Description
A medium-sized parrot with pointed wings and tail. Mostly bright green with a dark blue patch on head. They have red above the bill and on throat that has a narrow yellow border. The underwing has prominent red and yellow patches. The tail is slim and pointed. Length approx. 25 cm; weight approx. 65 g
Swift Parrots breed in Tasmania during summer and migrate to south-eastern Australia in winter. A few non-breeding birds may be seen on mainland Australia during summer. Breeding sites coincide with areas of flowering blue gums. They nest in tree hollows, laying three to five eggs. Some juvenile mortality is due to predation from possums and sugar gliders.
Author credit: Kathryn Medlock / Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery
Habitat
In Tasmania Swift Parrots are mostly associated with blue gum forest. On mainland Australia they inhabit dry woodland, especially ironbark forests.
Food
Nectar
Range
South-eastern Australia
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Species Description is from Museums Field Guide, Atlas of Living Australia at website at https://lists.ala.org.au Licensed under Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Aves | | Order: | Psittaciformes | | Family: | Psittacidae | | Genus: | Lathamus | | Species: | discolor | | Common Name: | Swift Parrot |
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