| Turquoise Parrot | |
|---|---|
| Male (left) and female (right) at Rainbow Jungle, Australia | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittacidae |
| Subfamily: | Platycercinae |
| Tribe: | Neophemini |
| Genus: | Neophema |
| Species: | N. pulchella |
| Binomial name | |
| Neophema pulchella (Shaw, 1792) |
|
The Turquoise Parrot (Neophema pulchella) is a parrot previously widespread in Eastern Australia, though now mainly found in northeastern New South Wales and north-eastern Victoria.
A small parrot at around 20 cm long, the male is predominantly green in colour and more yellowish below with a bright turquoise blue face and chestnut shoulders on the blue and green wings. Females are generally duller and paler and lack the chestnut wing patch.
It is found in grasslands and open woodlands, and feeds on grasses, seeds and nectar.
Contents |
The English Common Name of the Turquoise Parrot been known alternately as Chestnut-shouldered parakeet, Chestnut-shouldered grass-parakeet,[1] Chestnut-shouldered Grass-parrot,[1] Chestnut-winged Grass-parakeet,[1] Chestnut-winged Grass-Parrot[1] and Turquoisine Grass Parrot.
It is not listed as threatened on the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Once common in Western Sydney, it is listed as a Vulnerable species under Schedule 2 of the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995 because of Habitat Destruction(TSC Act).
Captive-bred birds adapt readily to aviary conditions, and the species is widely bred. Several colour forms are seen in captivity, including a yellow, red-fronted and pied form (all recessive), and jade and Olive (dominant).