Food
Seeds of annual grasses. Also flowers, leaves and, rarely, insects.
Voice
A sharp, scratchy, metallic yet musical, pleasant, 'chwit, chwit' and 'chirrit, chirrit', uttered in flight. A sharp, quiet, varied chattering from treetops. Usually silent on the ground.
Nest
A hollowed-out chamber in a termite's mound (mainly Amitermes scopulus but also Amitermes laurensis and Nasutitermes tiodiae) on the ground. A small moth (Trisyntopa scatophaga) lays its eggs in the chamber and the larvae clean the floor and the feet of the nestlings.
Eggs (Guide)
4 - 7; white; rounded; 20 - 21 x 17 - 18 mm. Incubation: about 20 days; by female.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 35 days. Fed for about 8 weeks, by both parents, after fledging .
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Hooded Parrot (Psephotellus dissimilis) and Paradise Parrot (Psephotellus pulcherrimus). Close to Hooded Parrot (Psephotellus dissimilis), and in past considered conspecific.
No subspecies.
Similar Species
Could be confused with Hooded Parrot (Psephotellus dissimilis), but their ranges are widely separated.
References
See References.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet