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12

Swift Parrot

(Lathamus discolor)
Alternate name(s): "Red-shouldered Parrot", "Swift-flying Parakeet", "Swift-flying Lorikeet"
Size: 23-26 cm
Weight: 45-75 g
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Swift 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

Near-lateral view of a male(?) Swift Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Swift Parrot
[30 km N of Coonabarabran, NSW, August 2022]

Lateral view of a male Swift Parrot
[30 km N of Coonabarabran, NSW, August 2022]

Lateral view of a male Swift Parrot - note the scarlet undertail coverts (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a male Swift Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Swift Parrot - note the salmon-pink undertail coverts (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Near-frontal view of a female Swift Parrot
[Chain Valley Bay South, NSW, June 2011]

Lateral view of a female Swift Parrot - note the salmon-pink undertail coverts (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a female Swift Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a female Swift Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a female(?) Swift Parrot
[30 km N of Coonabarabran, NSW, July 2022]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Swift Parrot (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Frontal view of a Swift Parrot hanging from a branch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Juvenile Swift Parrot reaching for a twig with a half-eaten leaf, possibly to pick lerps from the underside of the leaf
[Chain Valley Bay South, NSW, June 2011]

Ventral view of a juvenile Swift Parrot climbing to the tip of a twig
[Chain Valley Bay South, NSW, June 2011]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal Mobility: Dispersive Elementary unit: Flock

 

Swift Parrots are often seen together with various types of lorikeets.

Food, Diet

Apart from nectar, Swift Parrots also feed on lerps.

Lateral view of a male Swift Parrot feeding on the nectar of Swamp Mahogany
[Chain Valley Bay South, NSW, June 2011]

Swift Parrot feeding on nectar (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Swift Parrot feeding on nectar (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dover, TAS, September 2021]

Swift Parrot licking nectar; it appears that this young bird does not quite know yet which flowers/buds contain nectar and which don't...
[Chain Valley Bay South, NSW, June 2011]

Near-frontal view of a male Swift Parrot checking the underside of eucalypt leaves searching for lerps
[30 km N of Coonabarabran, NSW, August 2022]

Female(?) Swift Parrot feeding on lerps
[30 km N of Coonabarabran, NSW, July 2022]

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.

swiftp_me_20210919.m4a (S TAS) Contact calls © ME
swiftp_me_20210919_2.m4a (S TAS) Contact & feeding calls (flock) © ME
swiftp_20220722.m4a (NW NSW) Warning/departure(?) © MD
swiftp_20220722_3.m4a (NW NSW) Warning/departure(?) © MD
swiftp_aa_20180925.m4a (ACT) Various (flock) © AA
musklor_20220722_3.mp3 (NW NSW) Various (+ mob of Musk Lorikeets) © MD

More Swift 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.