A team of researchers at the University of Adelaide has discovered a flock of critically endangered ground-dwelling birds known as Plains-wanderers – a bird so evolutionarily unique that it is referred to as a “living fossil”.

The birds were found in a large flock on the eastern part of the state in Boolcoomatta conservation park; low, open shrubland dominated by prickly plants.

This is a previously unknown habitat beyond their usual environment of sparse native grasslands.

“It was a surprise to find one Plains-wanderer, let alone 272,” said Saskia Gerhardy, a PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide who was part of the expedition.

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“With the current biodiversity loss in Australia at critical levels, the finding is an exciting win for the state and could provide new conservational possibilities for the critically endangered species,” she added.

To better understand the species, new ecotechnologies allowed researchers to track the birds with tiny GPS trackers worn like miniature backpacks, allowing the birds’ movements to be tracked without disturbing their natural behaviours.

“While grassed regions were within our study region, we found the birds were avoiding these areas as they were too dense and did not provide enough open habitat,” Gerhardy said.

With the researchers’ findings challenging long-established views of the Plains-wanderer’s habitat use, the study highlights the importance of studying the peripheral populations of endangered species.

Peripheral populations often have unique genetic traits and behavioural adaptations that can act as a buffer if conditions in the usual habitat declines, essential for a species’ long-term survival in degrading ecological conditions.

Graeme Finlayson, Bush Heritage Australia’s SA Arid Rangelands Healthy Landscapes Manager, called the finding “an exciting win in the fight against biodiversity loss for the state”.

“This is a game changer in terms of how we think about the concept of a core range for this species and the likely importance of the Reserve for Plains-wanderer conservation efforts,” Finlayson said.

The habitat the birds were found in is common throughout much of South Australia, suggesting that there may be many more Plains-wanderer populations existing in the state, Gerhardy said.

“Back in 2019, I spotted three Plains-wanderers in this location whilst out collecting data related to our monitoring of the species, and at the time we really hoped it was a breeding pair,” Finlayson told InDaily.

“To think that now, just a few short years later, we have found more than 250 Plains-wanderers on the reserve is just incredible.”