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Eastern Ground Parrots are relatively small, long-tailed parrots with highly cryptic plumage. The back (upperparts) is green with dark-grey scalloping. The front (underparts) is also green, with prominent dark-grey barring. The flight feathers are dark-grey with light edge-lining. The sides of the head are green without scalloping. The eyes, which have pale irises, are surrounded by grey eye-rings. The cere is dark-grey, with a red frontal band above it. The bill is grey; legs and feet, which have very long toes, are the colour of skin. Females have more prominent black shafts on the feathers on their cheeks than males. Juveniles are more brownish than adults. Their eyes are still dark and they do not have a frontal band. Their bill is horn-coloured.

Twitcher's tip

Compared to Night Parrots, Eastern Ground Parrots have a more greenish appearance and a much longer tail.

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the Eastern Ground Parrot is available HERE .

Eastern Ground Parrots are endemic to Australia. Their overall range extends along the Australian East coast, from the Great Sandy NP, near Gympie, QLD, in the North, across the Bass Strait, to the southern tip of Tasmania in the South. The range of nominate race "wallicus" is restricted to Tasmania, Flinders Island and Cape Barren Island. On the Australian continent the distribution of race "leachi" is becoming increasingly patchy, being restricted to only a small number of areas with remaining suitable habitats. They are found as far westward as just beyond Wilson's Promontory in South Gippsland, VIC.

Eastern Ground Parrots live in marshy coastal plains without trees, such as heath, and reed beds with low shrubs, in particular areas with button grass.

Race "wallicus"

Race "leachi"