Orange-bellied Parrot
Orange-bellied parrot ( Neophema chrysogaster )
The orange-bellied parrot ( Neophema chrysogaster ), also called Orange -bellied parrot, one of the rarest and therefore very highly endangered species of the genus of grass parakeets ( Neophema ). Presently it is estimated in the population of 150 to 200 individuals. He is thus one of the rarest birds in the Australian fauna. He enjoys a special legal protection in Australia and is performed on the Appendix I of the CITES Convention.
Features
With a body length of about 20 cm, it is slightly larger than most songbirds. Orange-bellied Parakeets weigh 41-51 grams. The bright green plumage is interspersed with yellow strikes.
Characteristic glow a golden yellow to reddish stain in the lower part of the abdomen and a light blue strip just above the beak. The leading edges of the wings shimmer in bright royal blue and the tail underside is yellow. Males and females are very similar in appearance. The female counterparts are characterized by a slightly darker plumage, a smaller belly spot and a forehead strip without green blue border. Some of them wear a white underwing stripe.
Habitat
We can observe the orange-bellied parrot in Tasmania, especially here in the South West National Park. As a migratory bird is this strip of land less his home, but the primary breeding area. As the bird spends in south-west Tasmania the summer, spent most of his autumn and winter along the coasts of Victoria and South Australia on. He thus has a similar migratory behavior on how closely related with him fine parakeet.
Its habitat is almost exclusively coastal or near-coastal inland. He is not as closely tied to the shoreline as the clip parakeet.
Reproduction
Hatcheries provide niches and cavities is in eucalyptus trees that are occupied with up to 6 eggs. A couple usually remains together until the end of life, the nesting entertain both up to five years.
Behavior
Food source for the orange-bellied parrot form, among others, grass seed, because he mostly stays on the ground. Nevertheless, the radius in which foraging takes place, take a five kilometer radius around the nest.
Protection measures
The introduction of a funding program in 1984 the number was kept stable. However, shortage of living space, especially in the winter quarters and competing bird species continue to threaten the existence of the orange-bellied parrots.