Bourke's parrot (''Neopsephotus bourkii'', formerly known as ''Neophema bourkii''), also known as the blue-vented parrot, sundown parrot, pink-bellied parrot, Bourke's parakeet, Bourke or "Bourkie", is a small

parrot Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as psittacines (), are birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genus (biology), genera, found mostly in ...

found in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and the only species in its genus, ''Neopsephotus''. It is approximately 19 cm long and weighs around 45 grams. It is named after General Sir

Richard Bourke General Sir Richard Bourke, KCB (4 May 1777 – 12 August 1855) was an Irish soldier, who served in the British Army and was Governor of New South Wales from 1831 to 1837. As a lifelong Whig (liberal), he encouraged the emancipation of con ...

, Governor of New South Wales from 1831 to 1837.

Description

The Bourke's parrot is a relatively small species. They tend to vary between 18 cm and 23 cm in length with a tail length of approximately 9 cm. The females of the species tend to be slightly smaller than the males: males of the species weigh between 47 g and 49 g whilst females weigh between 41 g and 49 g. Both sexes look very similar until the age of nine months, after which they come into full

plumage Plumage () is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, there can b ...

colour. In the wild, Bourke's parakeets display an overall brown colouration with a pink abdomen, pinkish breast and a blue rump. The legs are dark-brown, with

zygodactyl In biology, dactyly is the arrangement of digits (fingers and toes) on the hands, feet, or sometimes wings of a tetrapod animal. The term is derived from the Greek word () meaning "finger." Sometimes the suffix "-dactylia" is used. The derive ...

toes. The

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pl ...

is yellowish-brown. The adult male has a blue forehead while the adult female has a little or no blue on the forehead. The Bourke's parrot's feathers help it blend in with the reddish soil of its arid home. The bird's call has been described as a "soft twitter". Other sounds made by the Bourke's parrot go "chu-vee", "chirrup chirrup", or when alarmed, "kik-kik-kik".

Taxonomy and naming

The name of the Bourke's parrot comes from Sir Thomas L. Mitchell, who spotted the bird in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

in 1835. Mitchell named the species after

Sir Richard Bourke General Sir Richard Bourke, KCB (4 May 1777 – 12 August 1855) was an Irish soldier, who served in the British Army and was Governor of New South Wales from 1831 to 1837. As a lifelong Whig (liberal), he encouraged the emancipation of convi ...

, the governor of the state at the time. The ornithologist

John Gould John Gould (; 14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English ornithologist who published monographs on birds, illustrated by plates produced by his wife, Elizabeth Gould (illustrator), Elizabeth Gould, and several other artists, includ ...

wrote the first scientific description of the Bourke's parrot in 1841. Gould initially classified the species as ''Euphema bourkii'', but it was later classified within the genus ''

Neophema The genus ''Neophema'' is an Australian genus with six or seven species. They are small, dull green parrots differentiated by patches of other colours, and are commonly known as grass parrots. The genus has some sexual dichromatism, with males h ...

'' which fully consists of grass parakeets. In the mid-90s, the Bourke's was reclassified into its own genus, ''Neopsephotus''. This was done because of a lack of evidence that the parrot could hybridize with the rest of the ''Neophema'' genus; they are different in colouration and live a

nomadic Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...

lifestyle throughout the arid regions of Australia.
, "7 Things You Must Know About Grass Parakeets, Harter". The Bourke's parrot is still however referred to as a type of grass parakeet.

Distribution and habitat

The Bourke's parrot is native to Australia. As a nomadic species, following water and food sources, it has a vast range. The Bourke's parrot is mainly found in sparsely populated areas; however they have been known to dwell in urban areas as well. These parrots can be found from the South-western parts of

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

deep into western New South Wales, throughout

Central Australia Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Australia. In its narrowest sense it describes a region that is limited to the town of Alice Springs and ...

to the far northern parts of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

and parts of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. The Bourke's parrot's main habitat consists of areas dominated by ''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...

'' species, particularly mulga, and spinifex plains. The species can also be found in native

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

and open

eucalypt Eucalypt is any woody plant with Capsule (fruit), capsule fruiting bodies belonging to one of seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australia: ''Eucalyptus'', ''Corymbia'', ''Angophora'', ''Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...

woodlands.

