Fun Blue-winged Parrot Facts For Kids

The blue-winged parrot (Neophema chrysostoma) is found in savannah woodlands, grasslands, and open habitats of Australia. They are herbivores that feed on the ground, on seeds of grasses and on herbaceous plants on the ground. They are colorful animals that exist up to elevations of 4,000 ft (1,200 m) and are also found in settlements close to humans like airfields. They are wild birds at heart but they seem to readily adapt to captivity. They live for between five and 18 years and reproduce by laying four to six eggs at a time in a tree stump nest. Both parents feed their newborn baby and, before the chick is born, the male parrot bird feeds the incubating female for 20 days. They are social animals that may flock in groups of up to 2,000. In the wild of Australia and Tasmania, they are considered to have a stable population, so the blue-winged parrot bird is considered to be a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

For more relatable content, check out these hyacinth macaw and blue jay facts pages.

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What type of animal is a blue-winged parrot?

The blue-winged parrot (Neophema chrysostoma) is a bird.

What class of animal does a blue-winged parrot belong to?

The blue-winged parrot, also known as the blue-winged grass parakeet, belongs to the Aves class of animals.

How many blue-winged parrots are there in the world?

The total amount of blue-winged parrot grass parakeets left in the world is unknown.

Where does a blue-winged parrot live?

Blue-winged parrots live in savannah woodlands, grasslands, and open habitats of southeastern Australia.

What is a blue-winged parrot's habitat?

The blue-winged parrot, also known as the blue-banded grass parakeet, favors semi-arid places as well as the coast and inland habitats. Apart from savannah woodland, grasslands, orchards, and open habitats, the blue-winged parrot is also found in marshes, farmlands, dunes, and heath areas. They exist up to elevations of 4,000 ft (1,200 m). Blue-winged parrots are also seen in golf courses and airfields where they nest in tree stumps and hollows.

Who do blue-winged parrots live with?

Blue-winged parrots are seen in pairs as well as in flocks of up to 2,000 birds prior to migration.

How long does a blue-winged parrot live?

The blue-winged parrot, or the blue-banded parakeet, may live for five to 18 years.

How do they reproduce?

Blue-winged parrots reproduce by forming pairs, mating, and laying four to six eggs in a single clutch. Nesting duties are shared between the pair. The eggs are laid in dead tree stumps or in vertical hollows and are incubated for 20 days. The babies are then cared for over another 35 days. The female is fed by the male while she incubates the eggs and the baby is fed by both the mother and father.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of blue-winged parrots according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature is Least Concern. This species is not endangered.

What do blue-winged parrots look like?

A blue-winged parrot is 8-9.5 in (20-24 cm) and weighs around 1.1-2.1 oz (33-60 g). It has a head, forehead, and upper body that is olive green. Blue-winged parrots have a fore-neck that is a duller shade than the olive green of their upper body. Blue-winged parrots have underparts that are yellow, with some orange towards the center of their belly. Apart from the yellow on their belly, they also have a yellow patch on their face that extends towards the back of their eyes. Their under wing coverts and upper wing coverts are both dark blue and a prominent, narrow band runs across their forehead from eye to eye, which is a dark blue color. The upper portion of their tail is blue and green and has yellow sides. Their most distinguishing feature is, of course, the big, dark blue patch they have along with the green on their wings, which give them their name. Blue-winged parrots show some sexual dimorphism, with females having only slightly duller underparts and bodies than males, and males having a darker blue patch on the wing and a more prominent headband that runs from eye to eye. Also, blue-winged parrots have an overall blue-gray tail and bill. The color of the iris in each eye is brown.

How cute are they?

Blue-winged parrots are very beautiful creatures. They are an overall olive green color with hints of blue-fray, brown, blue, and yellow. They are very pleasing to the eye, especially thanks to the dark blue bands on their wings, and the one between their eyes. They are taken as pets a lot, and they make very entertaining companions. Equally cute, if not cuter, are the sounds they make. Their calls are soft and high tones with some bursts, but when they feed they make the softest twitter sounds.

How do they communicate?

Blue-winged parrots communicate via calls that sound closer to a fairy-wren's or a thornbill's rather than a parrot's. The call is a high, soft, and tinkling tone that goes in slow bursts. They make soft twitters while feeding and sharp calls when alarmed.

How big is a blue-winged parrot?

The blue-winged parrot is 8-9.5 in (20-24 cm) long, which makes it three to four times smaller than the scarlet macaw.

How fast can a blue-winged parrot fly?

A blue-winged parrot may fly at speeds of 25-40 mph (40-65 kph).

How much does a blue-winged parrot weigh?

A blue-winged parrot weighs 1.1-2.1 oz (33-60g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Males and females of the blue-winged parrot species are called 'cocks' and 'hens' respectively.

What would you call a baby blue-winged parrot?

A baby blue-winged parrot is called a 'chick'.

What do they eat?

Blue-winged parrots eat seeds of grasses such as wallaby grass, silver hair grass, pale sundew, capeweed, and tangled lignum. They also feed on herbaceous plants.

Are they poisonous?

No, blue-winged parrots are not poisonous.

Would they make a good pet?

Blue-winged parrots make good pets and even appear to readily adapt to being taken as a pet in captivity. However, it is an inherently wild animal and is probably best left to its habitat.

Did you know...

Blue-winged parrot relatives include the orange-bellied parrot, the elegant parrot, and the rock parrot, all of which resemble each other. The blue-winged parrot is about the same length as Meyer's parrot, or the blue-winged Amazon parrot, and half the size of the kea parrot.

Blue-banded parrot, grass parrot, blue-banded grass parakeet, blue-banded parakeet, Hobart grass parrot, and blue-winged parakeet are all names that a blue-winged parrot is known by.

Deforestation in places like Tasmania and Victoria has helped the feeding habits of blue-winged parrots but taken away their natural shelter and nest habitats.

The blue-winged parrot bird can be cross-bred with other species like the cockatiel to create a blue-winged parrot hybrid cockatiel.

In Australia, you can obtain a blue-winged parrot for sale online or in some pet shops.

Blue-winged parrots belong to the genus Neophema, which contains seven species, all endemic to Australia. All seven are also similar to parrots with duller colors.

Being parrots, blue-winged parrots may be able to fly close to 30 mi (48.3 km) a day while switching territories. They stop along the way many times to feed on fresh food.

What is special about blue-winged parrots?

One special thing about blue-winged parrots is that their calls are very high-pitched and don't sound close to the calls of any other parrot bird species. Another unique fact is that, apart from their wooded habitats, blue-winged parrots are also found close to human settlements in places like airfields and paddocks.

Do blue-winged parrots migrate?

Yes, blue-winged parrots are migratory, but only partially. They live in Hobart or other parts of Tasmania during the summer and spring, and when winter arrives, they move to the south Australia mainland. Some parrots stay either in Tasmania or south Australia throughout winter and summer. Sometimes, in the spring, blue-winged parrots also frequent King Island between mainland Australia and Tasmania, in the Tasmanian Bass Strait.

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 Amazon parrot fun facts for kids and blue-winged teal fun facts pages.

You can occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Blue-Winged Parrotlet coloring pages.