Fun Eastern Ground Parrot Facts For Kids

Are you a fan of different species of parrots? Then you are going to love learning about the eastern ground parrot. The eastern ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus) belongs to the family of Old World parrots and is among the few parrots that dwell on the ground. Being commonly found living on swamps and heathlands, the eastern ground parrot is often referred to as a swamp parrot. The swamp parrot or the eastern ground parrot is a colorful species with bright green plumage covering its entire body. It has yellow and black markings all over its body that enhances its bright color further. This unique coloration of the parrot also acts as a great camouflage while it dwells on the ground. Unlike many other birds, the eastern ground parrot is not an active flier, and spotting one in flight is a rare occasion.

Keep on reading to learn more about the eastern ground parrot. If you want to learn about more amazing species of birds, check out the vulturine parrot and the cape parrot.

What type of animal is an eastern ground parrot?

The eastern ground parrot is a type of bird belonging to the Old World parrot family Psittaculidae. It is a member of the Phylum Chordata.

What class of animal does an eastern ground parrot belong to?

The eastern ground parrot belongs to the Aves class of the Animalia kingdom. This bird is a member of the order Psittaciformes. Belonging to the genus Pezoporus, the scientific name of the species is Pezoporus wallicus.

How many eastern ground parrots are there in the world?

The exact number of eastern ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus) birds living in the world is not known. However, the population of the parrot is known to be decreasing. Over the years, this species of bird has been facing major habitat shifting and alteration which has resulted in its population trend decreasing.

Where does an eastern ground parrot live?

The eastern ground parrot distribution can be found in Australia. The eastern ground parrot range extends from the southeastern region to the southwest of Australia. In the southeastern region, they are mostly spotted in Queensland. Western Australia is host to small groups of this ground parrot. The eastern ground parrot can also be found in areas of Tasmania. A few off-shore islands of Australia like Hunter Island can also be considered home to the Pezoporus species.

What is an eastern ground parrot's habitat?

The eastern ground parrot habitat mostly depends on the availability of seeds. The most preferred habitat of this species is heathlands. The most favored time to inhabit heathlands is a year after a fire. Apart from heathlands, these eastern ground parrots can be seen living in grasslands, coastal plains, and areas with low bushes. During mid-autumn and late spring, these parrots prefer living in a dry habitat. They choose comparatively wetter places in summer. In the winter, altitudinal migration can be noticed as summer habitats are covered with snow.

Who do eastern ground parrots live with?

Eastern ground parrots are not solitary species. They tend to live in pairs. However, they are not the most active birds. Pairs can be seen foraging together on the ground. This ground-dwelling parrot can be most commonly seen during the day. Pairs living together are quite territorial and protect their territories. Newborn chicks share the nest with their parents and stay under their care until they mature enough.

How long does an eastern ground parrot live?

The eastern ground parrot life expectancy has not been studied yet.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the eastern ground parrot is generally in the months of July to December but can also take place in March. Breeding pairs look for a shallow scrape or low bushes to make the nest. Nests are hollow and well-hidden on the ground to protect from predators and potential dangers. To build nests, these birds use leaves, grass stalks, twigs, and ferns. Female ground parrots lay about three to four eggs. However, the clutch size can go up to six at times. The incubation period of the eastern ground parrot goes on for about three weeks. Parents are territorial and take care of chicks. Parent birds protect young ones from potential threats and feed them seeds until they are independent. Chicks leave the nest before learning to fly completely.

What is their conservation status?

 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the eastern ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus) as Least Concern on their Red List of Threatened Species. However, their population has been decreasing at an alarming rate due to frequent habitat shifting and habitat loss. The eastern ground parrot inhabits on the ground which makes them vulnerable to predators and other dangers.

What do eastern ground parrots look like?

