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Scarlet-chested Parrot
(Neophema splendida)
: "Splendid Grass-parrot", "Orange-throated Grass-parrot",
"Scarlet-breasted Parrot"
Size: 18-21 cm
Weight: 35-45 g
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Scarlet-chested Parrots are small parrots.
Their plumage is
dimorphic, i.e.
males and
females
are different.
Male
Scarlet-chested Parrots have a conspicuous, scarlet-red
chest that gives them their name. The forehead is all-blue,
the belly, vent and undertail in cluding coverts is yellow
and the back, from the cap downward, is olive-green, including
the uppertail. The primarily olive-green wings have blue
shoulder patches and near-black flight feathers.
Female
Scarlet-chested Parrots have a yellowish-green chest,
instead of scarlet-red, but otherwise resemble males.
The irises of both sexes are dark, the bills are dark-grey
and the legs and feet are also dark-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See
Scarlet-chested Parrot at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based
on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Scarlet-chested Parrot is available
HERE
.
NB:
Reports on ebird of birds submitted by birdwatchers from
the Australian Outback tend to be clustered along roads
and public areas such as camp grounds; in such cases their
distribution is not a good representation of the overall
distribution of the species.
Scarlet-chested Parrots are endemic to Australia.
They inhabit parts of the semi-arid interior
of the Australian continent. They are found along the lower Darling
River, close to the confluence with the Murray River, in the western-most
part of NSW and across essentially the entire northern half of SA,
into eastern WA along the border with SA. Conditions permitting,
they will disperse further across the interior towards the North,
South and especially the West, into inland WA (towards Kalgoorlie,
WA).
Scarlet-chested Parrots have a preference for mulga-dominated
scrub and
mallee.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
We have not seen a Scarlet-chested Parrot out in the wild yet. The
photo below was obtained in captivity.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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Lateral view of a male Scarlet-chested Parrot in captivity
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.