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12

Hooded Parrot

(Psephotus dissimilis)
Alternate name(s): "Black-hooded Parakeet", "Anthill Parrot"
Size: 25-27 cm
Weight: 50-60 g

Similar
species

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

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Hooded Parrot at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Close-up frontal view of a male Hooded Parrot looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Close-up near-frontal view of a male Hooded Parrot looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a male Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a male Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a male Hooded Parrot taking grass seeds (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2014]

Lateral view of a male Hooded Parrot on a high perch (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2014]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a male Hooded Parrot looking back over its shoulder (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a male Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2020]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a male Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Pine Creek, NT, November 2019]

Dorsal view of a male Hooded Parrot
[Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]

FEMALE

Full-frontal/ventral view of a very pale female Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Pine Creek, NT, November 2018]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a female Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2020]

Close-up near-lateral view of a female Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Pine Creek, NT, March 2021]

Close-up lateral view of a female Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Lateral view of a female Hooded Parrot
[Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]

Dorsal view of a female Hooded Parrot
[Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]

PAIR

Pair of Hooded Parrots; male on the left, female on the right (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2014]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up lateral view of an immature male Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Near-lateral view of an immature male Hooded Parrot moulting into adult plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of an immature male Hooded Parrot moulting into adult plumage, left, with a female on the right
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2014]

Lateral view of an immature male Hooded Parrot moulting into adult plumage
[Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]

Lateral/ventral view of an immature male Hooded Parrot moulting into adult plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2020]

Near-dorsal view of an immature male Hooded Parrot moulting into adult plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2014]

Family of Hooded Parrots on the ground - female in front, male at centre, juveniles behind (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Hooded Parrot looking at the observer; note the horn-coloured bill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Hooded Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Hooded Parrot foraging in recently burnt dry grassland
[Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a juvenile Hooded Parrot looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, June 2023]

Behaviour

The Hooded Parrot is one of only two remaining extant species that are known to nest in termite mounds. The other is the Golden-shouldered Parrot in northern QLD. The former third species, the Paradise Parrot, is presumed extinct.

We have observed three Hooded Parrots busying themselves around a termite mound, but could not find a nesting hollow
[Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]

Food, Diet

Hooded Parrots are primarily seed-eaters.

Close-up near-dorsal view of a female Hooded Parrot feeding on grass seeds (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Pine Creek, NT, March 2021]

Hooded Parrots feeding on grass seeds - male at the centre, female in front and juvenile at the back
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2014]

Two immature Hooded Parrots moulting into adult plumage drinking from a waterhole; male on the right, female on the left (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2014]

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.

hoodpar_20140818_2.m4a (Pine Creek, NT) Contact call? (female) © MD
hoodpar_20140818.m4a (Pine Creek, NT) Contact calls? (females) © MD
hoodpar_pb_20210320.m4a (Pine Creek, NT) Various © PB

More Hooded 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.

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If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.