Pair of Princess Parrots. Image by dracophyllaAN ABORIGINAL organisation has banned birdwatchers from going into the Territory Outback to see a rare parrot.
Several birders are stranded in Alice Springs after the Central Land Council refused to give them permits to drive into the Western Desert.
But about eight groups are believed to have gone to sites near Mt Liebig and Mt Winter, west of Alice Springs, without permission.
They reported seeing hundreds of princess parrots, a bird normally found only deep in the desert.
The land council yesterday told the NT News that the birders had illegally entered indigenous land and could be fined up to $1000.
Good rains have led to what ornithologists call an "irruption" - birds moving to parts of the country where they are not usually seen after a highly successful breeding season.
News of the once-in-a-lifetime irruption has been flashed across birders' chatlines throughout the nation.
Birders said the parrots had not been so accessible in living memory.
The Central Land Council's Jane Hodson said the first permit application was approved but traditional owners then received 20 more.
"Traditional owners have been quite adamant that the lack of respect shown by some of the birdwatchers in choosing to break the law and travel without permission and the weight of numbers of people and vehicles ... accessing this environmentally and culturally sensitive area has seen them take this decision," she said.
The council said it was open to discussing a "manageable process" for birdwatchers to enter the area.