Turquoise Parrot
Scientific Name: Neophema pulchella
Size: around 20 cm
What does it look and sound like?
The small Turquoise Parrot shows strong sexual dimorphism. The male has a turquoise head, yellow underparts and an olive-green back. While the median, outer lesser wing-coverts and secondary-coverts are turquoise blue with the innermost median coverts chestnut red, appearing as a band running down the shoulders when not in flight. The female lacks the chestnut wing patch and the yellow of the undersurface extends to the upper belly, with the chest being grassy green. The turquoise on the head is restricted to the cheeks and above the eyes, but the lores and around the eyes are white. The female resembles the female Scarlet-chested Parrot Neophema splendida, but the two species do not overlap in range. The call while flying is a ‘tseet-tseet’ and a ‘zit-zit-zit’ when alarmed.
Where is it found?
The Turquoise Parrot is confined to the eastern states, between southern Qld and central Victoria (the Scarlet-chested Parrot is found throughout southern Australia from central Western Australia to eastern NSW).
What are its habitats & habits?
The Turquoise Parrot feeds on seeds, mainly on the ground, and forages in clearings within open woodland, forest margins, and near trees in more open areas.
This species features in my book Australia’s Birdwatching Megaspots
