Bourke's Parrot
Neopsephotus bourkii
The Bourke's Parrot (Neopsephotus bourkii) is a rare old world parrot found only in Australia, weighing about 44 g. Bourke's parrot, also known as the blue-vented parrot, sundown parrot, pink-bellied parrot, Bourke's parakeet, Bourke or "Bourkie", is a small parrot found in Australia and the only species in its genus, Neopsephotus.
About the Bourke's Parrot
Bourke's parrot, also known as the blue-vented parrot, sundown parrot, pink-bellied parrot, Bourke's parakeet, Bourke or "Bourkie", is a small parrot found in Australia and the only species in its genus, Neopsephotus. It is approximately 19 cm long and weighs around 45 grams. It is named after General Sir Richard Bourke, Governor of New South Wales from 1831 to 1837.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Bourke's parrot is a relatively small species. They tend to vary between 18 cm and 23 cm in length with a tail length of approximately 9 cm. The females of the species tend to be slightly smaller than the males: males of the species weigh between 47 g and 49 g whilst females weigh between 41 g and 49 g. Both sexes look very similar until the age of nine months, after which they come into full plumage colour. In the wild, Bourke's parakeets display an overall brown colouration with a pink abdomen, pinkish breast and a blue rump. The legs are dark-brown, with zygodactyl toes.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, with peak activity in September. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Bourke's Parrot?
- Bourke's parrot is a relatively small species. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Bourke's Parrot?
- The Bourke's Parrot is a small sized bird weighing about 44 g.
- Where can you see a Bourke's Parrot?
- The Bourke's Parrot is endemic to Australia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Bourke's Parrot?
- The Bourke's Parrot is most easily confused with the Blossom-headed Parakeet, the Fischer's Lovebird and the Lesser Vasa Parrot.
- Is the Bourke's Parrot endangered?
- The Bourke's Parrot is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Bourke's Parrot for real
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