Superb Parrots aka Barraband Parakeets or Parrots aka Scarlet-breasted Parrots
Polytelis swainsonii
Splendour Parrots
Superb Parrots are fairly common in Australia's New South Wales and Victoria provinces, and prefer to stay in forests or tree-dotted grasslands near water.
In their natural habitat, farmers regard them as pests, as these parrots love to feed on their crops -- however, the Splendour Parrot is very popular with the aviculturists, as they are beautiful, peaceful and quiet aviary inhabitants.
Personality:
The Splendour Parrots are very quiet in an aviary, with an endearingly friendly and gentle personality. They are highly social and should be kept with a mate or in a group environment. In the wild, Superb Parrots are almost always found in flocks. They acclimatize fairly easily to a new environment and are very hardy ... Talking Abilities (compared to other species).
Description
Chart & Some of the Info by: |
| Superb Parrot Polytelis swainsonii |
| Size: 45cm in length |
| Pet Status: Cock – Excellent, Hen - Unsuitable |
| Talking Ability: Cock – Moderate |
| Noise Level: Low |
| Lifespan: 25 years |
| Breeding Ability: Excellent |
| Courtship Display: Male will raise head and feathers slightly and stare with contracted pupils at his mate. When female responds to male soliciting, mating begins. |
| Number of Eggs: 4-5 eggs |
| Incubation: 22 days |
| Compatibility with other species: Good |
| Feeding: Seed and Fruit eaters |
| Health Programmes: Follow the Parrot Health Programme. |
| Sexing: Hen is slightly duller, and lacks bright yellow head and red crescent of cock. Surgical or DNA sexing required prior to sexually maturity (2 years). |
The beautiful Superb Parrot, Polytelis swainsonii, averages 15.5 to 16 inches (40cm) in length and is predominantly green with long tail feathers.
The male has a slight blue tinge to their napes. He has a scarlet band across his upper chest, and a bright yellow face and throat. His primaries have a blue outer webbing, and the long, pointed tail has a blackish underside. His upper tail is yellow and his irises orange-yellow.
The female has a duller plumage and lack the male's red and yellow coloration. She has a pale blue-green face, greyish-green throat and yellow thighs. Her throat is grayish-green; her thighs are orange-yellow thighs; and her under-tail feathers are pink tipped. She has yellow irises.
Both sexes have gray feet, reddish-pink bills, and gray periopthalmic rings.
Diet:
Superb Parrots eat grain, seeds, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables. In the wild, their diet consists mainly of eucalypt flowers, fruits, nectar and pollen.
Specific Care Requirements:
Superb Parrots spend a lot of time on the ground foraging for food; therefore they need to be wormed regularly. They are also susceptible to foot problems and eye infections.
The Superb Parrots should be kept in a roomy aviary that allows them to fly. Please refer to the following websites for valuable information:
- Adopting or Purchasing a Parrot
- Optimal nutrition to keep your bird healthy
- Housing your bird
- Caring for your companion bird
Breeding:
In captivity, they usually begin breeding in March (in Australia: September lasting until December) , and may produce up to two clutches a year, each clutch averaging four to six eggs which are incubated for about 20 days.
The best breeding results are achieved when Superb Parrots are housed as a single pair in an aviary approximately four to six metres long and one to two metres wide. A much larger aviary is required if these birds are to be bred using the colony system. Superb Parrots have been known to have a breeding life of up to twenty years when kept in peak condition.
They require a nesting box (cockatiel or lovebird-sized works fine) or hollow log of at least 8 inches (20 centimeters) in diameter. In the wild, they nest on hollow limbs or tree holes.
Soft insect food is often fed to the adults to help them feed their young. The chicks fledge from 35 to 45 days and are independent by 50 days.
Immature Superb Parrots have similar coloring to the females, but have brown irises, and their require their adult coloration from six to ten months of age. Females are sexually mature at one year of age and males at two years.
Location and habitat
Distribution
The Superb Parrot is found throughout eastern inland NSW. On the South-western Slopes their core breeding area is roughly bounded by Cowra and Yass in the east, and Grenfell, Cootamundra and Coolac in the west. Birds breeding in this region are mainly absent during winter, when they migrate north to the region of the upper Namoi and Gwydir Rivers. The other main breeding sites are in the Riverina along the corridors of the Murray, Edward and Murrumbidgee Rivers where birds are present all year round. It is estimated that there are less than 5000 breeding pairs left in the wild.
- Inhabit Box-Gum, Box-Cypress-pine and Boree Woodlands and River Red Gum Forest.
- In the Riverina the birds nest in the hollows of large trees (dead or alive) mainly in tall riparian River Red Gum Forest or Woodland. On the South West Slopes nest trees can be in open Box-Gum Woodland or isolated paddock trees. Species known to be used are Blakely's Red Gum, Yellow Box, Apple Box and Red Box.
- Nest in small colonies, often with more than one nest in a single tree.
- Breed between September and January.
- May forage up to 10 km from nesting sites, primarily in grassy box woodland.
- Feed in trees and understorey shrubs and on the ground and their diet consists mainly of grass seeds and herbaceous plants. Also eaten are fruits, berries, nectar, buds, flowers, insects and grain.
Threats
- Poor regeneration of nesting trees and food resources.
- Removal of hollow bearing trees.
- Clearing of woodland remnants.
- Feeding on grain spills and subsequently being struck by vehicles.
- Loss of hollows to feral bees and native and exotic hollow-nesting birds.
- Illegal trapping which can also result in the destruction of hollows.
Source: "Copyright Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW)
Sub-species:
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with web visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the webmaster.
Photo contributions are welcome!
