Golden-shouldered Parrot

Psephotellus chrysopterygius

Old World Parrots · Psittaciformes · Legendary

The Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotellus chrysopterygius) is a legendary old world parrot found only in Australia, weighing about 47 g. The golden-shouldered parrot, also known as the alwal, arrmorral, minpin, thaku, or antbed parrot, is a rare bird of the southern Cape York Peninsula, in Queensland, Australia.

EndangeredLegendaryEndemicEats seedsforestcavity nest47 g

About the Golden-shouldered Parrot

The golden-shouldered parrot, also known as the alwal, arrmorral, minpin, thaku, or antbed parrot, is a rare bird of the southern Cape York Peninsula, in Queensland, Australia. A small parrot related to the more common hooded parrot (P. dissimilis) of the Northern Territory and the extinct paradise parrot of Queensland and New South Wales.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The golden-shouldered parrot is 25–27 cm (9.8–10.6 in) long and weighs 54–56 g (1.9–2.0 oz). The adult male is mainly blue and has a characteristic yellow over the shoulder area. It has a black cap and pale yellow frontal band. It has an extended dark salmon pink lower belly, thighs and undertail-coverts. It has a grey-brown lower back. Adult females are mainly dull greenish-yellow, and have a broad cream bar on the underside of the wings. The head in older females has a charcoal grey cap. The feathers of the vent area are a pale salmon pink.

Where it lives

When to see it

Best months: May, June, July, August, September, October, November, with peak activity in July. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Golden-shouldered Parrot?
The golden-shouldered parrot is 25–27 cm (9.8–10.6 in) long and weighs 54–56 g (1.9–2.0 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Golden-shouldered Parrot?
The Golden-shouldered Parrot is a small sized bird weighing about 47 g.
Where can you see a Golden-shouldered Parrot?
The Golden-shouldered Parrot is endemic to Australia, which is the only country where it occurs.
What birds look similar to a Golden-shouldered Parrot?
The Golden-shouldered Parrot is most easily confused with the Hooded Parrot and the Mulga Parrot.
Is the Golden-shouldered Parrot endangered?
The Golden-shouldered Parrot is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Golden-shouldered Parrot for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.