TURQUOISINE - PARROT

Turquoisine Grass Parakeet * Turquoise Parrot

DESCRIPTION

About 8 inches long the Turquoisine Grass Parrot has a blue head and wings red wing bars, green upper parts and bright yellow under parts. The female Turquoisine Grass Parrot is not so brightly coloured as the males and have no wing bars

HABITAT

Is the forested eastern areas of Australia ( S.E. Queensland - N. Central Victoria) where the rainfall is high. The Turquoisine Grass Parrot favours the edges of woodlands beside open grass pastures. These "woodlands" maybe a timbered ridges or tree lined creeks. Due to loss of Habitat and subsequent numbers the Turquoisine Grass Parrot is fully protected by law in Australia, though it is not classified as being close to extinction

BEHAVOIUR

Usually seen in pairs or small groups, though occassionally a flock of 30-40 have been sighted. In flight though swift the Turquoisine Grass Parrot direction is erratic and "fluttery". Turquoisine Grass Parrots have 2 main types of calls, one for contact (usually in flight) a soft metallic type note which is very penetrating, and a weak high pitch tweeting when feeding

FEEDING

During the day Turquoisine Grass Parrot search for seeds ( grasses, vegetable matter) on the ground, taking a break though to sit quietly in the trees during the hottest part of the day (noon to mid-afternoon). When foraging for seed Turquoisine Grass Parrots are fairly tame and will allow a close approach, but if they feel threatened they will flutter a short distance away or up into some tree branches. They prefer to feed in the shadow of trees. These Parrots only need to drink once a day and usually do this just before dawn

BREEDING

Turquoisines mate at around 5 months old The Breeding season is between August and December and during this time the male Turquoisine become rather aggressive The male goes through a courtship dance where he stands very upright, fans his tail feathers and slightly spreads his wings to show off his colourings, whilst calling excitedly to the female. The Turquoisine nests in hollows usually within 1 meter of the ground in such places as, hollows in trees, fence posts, large logs, dead tree stumps etc. The 2 to 5 eggs rest usually on decayed wood dust linning the hollow, not in a "built twig etc nest" like most birds, and incubation lasts 18 days with only the female sitting on the "nest".

MUTATIONS

When breed in captivity a whole range of colour variations of the Turquoisine Grass Parrot are possible by selective breeding