Eastern Ground Parrot

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Pezoporus wallicus

The Erdsittich ( Pezoporus wallicus ), is a rare parrot species of the genus Erdsittiche ( Pezoporus ).

Features

The Erdsittich reached a size of 30 centimeters, 17 centimeters of which take the tail feathers to complete. The plumage is mostly yellowish- green, each spring yellow and black stripes showing. The males have bright red feathers on the forehead, with the females only a few red feathers can be seen on the forehead. In addition, the black bars are not as strongly pronounced. The iris is dark yellow and the feet brownish- gray. The young birds see the adult birds very similar, but they lack the red feathers on the forehead.

Distribution area

The Erdsittich inhabited the coastal areas and adjacent heathland in the south- west and south -east Australia and Tasmania where it occurs up to 1300 m altitude. Even where rivers flow into the level and marshy grasslands, this species was already observed. The parakeets prefer mainly low vegetation with a few bushes. In Queensland, the parakeets inhabit not only pagans, and dry regions, but also moorland.

Way of life

The Erdsittich is crepuscular and nocturnal, it flies fast and glides low over the ground. With their long legs the Erdsittiche are very fast runners. If they will move around on the ground you quickly run repeatedly interrupted by a break. For most of his life he spent on earth to seek all sorts of grasses and heather plants whose seeds it eats. Preferably, it eats the seeds of acacia (Acacia ) and the Mesomelaena spaerocephala. It occurs only in small populations, so the species was placed under strict protection.

His reputation consists of 3 or 4 high, glockenählichen tones. They sound like " tii tii - tit " or " tii tii tii - stit ". After this call you can often hear several shrill sounds. Before the call is not to end up being even ejected from the parakeets a protracted tone.

Reproductive behavior

The breeding season of the Erdsittichs is between September and December. His nest it builds on the ground or near the ground, the nest consists of three to four eggs, which are incubated for about three weeks. During the rearing of the young parents land a few meters in front of the nest on the ground and then run on " secret" paths or tunnels that they have entered into the grass to their young.

Special

The Erdsittich is next to the Kakapo and the Night parrot, the parrot that is best adapted to life on the ground. They also do not sit on branch or branches, because the feet are adapted to life on the ground. The toes of the feet are not as strongly curved as in parrots usual.

Subspecies

• Pezoporus wallicus wallicus
• Pezoporus wallicus flaviventris North, 1911

Endangering

Since these Sittichart spends the most time on the ground, it is threatened in the dry seasons of grass and bush fires. After such disasters, animals must move to other areas. But return often after several years in the burnt areas back and can be reintegrated in.

Swell

• Lantermann Werner (1999): Parrot Customer: biology, ecology, conservation, behavior, attitude, species selection of parakeets and parrots, Parey Verlag, ISBN 3-8263-3174-5