Neophema Splendida MHNT
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The
genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
''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 Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecious species, which consis ...
, with males having brighter hues.


Taxonomy

Sometimes the broad-tailed parrots are considered a subfamily. In this case, ''Neophema'' and
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 ...
are united in the
tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
Neophemini.
mtDNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA and mDNA) is the DNA located in the mitochondria organelles in a eukaryotic cell that converts chemical energy from food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is a small portion of the DNA contained in ...
sequence In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is cal ...
data (Miyaki ''et al.'' 1998) suggests that the former may be correct, but the latter almost certainly is not. Rather, it appears, the group would need to include more closely related forms, such as the
budgerigar The budgerigar ( ; ''Melopsittacus undulatus''), also known as the common parakeet, shell parakeet or budgie ( ), is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot native to Australia. Naturally the species is green and yellow with black, scallop ...
and the ''
Pezoporus ''Pezoporus'' is a genus of parrot endemic to Australia. It contains two species: the night parrot (''P. occidentalis'') and the ground parrot (''P. wallicus'') which is divided into three subspecies. The night parrot was previously separated in ...
'' ground-parrots. However, while Joseph ''et al.'' (2011) also found ''Neophema'' to be related both Bourke's parrot and ground-parrots and form part of the tribe Pezoporini, they are not related to the budgerigar. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA published in 2021 indicated the ancestors of Bourke's parrot and the remaining ''Neophema'' parrots most likely diverged between 6.4 and 8 million years ago; the ''Neophema'' lineage diverged again, with one giving rise to the turquoise and scarlet-chested parrots, and the other to the four remaining species. Of these four, the ancestor of the orange-bellied parrot diverged next, then the elegant parrot, leaving the blue-winged and rock parrot as each other's closest relatives.


Species

There are 6 or 7 species: *
Blue-winged parrot The blue-winged parrot (''Neophema chrysostoma''), also known as the blue-banded parakeet or blue-banded grass-parakeet, is a small parrot found in Tasmania and southeast mainland Australia. It is partly migratory, with populations of blue-winged ...
, ''Neophema chrysostoma'' *
Elegant parrot The elegant parrot (''Neophema elegans'') is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is endemic to Australia. Naming and taxonomy The elegant parrot was called ''carteri'', ''bilgir'', or ''koolyederong'' by Aboriginal peoples. Its E ...
, ''Neophema elegans'' *
Rock parrot The rock parrot (''Neophema petrophila'') is a species of Neophema, grass parrot native to Australia. Described by John Gould in 1841, it is a small parrot long and weighing with predominantly olive (color), olive-brown upperparts and more yell ...
, ''Neophema petrophila'' *
Orange-bellied parrot The orange-bellied parrot (''Neophema chrysogaster'') is a small parrot endemic (ecology), endemic to southern Australia, and one of only three species of parrot that bird migration, migrate. It was described by John Latham (ornithologist), John ...
, ''Neophema chrysogaster'' *
Turquoise parrot The turquoise parrot (''Neophema pulchella'') is a species of parrot in the genus ''Neophema'' native to Eastern Australia, from southeastern Queensland, through New South Wales and into North-Eastern Victoria (state), Victoria. It was species d ...
, ''Neophema pulchella'' *
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'' Depending on the author, ''Neopsephotus bourkii'' (
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 ...
) may also be considered a member of this genus.


Aviculture

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 ...
,
turquoise parrot The turquoise parrot (''Neophema pulchella'') is a species of parrot in the genus ''Neophema'' native to Eastern Australia, from southeastern Queensland, through New South Wales and into North-Eastern Victoria (state), Victoria. It was species d ...
and
elegant parrot The elegant parrot (''Neophema elegans'') is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is endemic to Australia. Naming and taxonomy The elegant parrot was called ''carteri'', ''bilgir'', or ''koolyederong'' by Aboriginal peoples. Its E ...
are all commonly raised and bred in captivity with a number of unusual colour forms arising. The members of this genus are not altogether easy to keep, being tender birds that may die without apparent cause, succumbing to mobbing by more robust aviary mates or diseases. This has hampered captive propagation efforts, e.g. in the case of the
critically endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...
orange-bellied parrot The orange-bellied parrot (''Neophema chrysogaster'') is a small parrot endemic (ecology), endemic to southern Australia, and one of only three species of parrot that bird migration, migrate. It was described by John Latham (ornithologist), John ...
. They are certainly not "beginner's birds" and will usually not thrive if they are not provided with a spacious
aviary An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where Bird flight, they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flig ...
where a small flock can be kept in company of a few other small and harmless birds. It is possible to keep a pair or a single bird in a cage, but they will be sluggish and unhealthy if they are not let out to fly and socialize with humans frequently. Trade in wild-caught specimens is strongly restricted; in any case, these should be rejected because they are extremely tough to accustomize to aviary conditions. It is usually impossible, even for expert aviculturalists, to keep wild-caught birds alive for more than a few months. Captive-bred birds of several species are available, and these are far more hardy, though inexperienced aviculturalists should avoid them nonetheless. Popular in Australia and internationally, ''Neophema'' are sometimes referred to as 'grass parakeets' in avicultural literature. The most easily bred are Bourke's parrot (as ''Neophema''), the scarlet-chested parrot (''N. splendida''), the turquoise parrot (''N. pulchella''), and the elegant parrot (''N. elegans''). The most difficult and uncommon captive is the rock parrot (''N. petrophila''). Aside from Bourke's parrot, all are distinguished as predominantly green birds. The orange-bellied parrot has not been commercially available due to rarity and legal restriction.


Etymology

The genus name comes from νέος (new) and Euphema (the original, now synonimised name for this genus


References

Cited sources Bibliography * *


External links

* * {{Authority control Bird genera