Blue-winged Parrot |
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Also known as: Blue-winged Grass-Parakeet, Blue-banded Parrot or Grass-Parakeet, Grass Parrot, Hobart Ground Parrot
Blue-winged Parrot
© JJ Harrison [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons
Photos
View in GalleryDid You Know?
The plumage of the Blue-winged Parrot becomes much brighter when the birds are in breeding condition, advertising their availability to others.Academic Research
Related publications: Neophema chrysostomaSpecies Profile
Genus: Neophema | Species: chrysostoma
Size:
21cm (8.2 in)
Weight:
33-60g (1.1-2.1 oz)
Subspecies including nominate:
one
Colour Adult:
Male-bronze/yellow crown; deep blue frontal band up to eye and margined with paler green/blue above; olive/green upperparts; pale green cheeks to upper breast; yellow underparts and underside of tail, sometimes lightly washed with orange on centre of abdomen; cobalt blue upper wing coverts. Bill grey/black. Eye dark brown. Female-olive/green crown; less evident frontal band; duller blue upper wing coverts washed with olive/green; pale underwing stripe minimal or absent.
Colour Juvenile:
Frontal band absent or minimal; dull green/olive upper wing coverts, margined with dull blue; underwing stripe evident in all females and most of the males. Bill yellow/brown.
Call:
Calls are described as soft and tinkling, with a metallic tone; also sharp and high-pitched when alarmed. Occasional soft twittering may be heard while birds are feeding.
Listen NowVideo Links:
Video 1More 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 of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977. 2010 edition
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Lexicon of Parrots, Thomas Arndt.
Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.
Bird Care
Blue-winged Parrot
© JJ Harrison [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons
Photos
View in GalleryDid You Know?
The plumage of the Blue-winged Parrot becomes much brighter when the birds are in breeding condition, advertising their availability to others.Academic Research
Related publications: Neophema chrysostomaSpecies Care
Captive Status:
Common in Europe, less so in the UK and US.
Longevity:
Probably 10-15 yrs, as with other Neophema sp.
Housing:
Walk-in enclosure, minimum length 2-2.5m (6.5-8.2 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 and chickweed; seeding grasses; rearing food made from: hard-boiled egg, wholegrain bread and carrot, all ground to crumbly consistency; complete kibble.
Enrichment:
Enjoys bathing, so provide overhead misters or a bowl of water. Mild to moderate chewer, so provide bird-safe, unsprayed branches of flowering trees, fir, pine or willow; also wooden and vegetable tanned leather toys, and heat sterilized pine cones.
Nest Box Size:
Vertical box 5" x 5" x 10" (12.7cm x 12.7cm x 25.4cm).
Clutch Size:
4-6
Incubation Time:
18-19 days
Fledging Age:
30 days
Hatch Weight:
Not recorded.
Peak Weight:
Not recorded.
Weaning Weight:
Not recorded.
Blue-winged Parrot
© JJ Harrison [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons
Photos
View in GalleryDid You Know?
The plumage of the Blue-winged Parrot becomes much brighter when the birds are in breeding condition, advertising their availability to others.Academic Research
Related publications: Neophema chrysostomaSpecies Wild Status
World Population:
7,500-15,000 (2021)
IUCN Red List Status:
Vulnerable
CITES Listing:
Appendix II
Threat Summary:
Although this species has a large range, there is a possible decline of 30-49% within the last 11 years because of clearing for agriculture.
Range:
SE Australia, including Tasmania.
Habitat:
Seen up to 1200m (3936 ft) in a varied range of habitats including savanna woodland, grasslands, orchards, forest clearings, farmland, coastal marshland, dune systems, heath, saltbush, mallee, mulga and other open areas.
Wild Diet:
Takes seeds of grasses, particularly Danthonia semibarbata, D. semiannularis, Aira caryophylla and Drosera peltata, also Poa caespitosa; seeds of herbs including Cryptostemma calendulaceum, Stenopetalum lineare, Helipterum jessenii, H. pygmaeum and Astroloma humifusum. Invertebrates may also be taken.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Are quite tame, approachable. Birds forage on the ground and in trees for food. Are found in pairs or small groups.
Clutch and Egg Size:
4-6 rounded eggs, 23.5 x 19.0mm (0.9 x 0.7 in)
Breeding Season:
October-January; nest is in tree stump, trunk, or fence post. May nest colonially with several pairs.
Related Links:
Blue-winged Parrot
© JJ Harrison [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons
Photos
View in GalleryDid You Know?
The plumage of the Blue-winged Parrot becomes much brighter when the birds are in breeding condition, advertising their availability to others.Academic Research
Related publications: Neophema chrysostomaMembers Only Resources
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