Fun Western Ground Parrot Facts For Kids

The western ground parrot, Pezoporus flaviventris, is a native of Western Australia and found in eastern Australia in Albany. Eastern ground parrots and night parrots are close relatives of western ground parrots. It is the rarest parrot species with a population of only 150 across the globe. Therefore it is a critically endangered species. The plumage of this bird is similar to the eastern ground parrot. However, the feathers on their stomach and tail are bright yellow with black barring. Juvenile ground parrots (Pezoporus flaviventris) are green and brown towards their head, wings, and back. The eastern species have bright green plumage. This difference makes the fledglings hide better in the habitat of arid regions where they live.

This species of parrot has been wiped off from the west coast of Western Australia, and the major population is found on the south coast of Western Australia. Their habitat includes low heathland vegetation with sedges. They prefer heath which has not been burnt. They rarely fly and mostly hide in low vegetation. Their plumage works as good camouflage. Mostly they make calls during dusk and dawn before sunset ad before sunrise in the wild. These birds make high pitch calls and can be heard from a distance. Their calls are reciprocated by other members and friends of the community.  These yellow-green wild birds eat sedges, seeds, flower buds, and flowers. Their diet is varied because of their diversity of habitat. Western ground parrots are nearly extinct species as their number is decreasing due to habitat loss, fire, feral cats, and human habitation. Apart from the south coast in Australia, they can be found in other locations in Australia too.

Parrots are interesting and amusing birds. If you wish to learn more about them, you can also check out these Cape parrot facts and night parrot facts.

What type of animal is a western ground parrot?

This birds species is a type of parrot bird.

What class of animal does a western ground parrot belong to?

These birds belong to the Aves class of animals and to the genus Pezoporus.

How many western ground parrots are there in the world?

There are around 150 western ground parrots in the world. Their presence is decreasing due to grazing and agriculture by humans.

Where does a western ground parrot live?

These birds generally prefer to live among shrubs, bushes, grassland, and low-lying areas. As ground parrots, they spend most of their time on the ground, whether they are foraging for food or laying eggs. They build their nest on a ground level or low bushes with dry sticks and leaves. They usually nest during the spring season, which is a laying season for them.

What is a western ground parrot's habitat?

These birds' habitat consists of the south coast of Western Australia. Other than this, their presence cannot be found in other regions of the world, which makes them endemic to Western Australia. They are rarely seen as they stay hidden among low vegetation, and they are not seen flying during the day. These birds are solitary in nature, spend most of their lives alone, and lead a low-key life.

Who do the western ground parrots live with?

They live and forage food alone, but sometimes, they forage with other bird species. Only during the breeding season do they come together.

How long does a western ground parrot live?

Though proper information is not available regarding their life expectancy, it is said that they live for 20-80 years.

How do they reproduce?

These Western Australian birds make their nests in low vegetation. The males feed the females around dusk.  The female bird reciprocates by making a begging call, called scree. During dry, hot days, the male does not move towards the water source. It is found that after being together, the females insist and chase the male as it stops feeding her. While feeding the female, the male gives a call and moves a little farther from there, and the female enters without anybody knowing. They can lay up to five eggs in their nest, which is in low vegetation.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of ground parrots is Critically Endangered, according to the IUCN. It is the rarest parrot species with a population of only 150 across the globe. these parrots have disappeared from the western part of Western Australia around the 1900s. Therefore it is a critically endangered species. As per the conservation status, the protection of these birds is ongoing.

What do western ground parrots look like?

The plumage of western ground parrot Pezoporus is similar to the Australian eastern ground parrot. However, their feathers on the stomach and tail are bright yellow with black barring. The juvenile ground parrots (Pezoporus flaviventris) are green and brown towards the head, wing, and back. The eastern species have bright green plumage. This difference makes the fledglings hide better in the habitat of arid regions where they live.

How cute are they?

These parrots are cute and adorable to watch just like Kea parrots. Their green and brown feathers, which also act as camouflage, look pretty on them.

How do they communicate?

Mostly these birds call during dusk and dawn before sunset and before sunrise in the wild. These birds call at a high pitch and can be heard from a distance. Their calls are reciprocated by other members.

How big is a western ground parrot?

Western ground parrots have a total body length of around 11.8 in (30 cm), which is five times bigger than a cardinal bird.

How fast can a western ground parrot fly?

As ground-dwelling birds, they do not fly much. Therefore, they are known to have a  low flight speed. Their conservation process is going on since it is critically low on population.

How much does a western ground parrot weigh?

This bird has a bodyweight of around 2.3 oz (67 g). They weigh slightly more than the Amazon parrots.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Male and females are called western ground parrots. They do not have sex-specific names to describe them.

What would you call a baby western ground parrot?

They are called chicks or hatchlings.

What do they eat?

These yellow-green wild birds generally feed on seeds, flower buds, the base of flowers. Their diet includes a variety of food which is because of their diverse habitat. They are pure herbivores and like to feed on pine nuts and other tree nuts, and they also love fruits, just like the Mealy parrots of central and South America.

Are they dangerous?

No, these birds are not dangerous as they lead a solitary life and are herbivorous in nature. This means that they wouldn't kill or attack any living beings for their meal. However, the female can be quite aggressive sometimes during the breeding and egg-laying season since they require the male to feed them. But overall, they are cute and harmless birds with calm behavior.

Would they make a good pet?

They would definitely make a good pet. Currently, they are found in and around the south coast of Western Australia. But their endangered status makes it difficult to raise them as pets as they are rare.

Did you know...

These birds cannot fly since they do not fly often, and even if they fly, they cannot soar high like other birds. Most of the time, the western ground parrot eats alone or with one other bird.

Do western ground parrots migrate?

No, these birds do not migrate as they rarely fly and mostly spend their lives on the ground.

How many eggs do the western ground parrots lay?

This bird lays around two to five eggs in their nest, mostly during the spring season.

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 southern royal albatross facts and glaucous gull facts pages.

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