Bourke's Parrot

Overview

Bourke's Parrot inhabits the arid and semi-arid interior of Australia, favoring scrubland and open woodland. Its subdued pastel coloring is unusual among parrots and helps it blend into dry grassland and scrub habitats.

• Slim body with a fairly long tail for its size
• Coloring is muted rather than boldly saturated
• Often more active at dawn, dusk, and even into twilight

Feather Identification

Upperpart feathers are a soft brown-grey, each often edged with a paler scalloped margin. The breast and belly show a delicate pink wash, while the rump and wing edges carry patches of blue.

• Flight feathers: Brown-grey with blue edging visible on the outer wing
• Tail feathers: Brown-grey with blue outer feathers
• Overall tone: The soft, pastel brown-pink-blue combination is unlike the saturated greens and reds of most rosellas and parrotlets in the region

The muted, scalloped brown-grey plumage combined with a pink breast wash and blue rump/wing edging is diagnostic for this species among Australian parrots.

Sexes are similar, though females tend to show slightly less blue and a paler pink wash than males. Juveniles are duller still, with the pink and blue tones developing more fully with maturity. Molt occurs gradually through the year.

This species is adapted to arid and semi-arid scrub, mulga woodland, and open grassland across the interior of Australia. It is largely resident but can be locally nomadic, moving in response to rainfall and the resulting flush of seeding grasses.

Bourke's Parrots are often described as crepuscular, being notably active around dawn and dusk and sometimes after dark, when they are less conspicuous than typical daytime parrots. They feed mainly on grass and other seeds gathered on the ground. Nesting occurs in tree hollows, with pairs sharing incubation and chick care. Calls are soft, musical, and less harsh than those of many other parrots.