In
Gundabooka National Park south of Bourke in outback NSW I was lucky to come
across a small party of six Mulga Parrots - 3 males and 3 females. Mulga Parrots are often paired, suggesting a
strong couple bond.
I say lucky
because it was late afternoon in winter and a severe drought has reduced bird
species numbers and general abundance greatly across much of NW Victoria,
western NSW, SW Qld and SA. On a 5km 2 hour walk through mulga woodland (Acacia
aneura) I saw only one female fairy wren, one Emu and the six Mulga Parrots. Another
one hour walk the following morning yielded one male Hooded Robin, one Singing
Honeyeater and a Grey Butcherbird. In good times Mulga woodland can be very
rich in birds.
The Mulga
Parrots were feeding on the ground - appropriately in a Mulga woodland - where
they worked quietly picking up seeds. I managed to approach them in stages –
their confiding nature allowing me to get quite close in the end.
Please click on photos to enlarge.
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Three of the six Mulga Parrots – two males and one female. |
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The male Mulga Parrot. |
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Another view of a male. |
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The more sombre female Mulga Parrot. |
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Another view of a female. |
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A rear view of a male and female Mulga Parrot perched together showing the rump and the narrow red band – the similar Red-rumped Parrot has a lot more red on the rump and has other significant colour differences. |
After
spending 15 minutes or so observing and photographing the Mulgas I withdrew
slowly and left them to continue feeding.
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This lone Singing Honeyeater was found foraging in mistletoe on a Mulga tree. |
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