Fun Elegant Parrot Facts For Kids

Abhishek Mishra
Nov 16, 2022 By Abhishek Mishra
Originally Published on Aug 06, 2021
Edited by Jacob Fitzbright
Fact-checked by Sonali Rawat
Interesting elegant parrot facts for kids

A parrot species of the Old World Psittaculidae family, the elegant parrot (Neophema elegans) is primarily found in Australia. Moora, Merredin, Victoria, Marre, and Esperance are a few common towns and states where this species can be spotted. People also refer to them as the elegant parakeet, elegant grass parakeet, and grass parrot.

This bird species is best known for its beautiful plumage. The birds are olive green and yellow feathers with a dark and light blue frontal band line. The underparts are yellow in color.

Unlike males, the female elegant parrots have pale olive-green feathers with a narrow blue frontal band. The tail of the species has blue and olive shades, while the wings are also olive and dark blue. The average weight and length of the elegant parrot are 1.5-1.7 oz (43-50 g) and 9.1 in (23 cm) respectively.

The elegant parrot is a herbivore and primarily found in grasslands, woodlands, farms, blue bush plains, thickets. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the species in the Least Concern category.

Keep on reading to learn more interesting facts about the elegant parrot. If you want to know more exciting information about different animals, check out the Hawaiian crow and house wren.

Elegant Parrot Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an elegant parrot?

The elegant parrot (Neophema elegans) is a bird species that belongs to the family of Psittaculidae. The parrot is a herbivore. People often refer to them as the elegant parakeet, elegant grass parakeet, and grass parrot.

What class of animal does an elegant parrot belong to?

The elegant parrot belongs to the class Aves and the Neophema genus.

How many elegant parrots are there in the world?

The exact population of the elegant parrots is not known as of now, but the species is native to the Australian continent. Also, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the species in the Least Concern category.

Where does an elegant parrot live?

The elegant parrots are primarily found in several states and towns of Australia, such as Moora, Merredin, Victoria, Marre, and Esperance.

What is an elegant parrot's habitat?

The bird is generally found in grasslands, woodlands, farms, blue bush plains. While thickets also serve as the elegant parrot habitat.

Who do elegant parrots live with?

Unlike a few monogamous birds, the parrot species generally live in groups. Also, the birds are often seen looking and having food in flocks. The bird is also seen with the blue-winged parrot.

How long does an elegant parrot live?

The bird generally lives for around 10 years, but some of them may live longer if kept in captivity.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the elegant parrot or grass parakeet occurs either after rainfall or during July to November. Before breeding, the bird uses several courtship displays to attract each other.

This includes body movements, singing, and many more. Generally, the bird attains sexual maturity after 11 or 12 months of age. Before laying eggs, nests are constructed in the hollow of the tree.

The nests are placed at the height of around 49 ft (15 m) to avoid predation. The female bird lays around 4-6 eggs in each season.

What is their conservation status?

The grass parrot bird is native to several states and towns of Australia, and even the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the birds as of Least Concern. However, the loss of habitat and human interference could have an adverse effect on the population of these beautiful birds.

Elegant Parrot Fun Facts

What do elegant parrots look like?

The beautiful, elegant parrots are found in olive green and yellow feathers with a dark and light blue frontal band line. The underparts are yellow in color. Unlike males, the female elegant parrots have pale olive-green feathers with a narrow blue frontal band.

How cute are they?

Unlike other birds, the parrot bird has some exceptional skills that make it quite fascinating. Abilities such as natural calls and mimicry make them one of the cutest birds of Australia. Any person would love to hear the sweet, elegant parrot call.

How do they communicate?

Like other birds, the elegant parrot follows the same methods of communication. These birds use their body movements and calls to talk to each other. These birds are also known for communicating with humans, unlike other birds. The elegant parrot has been mimicking other birds and humans for many years!

How big is an elegant parrot?

The average weight and length of the elegant parrot are 1.5-1.7 oz (43-50 g) and 9.1 in (23 cm) respectively. These birds are twice the size of the Eurasian tree sparrows, while some of the birds are three times bigger than the grasshopper sparrows.

How fast can an elegant parrot fly?

The exact speed of the elegant parrots is not known, but almost every species of parrots is known for its fast movements. The average speed of parrots is 40-50 mph (64-80 kph). Also, the elegant parrots are known for their flights; they can fly and can easily disappear in seconds.

How much does an elegant parrot weigh?

The average weight of an elegant parrot is 1.5-1.7 oz (43-50 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names given to the male and female elegant parrots. People generally use words such as cocks and hen to refer to the male and female birds respectively.

What would you call a baby elegant parrot?

People often refer to the babies of elegant parrots as chicks.

What do they eat?

These birds primarily prey on grass seeds, plants, and fruits.

Are they dangerous?

The elegant parrots are not considered dangerous to humans and are quite friendly. Those who belong to the wild could attack humans if they feel threatened.

Would they make a good pet?

Humans have been keeping elegant parrots as pets for decades. The birds are very friendly and smart, but several things should be kept in mind before keeping them as pets. Proper care and a huge-sized aviary are the key requirements.

The ideal length of the aviary should be 7-10 ft (2-3 m) with a height of 7 ft (2 m) and 3 ft (10 m) width. Non-toxic leafy branches should also be placed in the aviary. One could definitely keep these beautiful and entertaining birds as pets.

Did you know...

The flock size of the blue-winged parrot of Australia could be more than 2,000 during the breeding season.

There are around 192 species in the Psittaculidaefamily that are divided into 48 genera.

Since the European settlement in Australia, around 9 species of birds have become extinct. Also, one of the popular species, the orange-bellied parrot is on the verge of extinction.

The rock parrot was also first described by the English ornithologist, John Gould.

The canaries are considered the friendliest birds in the world.

The scarlet macaw of central and south America is considered the cutest and most popular parrot in the world.

The most colorful parrot in the world is the Eclectus parrot.

The most special characteristic of parrots is their friendly and social nature. These birds are very cordial with other animals.

Naming the elegant parrot

In 1937, an English ornithologist, John Gould, named the parrot of Neophema genus the elegant parrot. Earlier, people used to call the bird bilgir, koolyederong, and carteri.

How is it different from other parrots?

Unlike other parrots, the species of elegant parrots would accept any nest box that is provided by humans. Also, these birds can disappear in the sky within seconds due to their exceptional agility skills.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our kea parrot facts or great tit facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable elegant parrot coloring pages.

We Want Your Photos!
We Want Your Photos!

We Want Your Photos!

Do you have a photo you are happy to share that would improve this article?
Email your photos

More for You

See All

Written by Abhishek Mishra

Bachelor of Arts specializing in History

Abhishek Mishra picture

Abhishek MishraBachelor of Arts specializing in History

As a content writer, Abhishek's passion for writing extends beyond professional content creation. With a Bachelor's degree in History from Ram Lal Anand College in Delhi, Abhishek is a skilled writer in both English and Hindi, bringing a creative flair to his work. He enjoys crafting satires and poetry and is dedicated to producing engaging and informative content.

Read full bio >
Fact-checked by Sonali Rawat

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature, Masters of Art specializing in English and Communication Skills

Sonali Rawat picture

Sonali RawatBachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature, Masters of Art specializing in English and Communication Skills

Sonali has a Bachelor's degree in English literature from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and is currently pursuing a Master's in English and Communication from Christ University. With considerable experience in writing about lifestyle topics, including travel and health, she has a passion for Japanese culture, especially fashion, and anime, and has written on the subject before. Sonali has event managed a creative-writing festival and coordinated a student magazine at her university. Her favorite authors are Toni Morrison and Anita Desai.

Read full bio >