Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus)

The Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus), also known as the red-backed parrot or grass parrot, is a common bird of south-eastern Australia, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin.  The red-rumped parrot was described by John Gould in 1838 and is the type species for the genus Psephotus. It was long presumed to be closely related to the mulga parrot, however analysis of multiple genetic material shows it to be an early offshoot of a group containing the genera Platycercus and Barnardius.

At Lake Coolmunda, male Red-rumps were out foraging in all their glory but I struggled to get a good shot of a female.  I found this nesting pair near Karara but the lighting was bad.

IMG_0728 IMG_0559 IMG_0549 IMG_0517 IMG_0952They have quite a large range in south-eastern Australia.  I have personally seen them at Woodlands Park, Melbourne, Bowra Station, Lake Coolmunda, Karara and around SEQ in general.

RR range

LEARN MORE ABOUT RED-RUMP PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

 

VIDEOS

This clip has excellent close ups of both male and female and you can really see the difference.  You can also hear their call and watch them forage in the grass.

More foraging Red-rumps