Fun Scarlet-Chested Parrot Facts For Kids

The Scarlet-chested Parrot, Neophema splendida, is a species of the genus Neophema, also known as Australia's grass parakeets. The Scarlet-chested Parakeet is a small bird with beautiful plumage and a friendly quiet nature, much more than other birds.

These birds are alternatively known as the Splendid parrot, Scarlet-chested Parakeet, and Orange-throated parrot.

The Scarlet-chested Parakeets is a bird species that are nomadic and move from one place to another in search of favorable conditions. This bird species is known to survive without water as much of its fluid requirement is acquired by succulent plants.

In the wild, these grass parakeet birds are known to fly close to the ground and fly low to be close to the trees. The birds have very low requirements and are very docile.

The bird species are known for their beauty and quality all over the world. Due to its popularity, many color mutations have also been found and developed in the cage.

The mutations of plumage include the red-fronted, par blue, sea green, white-fronted blue, cinnamon, lutino, and fallow Scarlet-chested Parakeets. Apart from that, the Turquoise Parrots are the most similar species to the Scarlet-chested Parakeet.

There are numerous beautiful bird species spread across the world. The Hooded Warbler and the famous Indian Peafowl are such species of birds known for their splendid beauty that you can read about when you're done with this article!

Scarlet-chested Parrot Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Scarlet-chested Parrot?

Scarlet-chested Parakeets are a species of Grass Parakeets of Australia. They are parrots.

What class of animal does a Scarlet-chested Parrot belong to?

This Grass Parakeet species called the Scarlet-chested Parakeet falls under the class of Aves in the Kingdom of Animalia.

How many Scarlet-chested Parrots are there in the world?

The population numbers of the Scarlet-chested Parakeets are unknown at the moment. But, there is no immediate concern for these birds in the wild. The bird is also very famous in aviculture for multiple reasons and the birds are found all over the earth.

Where does a Scarlet-chested Parrot live?

The Splendid Parakeet or the Scarlet-Chested Parakeet inhabits arid and semi-arid parts of southern Australia. The birds are mostly found in southern inland Australia from southeastern Western Australia to all of central and northern South Australia.

From here, they are found south to the middle of the Eyre Peninsula and Murray River. Finally, the birds are found in the east to southwestern Queensland and New South Wales. The Scarlet-chested Parakeet moves from the Great Victoria Desert to neighboring areas.

The Turquoise birds, lookalikes of the scarlet birds, are found usually in the Eastern Australian continent.

What is a Scarlet-chested Parrot's habitat?

Neophema splendida or the Scarlet-chested Parakeets are found in dry Eucalyptus and Acacia scrubland and grassland, she-oak, mulga with spinifex, and saltbush. The Splendid parrots have not been seen much in the wild as they are usually not found in a single habitat and the birds move around a lot.

The brightly colored Splendid Parakeet is very quiet and secretive and mostly overlooked in the wild. They usually stay near the ground, in proper cover among the trees.

As a pet, the recommended dimensions of the aviary, the cage, should be 10 ft long,3 ft wide, and 7 ft high.

Who do Scarlet-chested Parrots live with?

The bird is known to live with other grass parakeets. They get along with other small birds and are quite hardy and peaceful. They mix with other breeds quite well.

How long does a Scarlet-chested Parrot live?

Scarlet-chested parrot's lifespan ranges from 15-20 years. They live longest with proper care and affection. They are prone to some diseases, so patience and attention should be given to the bird family as they are known to be quite fragile.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the bird with the scarlet chest is from August to January. It usually depends on the amount of rain and the continuous supply of food.

The nest is made by the male and female in the hollow of trees, usually eucalypt. The breeding is done from 12 months of age. They can produce two to three clutches per year, with three to six eggs in each clutch, laid by the female.

Eggs are incubated by the male and female for 18 days. The young after hatching become fully independent three to four weeks later.

What is their conservation status?

