Blue-winged Parrot

Images ©:
©Bob Winters

Neophema chrysostoma

Up to 24 cm. Slender. Olive-green head and upper body, grading to light green on the fore-neck. Upper tail is green-blue with yellow sides. Underparts are yellow. There may be orange in the centre of the belly. Female is similar to the male, with slightly duller colours.

Details
Type
Bird
Group
Animals
Parrot
Other Common Names
Blue-banded Parrot, Blue-banded Grass-parrot
Biology

Breeding season: February to October. Clutch size is four to six. They form monogamous pairs. Nests are made in a tree hollow of a stump, preferably with a vertical opening. Eggs are laid on a bed of decaying wood. The female incubates the eggs and the male hunts for food. The female leaves at intervals to be fed by the male. Both sexes feed the young.
Distinctive Markings

Dark blue patch on the wings. A yellow facial patch extends back to the eye. A narrow, dark blue band runs from eye to eye across the forehead.
Taxonomy
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Psittaciformes
Family
Psittacidae
Genus
Neophema
Species
chrysostoma

Source: Atlas of Living Australia

When choosing nest sites, Blue-winged Parrots try to get one with a small opening that will prevent predators, like Grey Shrike-thrushes, getting in to steal the eggs and young.

Interesting Facts
Diet

Herbivore. Feeds on seeds of grasses and herbaceous plants.
Habitat

Found in woodlands, coastal heath and grasslands.
Native Status
Native to Australia
Audio
Sounds
Extremely high, fast tinkling sound, followed by slow bursts. It sounds more like the highest squeaks of a thornbill or fairy-wren than a parrot.