Turquoise Parrot
(Neophema pulchella)

Family: Psittacidae, and a member of the sub-family Psittacinae. The Turquoise parrot is one of seven small “grass parrots” in the genus Neophema.

Range: scattered areas of southeastern Australia

Habitat: woodlands, open forest, wooded grasslands (especially between open and closed habitats)

Size: about 7.9 inches (20 cm) in length and weighs about 1.4 ounces (40 g)

Description: N. pulchella is a brightly colored, small parrot. Turquoise parrots have a bright green crown and upperparts. In sharp contrast, the underparts are yellow down to the tail tip. The wing coverts are turquoise or dark blue. The bill is gray-black and the legs are gray.

Males have a bright blue face, forehead and cheeks. The underparts are a much brighter yellow than the female, all the way down to the tail tip. Males also have a chestnut-red patch on both wings.

Females have a paler blue face, forehead and cheeks, and a whitish area in front of the eyes. The female’s throat and chest are more green than yellow.

Life Span: between 8 - 15 years

Diet: eats mainly seeds of grasses and herbaceous plants; also eats flowers and fruit

Status: rare, but listed as not globally threatened. Turquoise parrots may be locally common and their numbers increased after 1970. However, they are considered rare and “near threatened,” due to lack of breeding habitats, possible epidemics and potential habitat interference.