Red-Rumped Parrot

Male feeding on grass seeds

A Red-rumped Parrot pair atop a Tree Stump, checking out a potential nest hollow

Male and female (right) investigating a nest hollow

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Scientific Name: Psephotus haematonotus

Size: 25 to 28 cm

What does it look and sound like?

Appearance and Key Features

The Red-rumped Parrot is a moderate-sized parrot, measuring approximately 28 cm in length. The adult male is a bright emerald-green with vibrant yellow underparts, blue highlights on his wings and upper back, and bright yellow patches on the shoulders. His most distinctive feature is the brick-red patch on his lower back and rump, which gives the species its name.

The adult female, by contrast, is much less vibrant. Her plumage is mainly a greyish olive-green with lighter, pale olive underparts. Her lower back and rump are lime-green, and she completely lacks the male’s characteristic red rump. Both sexes have grey bills and dark-grey flight feathers.

Their call is a distinctive “chee chillip chee chillip”.

Juveniles

The plumage of a juvenile male resembles that of an adult female, except he will have the signature red rump and a light blue-green face. While adult birds have grey bills, immature birds have brown to yellow-brown bills. Young birds will moult into their adult-like plumage a few months after fledging.

Similar Species

The Red-rumped Parrot is similar in appearance to the Mulga Parrot, but can be distinguished by a few key features. The Mulga Parrot has a yellow band above its bill and a red patch on its nape.

Where is it found?

The Red-rumped Parrot is endemic to south-eastern Australia, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin. Its range covers most of New South Wales and Victoria, as well as parts of southern Queensland and eastern South Australia. They are typically found in lightly timbered plains and open woodlands below 1,000 metres, and tend to avoid the coast and more heavily wooded areas.

Conservation Status

Currently, the Red-rumped Parrot is listed as a species of Least Concern and is not considered threatened. Its population is believed to be increasing, as ongoing land clearing creates more of the open, grassy habitat that the species prefers.

What are its habitats & habits?

Habitat

This species is commonly found in open, grassy habitats. This includes natural open woodland as well as man-made environments such as paddocks, fields, parks, gardens, and roadside verges.

Behaviour, Diet, and Breeding

Red-rumped Parrots can be found in pairs or in flocks, which can sometimes number over 100 birds. They are most active during dawn and dusk and spend a great deal of time on the ground foraging for their primary diet of seeds and leaves from grasses and other plants.

These parrots are monogamous and pair for life. They nest in tree hollows or similar places like fenceposts, where the female lays 4-6 white eggs. Breeding usually takes place in spring, between September and November. The female incubates the eggs for about 20-25 days while the male brings her food. After the chicks hatch, both parents share the feeding duties.