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Mulga Parrot - BirdForum Opus

Male left, female right
Photo by Tom Tarrant
Currawinya National Park, SW Queensland, Australia, April 2004
Psephotellus varius

Psephotus varius


Identification

Female
Photo by Ken Doy
SW Queensland, October 2017

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

Photo by Ken Doy
SW Queensland, April 2018

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

  1. Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Oct 2017)
  3. Friends of the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden
  4. BF Member Observations

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

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