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Eastern Ground Parrot
Pezoporus wallicus wallicus
Conservation Status
Listed as Vulnerable in New South Wales under the Threatened Species Conservation Act.
What does it look like?
It is a distinctive, slender parrot which is so shy and elusive that it is not usually seen unless it is flushed out from cover. The Parrot is a bright grass-green with black and yellow markings and a prominent pale yellow wing bar. The tail is long and barred with yellow. It has a small red band on the lower forehead.
Where does it live?
The Eastern Ground Parrot mainly lives in heathland, sedgeland or on button-grass plains. They are normally sedentary in their chosen habitats but young birds will disperse to find their own territories. Fires and fire-affected areas will also cause them to move. They are found in scattered populations along the east coast of Austalia, from south-east coastal Queensland and in pockets in north-east and southern New South Wales, through to coastal areas of Gippsland in Victoria and the islands of the Bass Strait to its stronghold in Tasmania.
What does it eat and what is its life cycle?
Feeding on the ground, they eat seeds of sedges, grasses and herbaceous plants and shrubs. They construct a nest consisting of a shallow bowl of fine sticks and grass, which is well-hidden under low shrubs. The nest is screened from view, and this screen often forms a tunnel. The female incubates the eggs and broods the young. During this time of incubation and brooding, the female is fed by the male, who also feeds the young when they hatch.Updated: 22 Jun 2011
Related Links
- Eastern Ground Parrot - DEC-NSW Threatened Species Profile