- Bourke's Parrot
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Bourke's Parrot 
Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae Subfamily: Platycercinae Tribe: Neophemini Genus: Neopsephotus
Mathews, 1912Species: N. bourkii Binomial name Neopsephotus bourkii
(Gould, 1841)The Bourke's Parrot (Neopsephotus bourkii, formerly known as Neophema bourkii), also known as the Bourke's Parakeet or "Bourkie", is a small parrot originating in Australia and the only species in its genus Neopsephotus. This species is sometimes placed in the genus Neophema and there is an ongoing discussion about the proper taxonomic placement of this species. It is a grass parrot approximately 19 cm long and weighing around 45 grams.[1] It is named after General Sir Richard Bourke, Governor of New South Wales from 1831 to 1837.
Contents
Description
Pair of wild Bourke's parrots, SW Queensland, Australia.
Wildtype (natural coloured) Bourke's Parakeet display a basically brown overall colouration with pink abdomen, pinkish breast & a blue rump. The legs are dark-brown, with zygodactyl toes. The bill is yellowish-brown. The adult male has a blue forehead while the adult female has a little or no blue on the forehead. The Bourke's parrot's feathers help the species blend in with the reddish soil of its home.[2]
Diet
Bourke's parrots forage on the ground for grasses and seeds. They are most active feeding at dusk and dawn.[2]
Breeding
The Bourke's Parrot has a clutch of 3 to 6 eggs, which are incubated by the female for 18–19 days, with the chicks fledging at about 4 weeks of age. The female also feeds and tends to the chicks by herself. While the female Bourke's Parrot is incubating the eggs, and also while she is feeding the chicks in the nest, she is fed by the male Bourke's Parrot.[3]
Eulo Bore, SW Queensland, Australia
At Flying High Bird Habitat, Queensland. The adult male has blue on its forehead.References
- ^ Bourke's Parrot or Neopsephotus bourkii
- ^ a b "Bourke's Parrot Fact Sheet, Lincoln Park Zoo"
- ^ "Field Guide to Australian Birds", Morcombe, Michael, Steve Parish Publishing, Australia, 2000 ISBN 1-876282-10-X
- BirdLife International (2004). Neopsephotus bourkii. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
External links
- http://www.centralpets.com/animals/birds/parrots/prt6018.html
- http://www.our1earth.com integrating a pair of Bourke's Parrots into the home of international artist Nicole van Dam
Categories:- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Birds of South Australia
- Birds of Western Australia
- Birds kept as pets
- Broad-tailed parrots
- Genera of birds
- Platycercini
- Monotypic bird genera
- Animals described in 1841
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