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Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius) Alternate name(s): "Golden-winged Parrot", "Ant-bed Parrot", "Ant-hill Parrot" Aboriginal name(s): "alwal" [Olkola] Size: 23-27 cm Body mass: 54-56 g

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Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Golden-shouldered Parrots are small parrots. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Golden-shouldered Parrots have a pale-yellow frons, black cap and otherwise blue head, neck and front down to the chest. The belly, vent and undertail coverts are salmon-red with a white scale pattern. The back and shoulders are grey, while the inner wing coverts are golden-yellow, giving the species its name. The flight feathers are dark-grey. The rump is blue, changing to green on the uppertail the end of which is dark grey-green. Females have a pale frons and a greyish patch on the crown, but are otherwise mostly greenish on back, wing coverts and front, to turquoise on belly, vent and undertail. They only have a small patch of salmon-red at the base of the legs. The flight feathers are dark-grey. Both sexes have dark irises, a grey bill and greyish legs and feet. Immature males have a head and front similar to adult males, but with duller colours. Their back resembles that of adult females. Juveniles resemble females with a paler face and bill.

Taxonomy, classification See Golden-shouldered 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 Golden-shouldered Parrot is available HERE . Golden-shouldered Parrots are endemic to north-eastern Australia. They are sedentary. Previously present over much of Cape York peninsula, now - due to changed land use - their range is extremely limited. Apart from parts of the eastern side of Cape York peninsula, from about Coen, QLD, to Laura, QLD, they are found only in one location at the base of Cape York peninsula, a few hundred km inland from Cairns, QLD. Golden-shouldered Parrots are very highly specialized. They have a strong preference for tropical savannah woodland and open grassland. For nesting they require the presence of termite mounds.

Sightings Click here for sighting information M. Eaton reports spotting Golden-shouldered Parrots at Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, in August 2019, and again in June 2024. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours found Golden-shouldered Parrots at Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, in September 2020.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Dorsal/ventral view of a pair of Golden-shouldered Parrots, male on the left
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, September 2020]

MALE

Frontal view of a male Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a male Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-lateral view of a male Golden-shouldered Parrot looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, September 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Lateral view of a male Golden-shouldered Parrot looking backwards (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Lateral view of a male Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a male Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a female Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a female Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of an immature male Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Lateral view of an immature male Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of an immature male Golden-shouldered Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Mar - Jun

Eggs: 4 - 5

Incubation period: 18 - 20 days

Fledging age: 28 - 35 days

In good years, Golden-shouldered Parrots may try to have a second brood in the timeframe Aug-Nov.

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Tree hollow

Material: N/A

Height above ground: 1 - 2 m

Overview of a Golden-shouldered Parrot nest in a spire-shaped termite mound (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, June 2024]

View of one of five near-fledging age Golden-shouldered Parrot nestlings at the nest entrance (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Artemis Station, near Musgrave, Cape York peninsula, QLD, June 2024]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 22 x 19 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Rounded

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

goshpar_me_20240611.m4a	(N QLD)	Contact calls? (female)	© ME
goshpar_me_20240611_2.m4a	(N QLD)	Contact calls? (female)	© ME
goshpar_me_20240612.m4a	(N QLD)	Flight calls	© ME
goshpar_me_20240612_2.m4a	(N QLD)	Flight calls (arrival)	© ME
goshpar_me_20240612_3.m4a	(N QLD)	Warning/departure	© ME
goshpar_me_20240612_7.m4a	(N QLD)	Adult feeding chick at nest (+ Torresian Crow)	© ME
goshpar_me_20240612_6.m4a	(N QLD)	Various at nest	© ME
goshpar_me_20240612_8.m4a	(N QLD)	Begging calls(?) chicks	© ME
goshpar_me_20240612_9.m4a	(N QLD)	Begging calls(?) chicks	© ME

We have also been able to record the wing beats of Golden-shouldered Parrots.

goshpar_me_20240612_11.m4a

(N QLD)

Departure from nest

© ME

More Golden-shouldered Parrot sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.