The genus Neophena cover seven Australian grass parrots.
- Scarlet-chested Parrot, Neophema splendida commonly know as Splendid parrot
- Turquoise Parrot, Neophema pulchella commonly known as Turquoise Parrot or Turks
- Elegant Parrot, Neophema elegans commonly known as Elegant Parrot
- Rock Parrot, Neophema petrphila
- Blue-winged Parrot, Neophema chrysostoma
- Orange-Bellied Parrot, Neophema chrysogaster
- Bourke Parrot, Neopephotus bourkii commonly known as Bourke Parrot
The grass parakeets are the most widely kept birds out of the entire group of Australian parakeets. Their relatively small size and characteristic quiet nature mean they are easy to accommodate even in a fairly small garden. They are quite hardy, although they can be venerable to intestinal roundworms. This is a reflection of the length of time they spend foraging for food on the floor of the flight; in this way they easily pick up the microscopic roundworm eggs.
They are certainly not considered to be classed as” beginners birds" and will usually not thrive if they are not provided with a spacious aviary where a small flock can be kept in company of a few other small and harmless birds.
The Neophena genus is predominately but not exclusively found on the Southern and Western coasts of Australia Natively
Elegants Parrot
Description
The Elegant Parrot is 23 cm (9 in) long and predominantly golden olive in colour with a dark blue frontal band line above with lighter blue. while abdomen and vent are yellow. The female is a duller shade of olive all over and has a narrower blue frontal band. The wings are predominantly olive with outer flight feathers dark blue. The yellow edged tail has shades of olive and blue. The bill and legs are grey and the eyes dark brown. Juveniles are duller and lack the frontal bands
Habitat
The Elegant Parrot is found in two distinct regions, one across south-western Australia from Moora in the north to Merredin and Esperance in the east, and in south-eastern South Australia (including Kangaroo Island) north to Marree, and east into western Victoria.
Breeding
Elegants typically like to breed in a vertical 8-9 inch deep nest box. Incubation period is normally 19 days with a average clutch size being 5-6 eggs. Fledging period is normally around 30 days from hatching.
Turquoise Parrot
Description
Measuring 19–21 cm (8 in) in length, this small brightly coloured parrot is sexually dimorphic. The male has a scarlet chest, a cobalt blue face, and bright green upper parts. The lower breast and under parts are yellow, and the wing coverts are pale blue. The tail is green, the eyes are brown and the bill is blackish, and legs are brown-grey. The female likewise has a blue face, although the coloration is less extensive, green upper parts and green breast, with yellow under parts. Immature birds are duller versions of their respective adult forms. Males begin to get red plumage on their chest from around two or three months of age, though do not complete their red chest until fifteen to eighteen months old.
The female Turquoise Parrot of eastern Australia, but can be distinguished by the blue lores and paler blue wing patch.
The call is a soft twittering, quieter than other members of the genus Neophema
Habitat
The Scarlet-chested Parrot is sparsely scattered across the dryer southern parts of the Australian continent, from Pingelly, Corrigin and Laverton in Western Australia east across South Australia and into the southern Northern Territory and into far western New South Wales.
Breeding
Turks typically like to breed in a vertical 8-9 inch deep nest box. Incubation period is normally 19 days with a average clutch size being 5-6 eggs. Fledging period is normally around 30 days from hatching.
Bourke Parrot
Description
This grass parrot is approximately 19 cm long and weighing around 45 grams.Wildtype (natural coloured) Bourke's Parakeet display a basically brown overall colouration with pink abdomen, pinkish breast & a blue rump. The legs are dark-brown, with zygodactyly toes (two toes facing forward (digits 2 and 3) and two back (digits 1 and 4). . The bill is yellowish-brown. The adult male has a blue forehead while the adult female has a little or no blue on the forehead. The Bourke's parrot's feathers help the species blend in with the reddish soil of its home.
Habitat
The Bourke's parakeet is native to Australia and is seen throughout the central and southern interior regions. They generally prefer open habitats of arid or semi-arid scrublands, and are seen in pairs or small groups usually no larger than 10 to 30 individuals.
Breeding
The Bourke parakeets normally likes a slightly larger box although this is also a vertical box of about 9-10 inches deep. The Bourke incubation period is also 19 days however the clutch sizes are normally smaller between 4-5 eggs per clutch. Fledging period 28 days from hatching. Bourke’s probably make the best foster parents of all grass parakeets. In the past I have used Bourke to foster an number of chicks from Elegants all the way up to Cockatiels. Bourke's make the best parents.
