Photo by Tom Tarrant
Currawinya National Park, SW Queensland, Australia, April 2004
- Psephotus varius
Identification
27–28 cm (10½-11 in)
Male
- Bright green overall plumage
- Yellow frontal band
- Red hindcrown
- Yellow lesser wing-coverts
- Dark blue outer wing-coverts
'Female: similar but duller. Lacks the yellow frontal band of the male
Distribution
Interior of southern Australia mostly south of tropic of capricorn. Found from western Western Australia to central New South Wales.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1] according to some authorities, others include subspecies orientalis and dulciei.
Habitat
Arid lightly wooded grassland, mallee and scrub; often near water such as riverbeds.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists mostly of seeds from grass, herbs, trees and shrubs; also fruits,mistletoe, blossoms, and flower buds, and various plant and vegetable matter. Insects and insect larvae are also consumed.
Breeding
They nest in a hollow limb or tree hole. The clutch consists of 4 - 6 eggs which are incubated for about 19 days. After 4 - 5 weeks the young fledge and are independent after approx. another 2 - 3 weeks.
Movements
Sedentary or locally nomadic.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Oct 2017)
- Friends of the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden
- BF Member Observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Mulga Parrot. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Mulga_Parrot
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
