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Scarlet-chested Parrot

 (Neophema splendida)

Also known as: Scarlet-chested Grass-Parakeet, Scarlet-breasted Parrot or Grass-Parakeet, Splendid Parrot or Grass-Parakeet

Click photo to visit gallery

Scarlet-chested Parrot
© Roger Smith [CC BY-NC 2.0] via Flickr

Did You Know?

The female Scarlet-Chested Parrot carries green leaves to the nest tucked in its rump feathers.

Academic Research

Related publications: Neophema splendida

Species Profile

Genus: Neophema | Species: splendida

Size:

20cm (7.8 in)

Weight:

36-44g (1.3-1.5 oz)

Subspecies including nominate:

one

Colour Adult:

Male-bright green upperparts; bright blue face; scarlet foreneck and centre of breast, separated from orange/yellow lower underparts and undertail; bright blue upper wing coverts; green central tail feathers. Bill black. Eye brown/grey. Female-blue on face paler; blue lores; green breast; pale blue upper wing coverts; varying presence of pale underwing stripe. Bill dark grey.

Colour Juvenile:

As in adult female with varying presence of pale underwing stripe.

Call:

Calls made in flight are soft, two-syllable notes. In repetition these sound like chirrups. Birds in flock produce soft, continuous twittering. Emits clear, sharper whistle when alarmed.

Listen Now

Video Links:

Video 1 | Video 2

More Information:

Avibase
Birdlife Australia

Content Sources:

CITES
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
Parrots: Status Survey and Conservation Plan 2000-2004, Snyder, McGowan, Gilardi, Grajal, 2000.
Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977. 2010 edition
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.
Bird Care
Lexicon of Parrots, Thomas Arndt.
A Guide to Incubation and Handraising Parrots, Digney, 1998.

Click photo to visit gallery

Scarlet-chested Parrot
© Roger Smith [CC BY-NC 2.0] via Flickr

Did You Know?

The female Scarlet-Chested Parrot carries green leaves to the nest tucked in its rump feathers.

Academic Research

Related publications: Neophema splendida

Species Care

Captive Status:

Quite common, particularly in Australia.

Longevity:

10 yrs

Housing:

Walk-in enclosure, minimum length 2.1m (7 ft), or indoor aviary minimum length 1.8m (6 ft).

Diet:

Small seed mix such as: canary, millet, and smaller amounts of oats, buckwheat, safflower and a little hemp; limited sunflower seed; spray millet; green leaves such as: Swiss chard, lettuce, sowthistle, dandelion, chickweed; seeding grasses; rearing food made from: hard-boiled egg, wholegrain bread and carrot, all ground to crumbly consistency; fruits such as: apple, pear and banana; complete kibble.

Enrichment:

Provide bowls for bathing; if possible provide dirt or soil for the birds to scratch around in (they are ground feeders in the wild), foraging toys/bird-safe branches.

Nest Box Size:

Vertical box 6" x 6" x 12" (15.2cm x 15.2cm x 30.5cm).

Clutch Size:

4-6

Incubation Time:

18-19 days

Fledging Age:

4-5 weeks

Hatch Weight:

3g (0.1 oz)

Peak Weight:

33g (1.1 oz)

Weaning Weight:

30-35g (1-1.2 oz)

Specialist Club:

Avicultural Society of Australia

Click photo to visit gallery

Scarlet-chested Parrot
© Roger Smith [CC BY-NC 2.0] via Flickr

Did You Know?

The female Scarlet-Chested Parrot carries green leaves to the nest tucked in its rump feathers.

Academic Research

Related publications: Neophema splendida

Species Wild Status

World Population:

Unknown, stable.

IUCN Red List Status:

Least Concern

CITES Listing:

Appendix II

Threat Summary:

The species is generally rare. Evidence of a decline in Western Australia and New South Wales. Sudden increases in wild populations can occur, suggesting that the species can build up numbers rapidly in favourable conditions.

Range:

Interior of S Australia, from far SW Queensland, W New South Wales and NW Victoria west to SE Western Australia.

Habitat:

Found in a variety of dry areas in the interior of Australia; these include mallee, mulga, open Eucalyptus and Casuarina prevalent woodland. This species also prefers Spinifex ground cover.

Wild Diet:

Feeds mainly on grass seeds including Triodia, Newcastelia dixoni, Haloragis odontocarpa, Acacia and Stipa.

Ecology and Behaviour:

Birds feed on the ground, and frequently drink water from various sources. They form large flocks outside the breeding season; during breeding they will form semi-colonial nesting areas.

Clutch and Egg Size:

4-6 rounded eggs, 23.0 x 19.0mm (0.9 x 0.7 in).

Breeding Season:

August-January. Nest is in tree hollow and sometimes loosely colonial.

Related Links:

Wikipedia
NSW Government Office of Environment and Heritage
 

Click photo to visit gallery

Scarlet-chested Parrot
© Roger Smith [CC BY-NC 2.0] via Flickr

Did You Know?

The female Scarlet-Chested Parrot carries green leaves to the nest tucked in its rump feathers.

Academic Research

Related publications: Neophema splendida

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