Ecology and behaviour

The Bourke's parrot has been described as both arboreal and terrestrial; it perches and nests in trees, but also frequently lives on the ground where it can easily camouflage. The flight pattern of the Bourke's parakeet is short but swift, interspersed with gliding motions. It usually flies close to the ground in quick bursts, as it travels between trees. The bird's wing beat is minimal and produces an audible whirring sound. In the wild the Bourke's parrot tends to live in pairs or small groups, ranging from approximately four to six. Larger flocks ranging in the hundreds are also made by the species, particularly during times of drought.

Breeding

During the nesting season, males are highly territorial, chasing away any potential intruders or threats. Breeding season for the Bourke's parrot usually occurs between the months of August and October, but can also draw out into December, depending on the season and availability of resources. Bourke's parrots are

monogamous Monogamy ( ) is a relationship of two individuals in which they form a mutual and exclusive intimate partnership. Having only one partner at any one time, whether for life or serial monogamy, contrasts with various forms of non-monogamy (e.g. ...

, staying with a single partner."Neopsephotus bourkii Bourke's parrot, Animal Diversity Web"
/ref> Their nests tend to be situated from 1 metre to 3 metres above ground level in hollow limbs of the mulga tree or other acacia species. Eggs are generally laid on a bed of decayed wood at the bottom of the tree hollow. The Bourke's parrot has a

clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does th ...

of 3 to 6

eggs An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo begins to develop. Egg, EGG or eggs may also refer to: Biology * Egg cell, the female reproductive cell (gamete) in oogamous organisms Food * Eggs as food Places * Egg, Austria * Egg, Switzerland ...

, which are incubated by the female for 18–19 days. During this period, she is fed by the male parrot, only leaving the nest to find water or to defecate. Once the chicks hatch, both parents feed their young. Offspring begin

fledging Fledging is the stage in a flying animal's life between hatching or birth and becoming capable of flight. This term is most frequently applied to birds, but is also used for bats. For altricial birds, those that spend more time in vulnerable c ...

at about 4 weeks of age, becoming fully independent around 8 to 10 days later.

Diet

Bourke's parrots forage on the ground and in bushes for grasses and seeds, most active feeding at dusk and dawn. Due to their diet the Bourke's parrot works as a known

seed disperser In spermatophyte plants, seed dispersal is the movement, spread or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. Plants have limited mobility and rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their seeds, including both abiotic vectors, ...

Aviculture

The Bourke's parrot is a relatively popular aviary bird. It is particularly common among new bird owners, as it is known for its quiet and passive temperament. Due to their peaceful nature, Bourke's parrots may be kept in captivity with a number of other species including finches, doves and other small parakeets. Bourke's parrots rarely learn to

talk Talk may refer to: Communication * Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people * Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people * Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct ...

. Unlike many other species of parrots, the Bourke's parrot does not climb and instead relies on hopping or flying to reach higher perches. This species typically lives for 10-15 years when kept in captivity, but some individuals do surpass this lifespan. There are few documented mutations found in captive Bourke's parrots; such as yellow, Isabel, fallow and pink or rosa.''"The New Australian Parakeet Handbook"'', Vriends, ''Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.'', ''Hauppauge, NY, 1992 The rosa mutation is particularly common in aviculture, lending to the popular name "Rosy Bourke". Additionally, while Bourke's parakeets lacking a color mutation can often be sexed visually, males and females with a color mutation cannot. There have been recorded instances of the Bourke's parrot producing hybrids with the

scarlet-chested parrot The scarlet-chested parrot (''Neophema splendida''), known alternately as scarlet-breasted parrot, orange-throated parrot or splendid parrot, is a parrot endemic to central South Australia and inland southern Western Australia. The species is sex ...

(''Neophema splendida'').

Threats

The Bourke's parrot is not listed as threatened by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

. The main threat faced by this particular species is predation from

red foxes The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plu ...

(''Vulpes vulpes'') introduced from Europe and

feral cats A feral cat or a stray cat is an unowned domestic cat (''Felis catus'') that lives outdoors and avoids human contact; it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Feral cats may breed over dozens ...

(''Felis silvestris''). Drought and clearing of watering holes can have significant impacts on the population. However, there have not been a noticeable decline in numbers; rather they are steadily increasing. This is likely due to the reasoning that their habitat is so far spread and they have little contact with predators compared to other parakeet species.

Gallery

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q848617

Bourke's parrot Bourke's parrot (''Neopsephotus bourkii'', formerly known as ''Neophema bourkii''), also known as the blue-vented parrot, sundown parrot, pink-bellied parrot, Bourke's parakeet, Bourke or "Bourkie", is a small parrot found in Australia and the mon ...

Endemic birds of Australia

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