• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

Ground Parrot - BirdForum Opus

Photo by Chlidonias
Melaleuca, Tasmania
Pezoporus wallicus

Includes Western Ground Parrot

Identification

30 cm (11¾ in)

  • Red frontal band
  • Green overall plumage
  • Crown has black streaks
  • Upperparts mottled black with yellowish chevons and spots
Photo by Greg McKay
Melaleuca, SW Tasmania, January 2016

Similar Species

Superficially similar to, but much longer-tailed than, Night Parrot.

Distribution

Australia including Tasmania: subspecies wallicus in south-eastern Australia including Tasmania, and flaviventris in south-western Australia (this form endangered).

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Two subspecies are commonly recognized[1]:

  • P. w. flaviventris: Western Ground Parrot
  • P. w. wallicus: Eastern Ground Parrot
  • Tasmania, islands in Bass Strait and coastal south-eastern Australia

Some authorities additionally recognizing leachi[2].

A recent paper finds that the two subspecies have been separated for a very long time and proposes to recognize P. flaviventris as a full species, Western Ground Parrot.

Habitat

Coastal heath and swampland and nearby grasslands.

Behaviour

Most likely to fly (unless flushed) at dawn and dusk.

Diet

Feeds on ground on seeds, green grass shoots and herbs.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Avibase
  3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved December 2015)
  4. Birdforum thread discussing taxonomy of the Ground Parrot

Recommended Citation

External Links

Back
Top