Orange-bellied parrot

For the African orange-bellied parrot, see Senegal parrot.

Orange-bellied parrot
Male in South West Tasmania
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittaculidae
Genus: Neophema
Species:
N. chrysogaster
Binomial name
Neophema chrysogaster
(Latham, 1790)
Synonyms

Euphema aurantia Gould, 1841
Nanodes gouldii Ewing, 1841
Psephotus chrysogaster mab Mathews, 1912
Neonanodes chrysogaster wallicus Mathews, 1924

The orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) is a small parrot endemic to southern Australia, and one of only three [citation needed] species of parrot that migrate. It was described by John Latham in 1790. A small parrot around 20 cm (8 in) long, it exhibits sexual dimorphism. The adult male is distinguished by its bright grass-green upper parts, yellow underparts and orange belly patch. The adult female and juvenile are duller green in colour. All birds have a prominent two-toned blue frontal band and blue outer wing feathers.

The orange-bellied parrot breeds in Tasmania and winters on the coast of southern mainland Australia, foraging on saltmarsh species, beach or dune plants and a variety of exotic weed species.[3] The diet consists of seeds and berries of small coastal grasses and shrubs. With a wild population of 14 birds as of early February 2017,[4] it is regarded as a critically endangered species.[5] The orange-bellied parrot is rated as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Red List of Endangered species.

Orange-bellied parrots are being bred in a captive breeding program with parrots in Taroona, Tasmania, Healesville Sanctuary, Adelaide Zoo, Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park and Priam Parrot Breeding Centre. The captive population consists of around 300 birds, with a target of 350 birds by 2016–17.[5] Because of the decline in the wild population in recent years, an additional 21 birds from the wild population were captured in 2010–2011 to improve the genetic diversity of the species' captive breeding program. Taken as a whole, the captive population, an example of ex situ conservation, is termed an "insurance population" against extinction.[6]

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2018). "Neophema chrysogaster". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22685203A130894893. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22685203A130894893.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ Background and implementation information for the Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Plan, The Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team (2006), Department of Primary Industries and Water (DPIW), Hobart, p. 13
  4. ^ "The race to save the endangered orange-bellied parrot". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2017-02-14. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
  5. ^ a b Pritchard, Rachel. "Update on the Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Program" (PDF). Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  6. ^ Australia (2010-09-17). "Media releases and speeches 1996 - 2007: Minister for the Environment". Environment.gov.au. Retrieved 2012-06-05.