Bourke's Parrot
Encyclopedia
The Bourke's Parrot also known as the Bourke's Parakeet or "Bourkie", is a small parrot
originating in Australia
and the only species
in its genus
Neopsephotus. This species is sometimes placed in the genus Neophema
and there is an ongoing discussion about the proper taxonomic placement of this species. It is a grass parrot approximately 19 cm long and weighing around 45 grams. It is named after General Sir Richard Bourke
, Governor of New South Wales from 1831 to 1837.
toes. The bill
is yellowish-brown. The adult male has a blue forehead while the adult female has a little or no blue on the forehead. The Bourke's parrot's feathers help the species blend in with the reddish soil of its home.
of 3 to 6 eggs
, which are incubated
by the female for 18–19 days, with the chicks fledging at about 4 weeks of age. The female also feeds and tends to the chicks by herself. While the female Bourke's Parrot is incubating the eggs, and also while she is feeding the chicks in the nest, she is fed by the male Bourke's Parrot.
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
originating in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the only species
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
in its genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Neopsephotus. This species is sometimes placed in the genus Neophema
Neophema
The genus Neophema is an Australian genus of broad-tailed parrots with six or seven species. They are small parakeets with a more or less dull green basic color with some contrasting colorful patches, and are commonly known as grass parrots...
and there is an ongoing discussion about the proper taxonomic placement of this species. It is a grass parrot approximately 19 cm long and weighing around 45 grams. It is named after General Sir Richard Bourke
Richard Bourke
General Sir Richard Bourke, KCB was Governor of the Colony of New South Wales, Australia between 1831 and 1837.-Early life and career:...
, Governor of New South Wales from 1831 to 1837.
Description
Wildtype (natural coloured) Bourke's Parakeet display a basically brown overall colouration with pink abdomen, pinkish breast & a blue rump. The legs are dark-brown, with zygodactylDactyly
In biology, dactyly is the arrangement of digits on the hands, feet, or sometimes wings of a tetrapod animal. It comes from the Greek word δακτυλος = "finger".Sometimes the ending "-dactylia" is used...
toes. The bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
is yellowish-brown. The adult male has a blue forehead while the adult female has a little or no blue on the forehead. The Bourke's parrot's feathers help the species blend in with the reddish soil of its home.
Diet
Bourke's parrots forage on the ground for grasses and seeds. They are most active feeding at dusk and dawn.Breeding
The Bourke's Parrot has a clutchClutch (eggs)
A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
of 3 to 6 eggs
Bird egg
Bird eggs are laid by females and incubated for a time that varies according to the species; a single young hatches from each egg. Average clutch sizes range from one to about 17...
, which are incubated
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
by the female for 18–19 days, with the chicks fledging at about 4 weeks of age. The female also feeds and tends to the chicks by herself. While the female Bourke's Parrot is incubating the eggs, and also while she is feeding the chicks in the nest, she is fed by the male Bourke's Parrot.
External links
- http://www.centralpets.com/animals/birds/parrots/prt6018.html
- http://www.our1earth.com integrating a pair of Bourke's Parrots into the home of international artist Nicole van DamNicole van DamM. Nicole van Dam is an internationally licensed artist and author, as well as a Professor in Entrepreneurship and member of both the Art Department and Business Department at Santa Barbara City College Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.-Biography:Born in California of immigrant...