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Australian Wildlife

  Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster)





Orange-bellied Parrot | Neophema chrysogaster photo
Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) male, Melaleuca, Southwest Conservation Area, Tasmania, Australia

Image by JJ Harrison (http://www.noodlesnacks.com/) - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)

Orange-bellied Parrot | Neophema chrysogaster photo
Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) female, Melaleuca, Southwest Conservation Area, Tasmania, Australia

Image by JJ Harrison (http://www.noodlesnacks.com/) - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)







BIRD FACTS

Description
The Orange-bellied Parrot male has bright green head, back and wings, with yellowish-green on throat and breast. The underside is yellow with bright orange patch. There is a blue band between the eyes, and bright blue on bend of the wing. The female is duller, with less blue and has a smaller orange belly patch.

Size
21cm

Habitat
Saltmarshes, coastal heathlands, low scrublands, coastal grassland. Found in coastal and sub-coastal areas, including islands

Food
seeds, fruits, flowers

Breeding
nests in tree-hollows. Lays 3-6 eggs.

Range
breeds only in Tasmania, with most of the population migrating to coastal Victoria and South Australia in the winter

distribution map showing range of Neophema chrysogaster in Australia

Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Notes
the Orange-bellied Parrot was once fairly abundant within its range, but it is now one of the rarest of Australian birds. Studies of the population suggest that fewer than 200 birds exist.

Conservation Status
The conservation status in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals is "critically endangered".

Classification
Class:Aves
Order:Psittaciformes
Family:Psittacidae
Genus:Neophema
Species:chrysogaster
Common Name:Orange-bellied Parrot

Relatives in same Genus
  Blue-winged Parrot (N. chrysostoma)
  Elegant Parrot (N. elegans)
  Rock Parrot (N. petrophila)
  Turquoise Parrot (N. pulchella)
  Scarlet-chested Parrot (N. splendida)