which is adjacent where two stable night parrot roosts to current night parrot habitat. 2.00 (i.e. night parrots have used the site ) millions ($ 2.00 millions ($ years years 1.00 1.00 over 20 over 20 Annual cost per night parrot parrot pernight cost Annual roost Annual cost per night parrot parrot pernight cost Annual roost 0.00 Protected b Protected b Area Area 0.00 Protected Protected Protect Cat controlb Cat control Fox Fire Cat control Protect habitat Restoreb Restore land Area Area habitat (standard) (alternative) control management (std) & fox + land + control Cat control Cat control (std) + (std) & fox & fox control Fire control +