Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Turquoise Parrot (Neophema pulchella), male
Turquoise Parrot, Male

Turquoise Parrot

Neophema pulchella

The Turquoise Parrot (Neophema pulchella) is a small, delicately structured parrot, measuring approximately 20 cm in length and weighing around 40 grams. Exhibiting sexual dimorphism, the male is resplendent with a bright turquoise blue face and a green body with yellowish underparts. His wings are a striking blue with red shoulders. The female, in contrast, is more subdued in coloration, with a pale green breast, yellow belly, and lacking the male's red wing patch.

Identification Tips

To identify the male Turquoise Parrot, look for the vibrant turquoise blue on the face, with the color being darkest on the crown and paler around the lores and cheeks. The wings are blue with a red shoulder patch. Females are generally duller with a paler blue face and no red shoulder band. Juveniles resemble the adult female but have less extensive blue on their faces.

Habitat

The Turquoise Parrot favors grasslands and open woodlands, particularly those dominated by Eucalyptus and Callitris trees. They show a preference for rocky ridges, gullies, and transitional areas between different habitats.

Distribution

Native to Eastern Australia, the Turquoise Parrot's range extends from southeastern Queensland through New South Wales and into northeastern Victoria. They are sedentary, though some populations may exhibit local nomadic behavior.

Behaviour

Turquoise Parrots are typically seen in pairs or small family groups. They may form larger flocks, especially outside the breeding season. These parrots are ground foragers and roost communally in trees during autumn and winter.

Song & Calls

The vocalizations of the Turquoise Parrot include a high-pitched, soft contact call when feeding or in flight, and a zitting alarm call. They also chatter when settling to roost in the evening.

Breeding

The Turquoise Parrot is monogamous, with the male displaying his red and blue markings during courtship. Nesting occurs in hollows of gum trees, with the female laying two to five glossy white eggs. Both parents participate in feeding the chicks, which fledge at around 23 days old in the wild.

Diet and Feeding

Primarily seed eaters, Turquoise Parrots forage on the ground for grass and shrub seeds. They also consume leaves, flowers, fruit, and occasionally scale insects. Their diet varies seasonally and includes seeds from a variety of plant species.

Conservation status

The Turquoise Parrot is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, its population and range have fluctuated historically, with a significant decline in the early 20th century followed by a recovery. Habitat alteration and loss of nesting sites remain concerns for the species' conservation.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Turquoise Parrots on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Old World Parrots

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
D3Nature
Great app for learning Birds
I’ve been using the app for a couple of months and love it....Someone said it’s like a real life Pokémon Go for birds. They’re not far off! It’s something that the family can do that gets you out and about. Well worth downloading no matter your age.
Trevarthen1
Birda fan
I really enjoy using Birda, all sightings are recorded and photos can be added. There are monthly challenges which help to get you out to record your sightings. The Birda community are great and are happy to help with unidentified bird sightings. Suitable for all ages and experience!
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Erna M
I really like Birda
I really like Birda. I also use other birding apps and have Birda with E-bird going at the same time.
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.