NANDAY PARAKEET

 1390                  NANDAY PARAKEET                 Aratinga nenday

USA                48

The nanday parakeet, also known as the black-hooded parakeet or nanday conure, is a medium-small, mostly green, Neotropical parrot native to continental South America.  The species is native to South America from southeast Bolivia to southwest Brazil, central Paraguay, and northern Argentina, from the region known as the Pantanal. Caged birds have been released in some areas, and the birds have established self-sustaining populations in Tenerife, Los Angeles, California, San Antonio, Texas, and several areas of Florida (including Pasco, Sarasota, Pinellas, Manatee, Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties) in the United States.

The bird feeds on seeds, fruit, palm nuts, berries, flowers, and buds. Feral birds also come to bird feeders. Wild birds primarily use scrub forest and forest clearings around settlements. 

SCARLET-CHESTED PARROT

 

Gluepot, South Australia, May 2023

1318               SCARLET-CHESTED PARROT                Neophema splendida  

AUSTRALIA                    805

Found in mallee and other eucalypt woodlands, mulga, other acacia; belar, other shook, spinifex; saltbush, succulents. Reported Ito favour country burnt in recent years. Ranges across inland Australia, its heartland being Great Victorian Desert in SA/WA. In good seasons numbers increase, and over several years birds may extend to far sw Qleensland, western NSW, far nw Victorias, 'Murray Mallee' (SA)and even up to Alice Springs. Highly nomadic, irruptive.

PRINCESS PARROT

Photographed at Jupiter Wells, Western Australia, September 2018

1258                    PRINCESS PARROT                  Polytelis alexandrae

AUSTRALIA                        755

Also known as Alexandra's Parrot and Princess Alexandra's Parrot. Extremely enigmatic. Highly nomadic. Rare. Arrives to breed and then disappears. Found in spinifex with eucalypts, acacias, desert oak, desert poplars, hakes, mistletoes, parakeelia, other succulents around salt lakes; often far from water. Ranges across western inland Australia.

Note: Reasonable views but disappointing photographs of this rare parrot.

SRI LANKA HANGING PARROT

March 2017

1085                 SRI LANKA HANGING PARROT                   Loriculus beryllinus

SRI LANKA               90

Endemic. Found in forests and wooded areas. 14 cm. Fairly common locally in wet lowlands to mid hills, restricted to the foothill areas in the dry lowlands.

SWIFT PARROT

Photographed on Bruny Island, Tasmania February 2017

973         SWIFT PARROT          Lathamus discolor

AUSTRALIA          705

Found in forests, woodlands, plantations, banksias etc; street trees, parks, gardens. 23-26 cm. Breeds only in Tasmania:most migrate in March-June to se Aust., w to Mt Lofty Ra., (SA), n to c. Bowen in coastal e Q; inland to Griffith-Warialda (NSW), Chinchilla (Q). Nomadic on mainland. Returns to Tas. Aug-Oct.

HOODED PARROT

Photographed near Mataranka, Northern Territory April 2016.

768             HOODED PARROT               Psephotus dissimilis

Australia           (612)

Found in dry, open woodlands; paperbarks, spinifex; eucalyptus in rocky, open grasslands bordering  watercourses; usually with termite mounds. 25-27 cm. Range: confined to Top End (NT), e to w. edge of Arnham Land escarpment. Patty, uncommon.

NORFOLK ISLAND LORIKEET

Photographed on Norfolk Island January 2016

   752              NORFOLK ISLAND PARAKEET             Cyanoramphus cookii

Australia            (596)

Also known as Green Parrot and Tasman Parakeet. 25-30 cm; wingspan 32-38 cm. Found in remnant tall Araucaria forest and adjacent gardens and eucalyptus plantations. Range: confined to Norfolk Island where very rare; critically endangered. Extinct Lord Howe Is.  

DOUBLE-EYED FIG-PARROT

Photographed near Gordon's Creek crossing, Iron Range, Queensland October 2015

707           DOUBLE-EYED FIG-PARROT             Cyclopsitta diophthalma

Australia           (549)

Three races of Double-eyed Fig-parrots in Australia, separated geographically. Found in rainforests; adjacent eucalyptus woodlands and coastal scrubs; timber on watercourses, paperbark woodlands; occasionally visits figs, loquats and other fruit trees in gardens and plantations. 13-16 cm. Range: race marshalli:lowland rainforest on ne Cape York Pen. (Q), in vicinity of Lockhart and Claudie Rs. and probably beyond. Race macleayana: highlands and lowland rainforests from Cooktown s to Eungella NP, near MacKay (Q). Race coxeni: highland, and sparse remnant lowland, rainforests on e of Gt Divide, from Gladstone (Q) to c. Hastings R. (NSW). Sedentary, locally nomadic. Northern races still moderately common. Race coxeni declined seriously and now rare and endangered.

Male, Double-eyed Fig-parrot

race: macleayana, female, photographed near Cairns, Queensland October 2015

race: macleayana, male, photographed near Cairns, Queensland October 2015

ECLECTUS PARROT

Photographed at Iron Range, Queensland October 2015

696            ECLECTUS PARROT               Eclectus roratus

Australia          (538)

Also known as Red-sided Parrot. 40-43 cm. Found in rainforest; nearby eucalypt woodlands. Range: e. Cape York Pen. (Q), from Pascoe R. s to McIlwaith Ra. Locally common. Sedentary. Also Solomons, PNG, e. Indonesia.

Comment: ‘Reversed’colouring: male is bright green with orange bill, red flanks, flight feathers, bend of wing blue, wing-linings scarlet, dark tail tipped yellow. Female: wine-red, with blue eye-ring, shoulders and broad blue band across chest, wing-lining blue, tail tip orange

RED-CHEEKED PARROT

Photographed in Iron Ranges, Queensland October 2015

688         RED-CHEEKED PARROT          Geoffroyus geoffroyi

Australia      (530)

20-25 cm. Found in rainforests, scrubs; nearby eucalypt woodlands. Range: e. Cape York Pen (Q), from Pascoe R s. to Rocky R. Locally common; sedentary.

GOLDEN-SHOULDERED PARROT

Photographed on Artemis Station, with the help of Sue Sheppard, October 2015

681       GOLDEN SHOULDERED PARROT         Psephotus chrysopterygius

Australia         (523) 

Also known as Ant-bed and Ant-hill Parrot. 25-27 cm. Found in open eucalypt, paperbark woodlands; grasslands with termite-mounds. Range: endemic to C. York Pen. (Q), where formerly widespread. Now mostly in aeea of c. Pen.; total population reduced to c. 150 pairs or c. 1000 birds of all ages after breeding. Decline due to increased burning which allowed encroachment of paperbark and other scrub on habitat, resulting in increased predation by birds such as pied butcherbird. Sedentary.