The Scarlet-chested Parakeet has been deemed Vulnerable in New South Wales. Destruction of the trees where the birds make the nest in the hollow and are seen feeding on, common pet trade practices, etc have led to this outcome.

The IUCN Red List has classified the birds as Least Concern as there is not much population decrease for the bird.

Scarlet-chested Parrot Fun Facts

What do Scarlet-chested Parrots look like?

The description of the Scarlet-chested Parakeet includes a scarlet red chest, bright green upper parts, a blue face, a blue throat, and blue cheeks. The rest of the underparts are colored yellow. The flight feathers look dark blue.

The central tail feathers have a blue-green coloration and the outer tail feathers are blue with yellow tips. The female has a paler blue coloration on the face and a green chest. The eyes are dark brown and the bill is gray-black for both males and females. The lower breast and underparts are yellow.

Legs are brown-gray. The juvenile is colored similarly, just paler. They start getting the red plumage from two to three months of age.

The females of these birds resemble the female Turquoise parrots. The description difference is the paler blue wings in the latter.

All the Grass keet species are colored differently. The mutations of these birds in the cage and captivity like the cinnamon-pastel mutation were a combination of cinnamon mutations with pastel mutations. Pastel mutation breeding is only found in Australia.

How cute are they?

These birds are considered very cute and one of the best pet species in Australia.

How do they communicate?

The calls of these Parakeets are soft twittering, which is softer than other birds of the species. They are usually very quiet and calls can only be heard during the breeding season when males are sometimes seen to have territorial arguments.

How big is a Scarlet-chested Parrot?

The average length of the birds ranges from 7.5-8.2 in (19-21 cm). The young reach the adult length at about 18 months of age.

How fast can a Scarlet-chested Parrot move?

The speed of the bird is unknown but they are known to be pretty quick. Australian Parakeets usually have high speeds of up to 10 m/s.

How much does a Scarlet-chested Parrot weigh?

The weight of the Scarlet-chested Parrot ranges from 0.08-0.09 lb (36-44 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male and female species of the birds are not given different names.

What would you call a baby Scarlet-chested Parrot?

A young Scarlet-chested Parakeet is called a juvenile.

What do they eat?

These birds are known to feed on the ground on the seeds of grasses and herbaceous plants. The range of their diet also adds succulent plants such as Calandrinia, which provides them with the required fluid in the body.

They are not found in one single place because of their nomadic nature of flying to different places in search of food and favorable habitat.

The Scarlet-chested Parakeet can be fed fresh fruits and vegetables. These birds enjoy fresh sprouts and leafy vegetables like spinach and kale.

Fresh fruits like apples, bananas, and oranges should also be added to the daily diet of the birds. Their feeding can also include seeds of different fruits. Scarlet-chested Parakeets caged in a conventional aviary scratching around and feeding on called seeds on the ground of the aviary.

The Scarlet-chested parrot and mulberry do not match much, as these birds are fine after eating the seeds of the berry but tend to get diarrhea after eating the leaves, according to many owners, when kept in a cage. A diet of ripe fruits is not recommended as they have high sugar content and it can hurt their health.

Are they poisonous?

They are not poisonous.

Would they make a good pet?

The quiet demeanor and small size of the birds are very appealing for a bird lover and different mutations of the bird add an extra layer to the appeal. They are quite famous in Australia and other parts of the planet too.

The Scarlet-chested parrot's behavior in the cage is quite good with the bird very famous in aviculture. But the floor should be kept clean and dry in the aviary as these birds forage in the ground. Parasites and worms can affect their health if not taken care of.

Did you know...

The Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot is the smallest parrot known to humans.

How much do Scarlet-chested Parrots cost?

The Scarlet-chested Parrot price range from $250-$350. Adopting these birds is a better option.

Do Scarlet-chested Parrots talk?

The Scarlet-chested Parrot talking is not seen anywhere till now as they are not known to talk. They just make soft twittering sounds.

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 chachalaca fun facts and mountain chickadee interesting facts pages.

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