2009-03-09 • by Administrator

The superb parrot is also referred to as the Barraband parrot. It is a parrot that is a native of the south eastern part of Australia. This parrot is one of the three species of the genus polytelis. The superb parrots in their natural habitat are found to be pests as they feed on crops and hence the farmers hate them! These birds are nonetheless peaceful, beautiful and also quiet birds.

What Does The Barraband Parrot Look Like?

The Barraband parrot is a parrot of medium size. It is bright green in color and is approximately about forty centimeters or about sixteen inches in length with a tail that is really long and has feathers of yellow green in color. The eyes of this parrot are yellow in shade. Mainly the adult male parents are described here. These adult parrots have a band in a scarlet color on the upper chest. Their face and throat is bright yellow in color. The females on the other hand have their faces in shades of blue green. Their thighs are yellow and their throats are grayish green in color. This bird nests in holes of tress or in the hollow limbs.

Barraband Parrot Habitat and Ecology

These birds live in box gum, the box cypress pine, the red river gum forest and the bore woodlands. The birds also nest in those trees that have huge hollows even if they are dead trees. These are mainly in the tall riparian red gum river forests or the woodlands. The most common species of trees that are used by these birds to live in are the yellow box, the red box, the apple box and the Blakely’s red gum. In a single tree you will find that there is more than one nest. These superb parrots generally nest in small colonies. The breeding time is around September and lasts up to January. These birds may forage far and wide up to a distance of ten kilometers from the site where they actually nest.

Diet for the Barraband Parrot

The superb parrots eat seeds, grains, nuts, vegetables and fresh fruits. Their diet consists of mainly fruits, eucalypt flowers, pollen and nectar. They also feed in under storey shrubs and also tress.

Threats that the Barraband Parrots Face

These birds are reducing in number due to varied reasons. One of the reasons may be poor regeneration of the food resources and also nesting trees. The removal of the hollow bearing trees also add to the problem. Not only is this a big problem, there also the clearing of the remnants of the woodlands. Most of these birds do get hit by passing vehicles when they are feeding on seeds and do not notice the vehicle coming their way. The loss of the hollows to the feral bees and also the loss of the exotic and the native hollow nesting birds add to the threats. Lastly the trapping of these birds illegally will also result in the destruction of these beautiful and peaceful birds.