Rock Parrot
Neophema petrophila
The Rock Parrot (Neophema petrophila) is a rare old world parrot found only in Australia, weighing about 53 g. The rock parrot is a species of grass parrot native to Australia.
About the Rock Parrot
The rock parrot is a species of grass parrot native to Australia. Described by John Gould in 1841, it is a small parrot 22–24 cm long and weighing 50–60 g with predominantly olive-brown upperparts and more yellowish underparts. Its head is olive with light blue forecheeks and lores, and a dark blue frontal band line across the crown with lighter blue above and below. The sexes are similar in appearance, although the female tends to have a duller frontal band and less blue on the face. The female's call also tends to be far louder and more shrill than the male's. Two subspecies are currently recognised.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Ranging from 22 to 24 cm (8+3⁄4 to 9+1⁄2 in) long with a 33–34 cm (13–13+1⁄2 in) wingspan, the rock parrot is a small and slightly built parrot weighing around 50–60 g (1+3⁄4–2 oz). The sexes are similar in appearance, with predominantly olive-brown upperparts including the head and neck, and more yellowish underparts. A dark blue band runs across the upper forehead between the eyes, bordered above by a thin light blue line that extends behind the eyes and below by a thicker light blue band across the lower forehead. The forecheeks and lores are light blue.
What the Rock Parrot sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in March. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Rock Parrot?
- Ranging from 22 to 24 cm (8+3⁄4 to 9+1⁄2 in) long with a 33–34 cm (13–13+1⁄2 in) wingspan, the rock parrot is a small and slightly built parrot weighing around 50–60 g (1+3⁄4–2 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Rock Parrot?
- The Rock Parrot is a small sized bird weighing about 53 g.
- Where can you see a Rock Parrot?
- The Rock Parrot is endemic to Australia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What does a Rock Parrot sound like?
- You can listen to 2 field recordings of the Rock Parrot on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Rock Parrot?
- The Rock Parrot is most easily confused with the Orange-bellied Parrot, the Scarlet-chested Parrot and the Elegant Parrot.
- Is the Rock Parrot endangered?
- The Rock Parrot is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Rock 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.
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