‘Equivalent of Tasmanian tiger for bird watchers’ discovered in Western Australia desert

Rangers and scientists have discovered a population of night parrots living in Western Australia’s Great Sandy desert. Photograph: Dr Nick Leseberg

The largest known population of one of Australia’s rarest birds has been found living in Western Australia’s Great Sandy desert.

A team of Ngururrpa rangers and scientists detected the stronghold of up to 50 night parrots - a critically endangered species once feared extinct - living on Indigenous-managed land, according to a study published in Wildlife Research.