The nature of sound and the elusive ground parrot

The ground parrot is one of only three ground-dwelling parrots in the world, says wildlife ecologist Dr Sally Bryant. It is a fantastic species about which I knew little when I started a two-year project to assess its conservation status. That project taught me about sound.

My first job in the state government was in 1989 on a two-year contract working on the ground parrot and wow, what a learning curve that was. Unless flushed, ground parrots live entirely on the ground so you rarely see them. They only call for 10 or so minutes at dawn or dusk, so their call is the only indicator or their presence and abundance. All of my recordings were in early evenings when their beautiful call rises from the sedge-land plains like an orchestra of duets and choruses.

At a central point you can mark on a circle every call heard at a distance and at the end of the listening period you can estimate the number of individuals per hectare.

Dan Broun SWNP 006
South-west Tasmania: ground parrot habitat. Image: Dan Broun

When they're finished calling, it was dark so in remote locations with just a backpack and head torch it’s not always easy to see which direction to go. No mobile phone, no gps or satellite trackers, just printed maps, compass, flagging tape and a lot of funny stories.

That project taught me about listening and learning from sound. Intensity, direction, duration, tonal qualities, complexity and language. After two years, I knew what they were saying and why.

Ground parrots and night parrots are Australian birds but the third ground dwelling parrot, the kakapo, took me to New Zealand on a four-month fellowship to study threatened species. It was an opportunity to see NZ perilous state of conservation and the fantastic programs underway to restore and repair the damage.

Sally and kakapo
Sally and kakapo 'Smoky'. Image: supplied

Nowadays we use song meters and remote loggers to detect and track bird species so my project is unlikely to ever be repeated. Technology is rapidly transforming our understanding of species ecology but our eyes, ears and heart will always be the drivers.

A balance between technology and time in the field is what young scientists need to strive for.

30 years on my most important assets are my eyes and ears - it's not only what I look at, but what I hear that tells me about the health of nature.

Dan Broun SWNP 096
South-west Tasmania. Image: Dan Broun

Share

You might like...

Braiding Sweetgrass

Braiding Sweetgrass explores reciprocal relationships between humans and the land, with a focus on the role of plants and botany in both Native American and Western traditions. The book has been described as a gift of love to the Earth.

Read more
Jamie Kirkpatrick 01 02 02 02 copy

Jamie Kirkpatrick: a life for Nature

We pay our respects to Tasmanian conservation giant, Distinguished Professor Jamie Kirkpatrick, who passed away last month aged 78. Kuno's Dan Broun spoke with Jamie last year and we publish this interview to help remember him and honour his life and legacy.

Read more
Adventure Bay Might and Power Warwick Berry

An irreplaceable connection to place

I really enjoy watching it all happen. Just slowly, observing the cycles. I really notice the bird life, because that comes to your door. Then, there's a lot of marine life. It's a big part of every day, reflects composer and guitarist Julius Schwing, on his connection to Nature and a childhood spent "amongst it all" on Bruny Island.

Read more
David clode se M6i8g J7d0 unsplash

Growing up wild and healthy

For Friends of North Bruny Chair Simon Allston, his love of nature blossomed in his late teens, when his family moved to the bush and he was introduced to healthy eating and organic gardening. He has grown his own food ever since.

Read more

Newsletter

Sign up to keep in touch with articles, updates, events or news from Kuno, your platform for nature