Parakeet

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Parakeet
Black-tailed Parakeet, male

Black-tailed Parakeet, male

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Parrots (Psittaciformes)
Family : True parrots (Psittacidae)
Subfamily : Eclectic parrots (Psittaculinae)
Genre : Parakeets ( Polytelis )
Type : Parakeet
Scientific name
Polytelis swainsonii
( Desmarest , 1826)

The black-tailed parakeet ( Polytelis swainsonii ) is a species of Australian parrot . No subspecies are distinguished.

Appearance

Shielded parakeets are medium-sized parrots with a long stepped tail. The control springs are narrow and finely pointed at the end. These parakeets reach a body length of 40 centimeters and weigh between 133 and 157 grams. As with all parakeets , the beak is relatively small. The species shows a clear sexual dimorphism .

The basic color of the plumage in the male is bright green. The underside of the body is a little more yellow than the plumage on the upper side. The parting is blue. This blue becomes a little washed out towards the neck. The forehead and front parting, chin and throat as well as the cheeks are conspicuously bright yellow. In some individuals, the forehead has a tinge of orange. Individual individuals also have a wide red collar that is immediately adjacent to the yellow throat.

Shielded parakeets have dull blue plumage on the wing bows. The outermost arm wings and the outer flags of the hand wings are also matt blue. The top of the tail is dark green and tapering towards the tip, washed out in dark blue. The underside of the tail is gray-black. The outer control feathers are matt white-yellow at their tips. The beak is coral red. The iris is yellow-orange.

Females lack the yellow markings on their upper bodies. The forehead and face are a dull bluish green. The thighs are orange-red to dull red. The outermost control springs are dull red on the inside flags. The iris is yellow. Young birds are largely similar to females. With them, however, the upper body is without any markings.

The flight is straight and fast. The wings pointing backwards and the tail tapering backwards are characteristic of their flight silhouette. They cover longer distances at considerable heights.

distribution and habitat

Shielded parakeets are found exclusively in the interior of southeastern Australia. Their distribution area extends from the middle of New South Wales to the extreme north of the state of Victoria .

Shielded parakeets are closely tied to larger populations of Eucalyptus camaldulensis in their breeding area . This type of eucalyptus is usually found in forests near rivers, which are occasionally flooded. They also use tree savannahs with eucalyptus trees. Outside the breeding season, they can be found in a wide variety of forested habitats.

behavior

Black-tailed parakeets are extremely social birds that are rarely observed as single pairs, even during the breeding season. During the breeding season they usually form small swarms, outside of this time swarms with more than 200 individuals are not uncommon.

Parakeets are diurnal birds. Your activity peak is in the early morning and late afternoon, and you spend your rest in the treetops. The food mainly includes grass seeds, fruits, berries, nuts, nectar and flowers as well as insects and their larvae also play a role. The foraging for food takes place mainly on the ground, but often also in the outermost areas of bushes and trees.

Reproduction

Shielded parakeets are cave breeders. The brood cavity is usually high above the ground. They do not defend a breeding ground, which is why several tree hollows occupied by breeding parakeets have already been found in one tree. Nesting trees are usually found near bodies of water. Parakeets probably use the same nest box for years. The males' courtship behavior includes short sightseeing flights in front of the females.

The clutch usually consists of four to five eggs. The female breeds alone. The young birds fledge about 40 days after hatching.

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Forshaw, p. 368.
  2. ↑ a b Forshaw, p. 374.
  3. ^ Forshaw, p. 369.
  4. ^ Forshaw, p. 372.
  5. ^ Forshaw, p. 375.
  6. ^ Forshaw, p. 376.
  7. ↑ a b Forshaw, p. 378.

literature

Web links

Commons : Black-fronted Parakeet ( Polytelis swainsonii )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files