Australian Parrots
All About Australian Parrots
Australian parrots are among the most exotic and well-loved of the parrot world, and there are fifty-six varieties in Australia.
Red-collared Lorikeets are endangered in the areas they inhabit, in Northern Australia. This parrot has become more rare in recent years, and even when it was first discovered in 1858, it wasn't very wide-spread. Bird-watchers only rarely catch a glimpse of this bird anymore.
The Golden-shouldered Parrot ranks highly in the beauty pageant of Australian parrots. In the adult male, there are areas of lemon yellow on the feathers below the eye, the lores and the forehead. The nape and crown are black, and the back and mantle are grayish-brown. The wing and shoulder area are a golden yellow hue, and the breast, throat and neck are turquoise blue. The undertail, vent, thighs and lower abdomen are scarlet red. He is one very colorful fellow. The female adult has a forehead of buff-yellow, a brown-bronze nape and crown, yellow-green breast, neck, wings and back, and a light green undertail and abdomen.
The Australian King Parrot is a large, brilliantly-colored bird. They are conspicuous and impressive, even though they are common to see. The adult male has a brilliant scarlet abdomen, breast, neck and head, dark green wings, back and mantle, black tail feathers and a red upper jaw, that is tipped in black. The adult female has a dark green back, wings and head, and a dull green upper breast and throat, tinged red. She also has a scarlet abdomen and lower breast, a faint green stripe on her wings, blue rump and lower back, and a dark brown jaw area.
The Gang Gang Cockatoo is also known as a Red-headed Cockatoo and a Red-crowned Cockatoo. It is about fourteen inches long, and the male has bright red crown feathers, but the female does not. This bird is one of the more endangered of Australian parrots, and they can be purchased, but their price is prohibitive, as they are so rare.
The Purple-crown Lorikeet is about six inches long, and the female is duller in color than the male. They generally inhabit woodland areas, and can actually thrive in the suburbs of cities, in the wild. They can often be seen in large flocks numbering into the hundreds.
The Rainbow Lorikeet is another colorful parrot. They have dark heads, with a red stripe across their chest, and a dark underbelly. They sport a green and yellow spot on the back of their heads. They are found from Victoria to Cape York. The Rainbow Lorikeet is the most popular of the Australian parrots kept as pets.