The eastern ground parrot is a colorful, small-sized parrot. Bodies of these birds are covered with bright grass-green plumage. The grass-green plumage has black and yellow markings on it. These birds have an orange-red band on their foreheads. This orange-red band is also present on their heads. Underparts of the eastern ground parrot are green. Females of the species have a black shaft streaking on their cheeks that lacks in male birds. Both sexes have long tails that have green upperparts and brownish underparts. The outer tail has a yellow coloration with brownish-black stripes. Even though they are not frequent fliers, the flight feather has a pale yellow wing-strip on its underparts. These birds that feed on button grass have long grayish-brown feet that help them walk on the ground and curved claws. They have a yellowish iris and a grayish brown bill.

Immature chicks share most characteristics of adult birds but are slightly duller and have a brown iris. They have a comparatively shorter tail that grows with time.

How cute are they?

Like a senegal parrot, the eastern ground parrot is a pleasure to the eyes with its beautiful grass-green coloration and black and yellow markings. The pale yellow wing strip, even though it is not seen unless the birds are in flight, is an attractive addition to the bird's characteristics. They look extremely cute while foraging in pairs. An image of the eastern ground parrot is sure to melt your heart if you adore colorful birds.

How do they communicate?

Like all species of birds, the eastern ground parrot communicates through calls. They can be most commonly heard before dawn and after sunset as they are most active during that period. These parrots use sharp notes to communicate.

How big is an eastern ground parrot?

The eastern ground parrot size can reach up to 11.8 in (30 cm). It is a fairly small-sized bird that is visibly smaller than the Meyer's parrot. However, compared to the smallest parrot in the world, the buff-faced Pygmy parrot, eastern ground parrots are almost four times larger.

How fast can an eastern ground parrot fly?

The eastern ground parrot is one of five ground-dwelling parrots of the world. An eastern ground parrot in flight cannot be seen unless it absolutely has to be. The exact speed at which it flies remains a mystery, but it can be assumed that they are not the best fliers.

How much does an eastern ground parrot weigh?

Ground parrots are small-sized birds. An eastern ground parrot weighs 4.6 oz (130.4 g) on average. Compared to an average kea parrot found in New Zealand, the eastern ground parrot is much lighter.

What are the male and female names of the species?

A male eastern ground parrot can be referred to as a 'cock', whereas a female eastern ground parrot is mostly referred to as a 'hen'.

What would you call a baby eastern ground parrot?

Like babies of all birds, a baby eastern ground parrot is called a 'chick'.

What do they eat?

The eastern ground parrot diet includes various seeds and grasses. They mostly feed on button grass and herbaceous plants and shrubs. They forage on the ground in pairs, and parent birds take care of feeding immature young ones.

Are they dangerous?

These eastern ground parrots are not dangerous at all. Being herbivores, they are no threat to any species.

Would they make a good pet?

The eastern ground parrot in captivity is not extremely common and can only be seen occasionally. There are no records of these birds in captivity outside Australia. Moreover, they are wild birds that prefer to inhabit heathlands and like to stay on the ground. It is not advisable to cage them.

Apart from that, these birds have been facing a decrease in their population trend and should not be caged as it could harm their population further.

Did you know...

The eastern ground parrot was known to have two subspecies: the western ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus flaviventris) and the Tasmania ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus leachi). However, recent studies have shown that the Tasmania ground parrot and the eastern ground parrot are the same. The previously known Pezoporus wallicus flaviventris of western Australia is now simply known as the Pezoporus flaviventris (western ground parrot). The western ground parrot is a separate species now.

Why is the eastern ground parrot endangered?

The eastern ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus) has the status of Least Concern in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, so they cannot be considered an Endangered species. However, these birds have been facing major habitat loss and frequent habitat shifting that has caused their population to decrease at an alarming rate. Constantly dwelling on the ground and nesting on the ground makes them vulnerable to a number of dangers. Recovery plans for these birds are in action, and they are being protected so that the population of these unique birds can be protected.

Can eastern ground parrots fly?

These eastern ground parrots are one of five ground-dwelling parrots of the world, so they are not the most active fliers. These birds can be occasionally seen in flight but come back down on the ground almost immediately.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Spix's macaw facts and Cooper's hawk facts for kids.

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