The unicorn of the outback, the Plains Wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) is a Gondwana species that looks like a quail, is related to shorebirds of South America and lives in a sparse (but not too sparse) arid inland grassland habitat so niche that it has come close to extinction.
Plains Wanderers are very secretive and are rarely seen by day. They are generally only located with spotlights or the use of thermal imaging while they roost in grasses at night. Local field naturalists had a lucky daylight encounter with this one.
Monitoring of conservation sites in NSW and Victoria has shown recent breeding boom due to the La Niña rains.
Recommended read: Multiple award winning CSIRO publication On the Trail of the Plains Wanderer, available the Leigh Creek Library.