Scarlet-chested Parrot
Also known as:
Scarlet-chested Grass-Parakeet, Scarlet-breasted Parrot or Grass-Parakeet, Splendid Parrot or Grass-Parakeet
Also known as:
Scarlet-chested Grass-Parakeet, Scarlet-breasted Parrot or Grass-Parakeet, Splendid Parrot or Grass-Parakeet
DID YOU KNOW?
The female Scarlet-Chested Parrot carries green leaves to the nest tucked in its rump feathers.
Size:
20 cm (7.8 in)
Weight:
36-44 g (1.3-1.5 oz)
Subspecies including nominate:
one
Colour Adult:
Male-bright green upperparts; bright blue face; scarlet foreneck and centre of breast, separated from orange/yellow lower underparts and undertail; bright blue upper wing coverts; green central tail feathers. Beak black. Eye brown/grey. Female-blue on face paler; blue lores; green breast; pale blue upper wing coverts; varying presence of pale underwing stripe. Bill dark grey.
Colour Juvenile:
As in adult female with varying presence of pale underwing stripe.
Call:
Calls made in flight are soft, two-syllable notes. In repetition these sound like chirrups. Birds in flock produce soft, continuous twittering. Emits clear, sharper whistle when alarmed.
More Information:
Content Sources:
CITES
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
Parrots: Status Survey and Conservation Plan 2000-2004, Snyder, McGowan, Gilardi, Grajal, 2000.
Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977. 2010 edition
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.
Bird Care
Lexicon of Parrots, Thomas Arndt.
A Guide to Incubation and Handraising Parrots, Digney, 1998.
Captive Status:
Quite common, particularly in Australia.
Longevity:
10 yrs
Housing:
Walk-in enclosure, minimum length 2.1 m (7 ft), or indoor aviary minimum length 1.8 m (6 ft).
Diet:
Small seed mix such as: canary, millet, and smaller amounts of oats, buckwheat, safflower and a little hemp; limited sunflower seed; spray millet; green leaves such as: Swiss chard, lettuce, sowthistle, dandelion, chickweed; seeding grasses; rearing food made from: hard-boiled egg, wholegrain bread and carrot, all ground to crumbly consistency; fruits such as: apple, pear and banana; complete kibble.
Enrichment:
Provide bowls for bathing; if possible provide dirt or soil for the birds to scratch around in (they are ground feeders in the wild), foraging toys/bird-safe branches.
Nest Box Size:
Vertical box 6″ x 6″ x 12″ (15.2 cm x 15.2 cm x 30.5 cm).
Clutch Size:
4-6
Fledging Age:
4-5 weeks
Hatch Weight:
—
Peak Weight:
—
Weaning Weight:
—
World Population:
Unknown; the population is suspected to be fluctuating and able to increase in the right conditions. Stable.
IUCN Red List Status:
Least Concern
CITES Listing:
Appendix II
Threat Summary:
The species is generally rare. There is evidence of a decline in Western Australia and New South Wales. Habitat clearance has rendered much marginal habitat unsuitable. Altered fire regimes may have a detrimental effect elsewhere, but there is no evidence of a decline in the population in the last 20 years. Sudden population increases (irruptions) can occur, suggesting that the species can build up numbers rapidly in favourable conditions.
Range:
Interior of S Australia, from far SW Queensland, W New South Wales and NW Victoria west to SE Western Australia.
Habitat:
Found in a variety of dry areas in the interior of Australia; these include mallee, mulga, open Eucalyptus and Casuarina prevalent woodland. This species also prefers Spinifex ground cover.
Wild Diet:
Feeds mainly on grass seeds including Triodia, Newcastelia dixoni, Haloragis odontocarpa, Acacia and Stipa.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Birds feed on the ground, and frequently drink water from various sources. They form large flocks outside the breeding season; during breeding they will form semi-colonial nesting areas.
Clutch and Egg Size:
4-6 rounded eggs, 23.0 x 19.0 mm (0.9 x 0.7 in).
Breeding Season:
August-January. Nest is in tree hollow and sometimes loosely colonial.
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