AY Honors/Parrots and Cockatoos/Answer Key
The Golden-shouldered Parrot, Psephotus chrysopterygius, is a rare bird of southern Cape York, Australia. A small attractive parrot related to the more common Red-rumped Parrot, it is considered to be a superspecies with the Hooded Parrot of the Northern Territory and the apparently extinct Paradise Parrot of Queensland and New South Wales. It measures 26 cm long and weighs between 54-56 g.
The Golden-shouldered Parrot lives in open forest, where it feeds on small grass seeds, principally those of firegrass. An important habitat requirement is the provision of terrestrial termite mounds, which the bird uses for nesting in. This has lead to the parrot also being known as the Antbed Parrot. They will preferentially seek out taller mounds (up to 2 m high), and will dig a burrow into them when the mound has been softened by the rains. A long tunnel is dug down into the mound, and capped off by a nesting chamber. The clutch size is between 3-6 eggs, which are incubated for 20 days. The mound regulates the temperature in the chamber, keeping it high enough that the eggs can be left unattended while the parents feed.
The Golden-shouldered Parrot is listed as endangered (CITES I). The species has a restricted range and suffers from a variety of threats, including predation by feral cats, tourist disturbance, and a change in burning regime in the grasslands upon whose seeds it depends. The wild population is around 3000 birds, with around 1500 held in captivity in Australia.
References
Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol 4 Edited by del Hoyo, Elliott and Sargatal ISBN 84-87334-22-9
