Red-rumped Parrot
Psephotus haematonotus
Ground feeding parrot. Male is bright green with blue head and red rump; female is quite different in being much duller-olive green and lacking red rump. Common in open habitats, particularly farmland and surrounding woodland areas in southeastern Australia.
Identification
Red-rumped parrots are slim, moderate-sized parrots approximately 28 cm (11 in) in length. The male's plumage is a bright emerald-green with yellow underparts, a brick-red rump and blue highlights on the wings and upper back. The female's plumage is less vibrant, with pale olive underparts, dull green wings and back and blue-black wingtips. The characteristic red rump is only found in the male.
Taxonomy
The red-rumped parrot was described by John Gould in 1838 as Platycercus haematonotus from a specimen collected in New South Wales. He felt it was intermediate between the genera Platycercus and Nanodes, placing it in the former. He gave it its species name on account of its red rump.<p>It is the type species for the genus Psephotus. It was long presumed to be closely related to the mulga parrot, however analysis of multiple genetic material shows it to be an early offshoot of a group containing the genera Platycercus and Barnardius. Hence all other species in the genus have been moved to the new genus Psephotellus, leaving the red-rumped parrot as the sole member in the now monotypic genus.<p>The IOC has designated red-rumped parrot as its official common name. It is also known as red-backed parrot and grass parrot.
- Scientific name
- Psephotus haematonotus
- Authority
- (Gould, 1838)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Psephotus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: rising.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Brown-headed Thrush
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A large migratory thrush, breeding in northern Japan; a wintering bird in Taiwan and elsewhere. All plumages rich earthy brown above, with extensive orange sides and white central bellies. Male has sooty brown throat and cheeks, female and young birds streaked throats and faint supercilium. Found mostly in forests but also ventures into fields and gardens in winter.
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