Red-winged Parrot
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 A male Red-winged parrot.
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| Aprosmictus erythropterus (Gmelin, 1788) |
The Red-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus), is a parrot native to Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The Red-winged parrot is typically about 30 to 33 centimetres in length. Both genders have bright red wings and a bright green body. The male birds have a black nape, lower blue back and rump with a yellow tip on their tail, an orange bill and grey feet. The female birds on the other hand have a yellowish green body and the wings have red and pink trimmings on their wings. Also distinguishing the females are a dark iris and the lower back is a light blue colour. Juvenile parrots resemble females in colouration and it take males two years and females a year and a half to develop adult plumage.
Their range is from the Pilbara, Western Australia to Cape York Peninsula, Queensland (to be seen almost all over Queensland) and as south as northeast South Australia. They are occasionally spotted in Papua New Guinea. These birds inhabit riverine forests, forest edges, acacia scrub, savanna, mangroves, and farmlands. They are seen often in pairs or flocks near water.
Their diet typical consists of seeds from eucalyptus, acacia, berries, flowers, and insects. The birds' call are "ching-ching", "chink-chink" or thin screeching.
The birds typically breed in spring and summer but breeding times depends on their location. A hollow space in a tree usually acts as nest for breeding with a height of 11 metres from the ground. Generally, three to six white eggs are laid per season, the eggs being 31 millimetres in length. The female incubates while the male searches for food. The chicks stay with their parents for about five weeks.
[edit] References
- Honolulu Zoo - Red-winged Parrot
- Pizzey and Knight, "Field Guide to the Birds of Australia", Angus & Robertson, ISBN 0-207-19691-5
