Until the 1890’s, the Turquoise Parrot was one of the most common species of parrot in Sydney and was one of only two species recorded before 1900.
A brightly coloured small parrot, the male is bright green, with a turquoise blue crown and face, brick-red shoulder and throat, chest and belly are rich yellow. Females/juveniles are similar but not as colourful or bright.
Its habitat is south-east Australia, from south-eastern Queensland through to eastern and north-eastern Victoria. Favouring open, grassy woodland with dead trees near permanent water, they also inhabit coastal heaths and pastures with exotic grasses and weeds. Turquoise parrots generally reside in an area, but some local seasonal movement occurs. They can often be seen at Cape Conran and Canni Creek.
Pairs or small groups forage mostly on or near the ground, in shade or cover. They eat flowers, nectar, fruits, leaves and scale-insects; in flight, their voice is a cicada-like buzzing, a fast tseet-tseet, but when roosting, they make a high-pitched, weak twittering sound.
Breeding from August to December, they nest in vertical or near-vertical hollows in living or dead trees; they lay between two to five eggs on decayed wood dust or fine wood chips. Leaves and grass may also be brought to the nest, thought to be carried by the female by tucking them under the feathers on her rump. Sometimes two clutches are laid in a season. Only the female incubates the eggs and cares for the newly hatched chicks. After a few days, both parents tend to the chicks.
BirdLife East Gippsland meets weekly for Monday morning outings; new members are always welcome.
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