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Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans) Aboriginal name(s): Race "carteri": "bilgir", "koolyederong" Size: 21-25 cm; wing span: 30-34 cm Body mass: 40-55 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.20-0.25

Australia: Family Group 12 Family Group 12 Table Palm Cockatoo Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Glossy Black-Cockatoo Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Short-billed Black-Cockatoo Long-billed Black-Cockatoo Gang-gang Cockatoo Long-billed Corella Western Corella Little Corella Cockatiel Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Pink Cockatoo Galah Rainbow Lorikeet Red-collared Lorikeet Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Purple-crowned Lorikeet Varied Lorikeet Musk Lorikeet Little Lorikeet Eclectus Parrot Red-cheeked Parrot Double-eyed Fig-Parrot Australian King-Parrot Red-winged Parrot Princess Parrot Superb Parrot Regent Parrot Green Rosella Crimson Rosella Western Rosella Eastern Rosella Pale-headed Rosella Northern Rosella Red-capped Parrot Australian Ringneck Red-rumped Parrot Mulga Parrot Golden-shouldered Parrot Hooded Parrot Blue Bonnet Bourke's Parrot Budgerigar Swift Parrot Eastern Ground Parrot Night Parrot Blue-winged Parrot Scarlet-chested Parrot Rock Parrot Turquoise Parrot Elegant Parrot Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Thumbnails page Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Elegant Parrots are small parrots. They have a yellow gape, blue frons and otherwise olive-green head, chest and back. The belly, vent and undertail coverts are yellow. The uppertail is dark bluish-green, the undertail is yellow. The mostly olive-green wings have turquoise shoulder patches, a blue leading edge and near-black flight feathers. The irises are dark, the bill is dark-grey and the legs and feet are grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Elegant Parrot at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range 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 Elegant Parrot is available HERE . Elegant Parrots are endemic to Australia. They populate basically two regions of the Australian continent: Nominate race "elegans" is found in the south-eastern part of SA, from about Adelaide, SA, along the Flinders Ranges, and also Eyre peninsula and towards the SA/VIC border. Occasionally, they disperse further into south-eastern SA, and sometimes into western VIC. Race "carteri" occurs in the South-West of WA (except the coastal tip). There are a few reports of sightings along the Gascoyne River in north-western WA.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "elegans" J. Greaves reports spotting an Elegant Parrot, nominate race "elegans", in Flinders Chase NP, Kangaroo Island, SA, in March 2016. R. Plumtreereports finding an Elegant Parrot, nominate race "elegans", 20 km North of Hawker, SA, in September 2018. M. Mearns reports spotting Elegant Parrots, nominate race "elegans", in the Gawler Ranges, SA, in August 2018. M. Eaton reports spotting Elegant Parrots, race "elegans", at Parnka Point, Coorong, SA, in April 2022. Race "carteri" M. Eaton reports spotting Elegant Parrots, race "carteri", at Triandra Reserve, Cockburn, WA, in April 2019.

Photos

Race "elegans"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Elegant Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Parnka Point, Coorong, SA, April 2022]

Frontal view of a male Elegant Parrot looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Parnka Point, Coorong, SA, April 2022]

Frontal view of a male Elegant Parrot looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Parnka Point, Coorong, SA, April 2022]

Near-frontal view of a male Elegant Parrot (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Hawker, SA, September 2018]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Elegant Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Gawler Ranges, SA, August 2018]

Partially obscured near-frontal view of a female Elegant Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Gawler Ranges, SA, August 2018]

Race "carteri"

ADULT

MALE

Male Elegant Parrot, race "carteri"(?), photographed in captivity

FEMALE

Frontal portrait of a female Elegant Parrot feeding on grass seeds (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Triandra Reserve, Cockburn, WA, April 2019]

Near-frontal portrait of a female Elegant Parrot feeding on grass seeds (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Triandra Reserve, Cockburn, WA, April 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Elegant Parrot in shady conditions (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Triandra Reserve, Cockburn, WA, April 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal?

Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/small flock

Food, Diet

Lateral view of a female Elegant Parrot feeding on grass seeds (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Triandra Reserve, Cockburn, WA, April 2019]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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