One of the world’s rarest owl species has a chance at survival after a breakthrough on a remote Australian island.
A pair of morepork owl chicks have become the first in more than a decade to survive in Norfolk Island’s national park.
There are only about 45 to 50 of the birds left in the world, and researchers and park staff were said to be “ecstatic” when the chicks were discovered.
Dr James Findlay, director of Australia’s national parks, said the find marked a significant step in the recovery of the morepork owl population on the tiny island in the Pacific Ocean.
He said: “I’d like to congratulate Parks Australia staff, Norfolk Island community members and researchers for their incredible work over the years to rebuild the population of this very rare bird.
“The fledgling owls are being closely monitored by Norfolk Island National Park staff and researchers from Monash University.
“The health of the new birds continues to be assessed and a very close eye will be kept on them as they grow and reach full maturity.”
Staff at Norfolk Island national park have worked closely with the Norfolk Island community and researchers for more than 40 years to help the species recover.
Their work began in the 1980s when the population declined to a single female.
In 1989, she was successfully paired with one of two male owls from a New Zealand subspecies.
The cross-Tasman relations meant that all subsequent generations of moreporks on Norfolk Island were now a unique hybrid of the Norfolk Island and New Zealand morepork owls.
Dr Sally Box, Australia’s threatened species commissioner, said the Norfolk Island morepork owl was one of 20 priority birds targeted for recovery under the Australian government’s threatened species strategy.
