Turquoise Parrot

The Turquoise Parrot (Neophema pulchella) is a member of the Neophema genus of grass parrots which includes Scarlet, Elegant, Rock, Blue-winged and the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot.

In Victoria, the Turquoise Parrot’s stronghold is in North East Victoria, from Benalla to the Murray River. However small numbers can be found in suitable grassy woodland habitats here in East Gippsland.

Screen shot from Birdata showing records for the Turquoise Parrot in Victoria.

Places where they may be found in East Gippsland include coastal heathlands between Marlo and Mallacoota, Canni Creek Racecourse near Buchan and in the Snowy River box – cypress woodlands, especially along the riparian strip, around Suggan Buggan and McKillops Bridge areas.

Seed eaters, Turquoise Parrots spend much of the day feeding on the ground in grassy vegetation where they can be hard to see. Once found though, they are moderately confiding and will often allow close approach.

BirdLife East Gippsland members found some Turquoise Parrots during their recent spring camp in November at Willis Campground in the Alpine National Park. The campground is on the Snowy River just south of the Victoria-NSW border. The birds were feeding on seed along the riparian strip which, typical for flood inundated areas, contains many introduced weed species. The parrots however are not fussy and will consume native and introduced seeds if available.

The following photos are of one adult male Turquoise Parrot feeding in mixed species grasses and weeds.

Please click on photos to enlarge.

Turquoise Parrots can be hard to see when feeding on the ground in grassy habitats.

There appeared to be a rich mixture of green seeds available.

Tracking the feeding parrot for photos as it moved feeding through the grass was a challenge as it kept on the move and open shots only presented briefly.

The bird was aware of our presence stopping from time to time to look up and check we were not a threat.

The blue shoulder patch, which is bordered by a red shoulder stripe, is often concealed by the wing coverts and breast feathers, which is the case for all the photos in this post.

This individual seemed very relaxed with our presence as it continued to feed while we took photos.

Around 1917 the Turquoise Parrot was thought to be extinct in Victoria and had declined dramatically across all its range at that time, including in NSW and SE Qld. It has since made a comeback and unlike its cousin the Orange-bellied Parrot, which is teetering on the brink of extinction in the wild, is now secure.