Travelling around Australia is like walking in an aviary.
Parrots are common all across the southern half of our planet. It is real treat for people from northern countries to see these gorgeous and colourful birds flying free in their natural habitat. Previously, I had seen them only as pets in cages.
Australia’s Parrots – Living Rainbows
There are many good reasons to travel around the country, but it is worth going just to see Australia’s Parrots—living Rainbows. The photo above shows juvenile King Parrots in the wild, not in a zoo, park, or aviary.
The family Psittacoida, or parrots, has more than 350 species. This does not include Cockatoos and New Zealand Parrots which belong to a different family. Although parrots are found as far north as southern USA, the vast majority of them live in South America, South-east Asia and Australia. There are more than 40 species in Australia alone.
Here are just a few of the beautiful parrots that I saw on my trip around Australia
Crimson Rosella
The Crimson Rosella lives along the east and southeast coast of Australia and is quite common. Juveniles are green. The colour of adults can vary from brilliant red to orange. They are often on the ground, foraging for seeds, berries, and nuts.
Australian King Parrot
This large, brilliant-red parrot, endemic to the east coast, is one of Australia’s most stunning birds. It is bright red on the front and green on the back. They feed on fruits and nuts in trees and the ground. We saw them in the country’s southeast corner, along the Great Ocean Road, where they are quite tame. Juveniles are greener, as in the photo at the top.
Pale-headed Rosella
This bird lives only in the Cape York region of northeastern Australia. Unlike other rosellas, it is shy and difficult to approach close enough for a good photo. They are mostly a pale blue and yellow with a bit of red and many black marks on their back.
Rainbow Lorikeet
The Rainbow Lorikeet is one of the most common and also one of the most beautiful of Australia’s parrots. They often come to people’s feeders and are fairly tame. As their name implies, they are lovely, multi-coloured birds. Native to the east coast from Cape York to Melbourne.
Red-winged Parrot
The Red-winged Parrot’s range is across the north and northeast of Australia. It is all green except for a large red patch on the wings. They eat primarily seeds but also berries and insects.
Australian Ring-neck
The Australian Ringneck Parrot, also known in Australia as the Port Lincoln Parrot, lives in forests, scrub, and urban areas across most of southern Australia. Most are green and yellow, like the one in the photo. However, some have black heads.
Eastern Rosella
The Eastern Rosella, as you might guess by the name, lives along the east coast of Australia. This pretty bird is yellow, green, red and blue. Like all Rosellas, they have a large coloured patch on their face. The facial patch can be blue, yellow or white, depending on the species of Rosella. On the Eastern Rosella, the patch is white, while the patch on the Crimson Rosella above is blue).
Red-collared Lorikeet
The Red-collared Lorikeet looks like the Rainbow Lorikeet but has a red ring around its neck instead of a yellow one. It is found only in the far north of Australia.
Red-rumped Parrot
The male of this species is primarily pale green and blue and has a red patch on its rump, which gives it its name. It is found in the southeast of Australia. The female is a speckled greenish blue, quite different from the male. They avoid the coast and other wet areas and often feed on the ground in open areas. I saw them near the parliament building in the capital city of Canberra.
Summary
These are just a few of Australia’s amazing parrots. On your trip to Australia, you can see these incredible, gorgeous birds as well as kangaroos and other fascinating wildlife.