Friday 5 May 2017

GRASS PARROTS

The red-rumped parrot (Psephotus haematonotus), also known as the red-backed parrot or grass parrot, is a common bird of south-eastern Australia, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin. Red-rumped parrots are slim, elegant, moderate-sized parrots approximately 28 cm in length. The male's plumage is a bright emerald-green with yellow underparts, a brick-red rump and blue highlights on the wings and upper back.  The female's plumage is less vibrant, with pale olive underparts, dull green wings and back and blue-black wingtips. The characteristic red rump is only found in the male.

Like many parrots, red-rumped parrots nest in tree hollows or similar places, including fenceposts and stumps. They lay 3-6 white eggs, Breeding usually takes place in spring (August to January), however, in the drier inland areas, breeding can occur at any time of year in response to rainfall. Red-rumped parrots do well in aviaries and cages. They don't like to be in crowded spaces and will sometimes be aggressive towards other birds if they don't have enough space. Red-rumped parrots can also be hand reared, provided that they have a large cage and are taken out of their cage on a daily basis to prevent boredom, as it may result in the parrot pulling out its feathers to occupy itself. In captivity, if properly cared for, these birds will live from 15 to 32 years.

Their green plumage provides such a good camouflage in ankle length grasses that they can hide quite effectively until the viewer is only 10–20 metres away. They spend a great deal of time feeding on the ground, and often call to one another with an attractive 'chee chillip chee chillip'.

This post is part of the Weekend Green meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.
Female on left, male on right.

Male bird.

Female bird.

Male bird.

8 comments:

  1. So lovely! We very like parrots and my sweetheart dreams to have one here living with us. Maybe, when the cat is gone...
    Have added your link, thanks for participiating.

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  2. Oh that male is so handsome - happy weekend!

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  3. Great photos!
    Have a wonderful week-end!

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  4. That was a really interesting read, and good photos.
    All the best, Gordon.

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  5. Hello Nick, beautiful parrots. It is cool to see these birds in the wild. Great shots. I was away for two weeks and I am so sorry to be late commenting and visiting your post. Thank you so much for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and new week ahead!

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  6. Avian Parrot for sale is a reputable online aviary store with a wide variety of healthy male and female pet birds like African grey parrots, macaw birds, cockatoos etc.

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  7. Avian Home Australia is a reputable online aviary store located in Australia, here you will find pets like Bernese Mountain puppies, African grey parrots, cockatoos, and many others.

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