Orange-bellied Parrots
Endangered Species
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Description
The Orange-bellied Parrot is a small, stocky, ground-dwelling parrot, primarily a deep, grassy green. It is noticeably smaller than the superficially similar and much more familiar Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus. It has a blue forehead-band (that does not extend behind the eye), a green (not yellow) face, and blue wing-edges.
The orange patch on the yellow belly is not a very reliable field mark. It sometimes feeds with the very similar Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysotoma. Its buzzy alarm call is also unique.
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Location and habitat
Distribution
The Orange-bellied Parrot breeds in the south-west of Tasmania and migrates in autumn to spend the winter on the mainland coast of south-eastern South Australia and southern Victoria. There are occasional reports from NSW, with the most recent records from Shellharbour and Maroubra in May 2003. It is expected that NSW habitats may be being more frequently utilised than observations suggest. Typical winter habitat is saltmarsh and strandline/foredune vegetation communities either on coastlines or coastal lagoons. Spits and islands are favoured but they will turn up anywhere within these coastal regions. The species can be found foraging in weedy areas associated with these coastal habitats or even in totally modified landscapes such as pastures, seed crops and golf courses.
- On the mainland, the Orange-bellied Parrot spends winter mostly within 3 km of the coast in sheltered coastal habitats including bays, lagoons, estuaries, coastal dunes and saltmarshes. The species also inhabits small islands and peninsulas and occasionally saltworks and golf courses. Birds forage in low samphire herbland or taller coastal shrubland.
- Diet mainly comprises seeds and fruits of sedges and salt-tolerant coastal and saltmarsh plants. Occasionally, flowers and stems are eaten.
- Orange-bellied Parrots are known to forage among flocks of Blue-winged Parrots.
- Recent records from unexpected places, including Shellharbour and Maroubra suggest that the species may be expanding their selection of habitats and foraging plant species. Birds seen in NSW in 2003 were foraging on weed species several hundred metres from the coast.
Threats
- Fragmentation and degradation of coastal overwintering habitats on the NSW coast including saltmarsh and dune habitats from grazing, agricultural and residential impacts.
- Fox and cat predation are known threats to Orange-bellied Parrots.
- Competition for food resources with other seed eaters.
- Psittacine Circoviral Disease (PCD) has been recorded in captive and wild populations.
Recovery strategies
Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Department of Environment and Conservation has identified 4 priority actions to help recover the Orange-bellied Parrot in New South Wales.
What needs to be done to recover this species?
- Keep domestic dogs and cats indoors at night. Desex domestic dogs and cats.
- Encourage the public to look for Orange-bellied Parrots in coastal NSW and encourage them to report sightings to DEC. In particular, focus survey efforts in areas known to be utilised by Blue-winged Parrots as both species are known to operate in same foraging group.
- Undertake fox, wild dog and feral cat control program targeting known high quality habitat.
- Create additional habitat for an additional 100 birds using ecological burning practices.
- Assess the appropriateness of dog and cat ownership in new residential subdivisions.
- Identify, protect and manage potential coastal over-wintering habitats on the NSW coast, particularly those areas that are not in formal reserves.
- Secure known foraging habitats from overgrazing, predators and competitors.
Copyright Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW)
Genus: Scientific: Neophema ... English: Elegant Parrots ... Dutch: Elegante Parkieten ... German: Grassittiche ... French: Perruche neophema 
Species: Scientific: Neophema chrysogaster ... English: Orange-bellied Parrot ... Dutch: Oranjebuikparkiet, Oranjeborstparki ... French: Perruche à ventre orangé CITES I - Protected Species Distribution: Tasmania, Islands in Brass Strait, Coastral South-Eastern Australia and Western Victoria
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