Princess Parrot

Polytelis alexandrae is found across 4 electorates.

The Princess Parrot is a slim, medium-sized parrot that grows to 40 to 45 cm in length, and has a weight of 90 to 120 g. It is colourful bird that has blue-grey colouring on the top of the head; pink on the chin and throat; dull olive-green on the hind-neck and upper part of the back; yellow-green patches on the shoulders; bright green, with a black band on the trailing edge, on the underside of the wings; violet on the lower back and rump; dull olive-green, with violet wash, on the breast and belly; bright green on the flanks; green, violet and pink on the thighs; and olive-green on top, and black on the underside of the long and tapered tail. The adults have an orange to red-pink bill, bright orange-red irides, and grey legs and feet. There are some slight differences between the sexes, for example, the female is generally duller, and has a much shorter tail, than the male. Juveniles are similar in appearance to the adult female, but they have duller colouring, a dull orange bill that grades to brown at the base, red-brown irides, and dull pink legs and feet. The Princess Parrot usually occurs singly, in pairs, or in small flocks of up to 30 birds. It occasionally congregates in large, loose flocks that may contain 100 or more birds. It breeds in small colonies comprised of several pairs.¹

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