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Description
45 cm. length, including its long, narrow tail, and around 92 g. of weight.
The head of the Alexandra's Parrot (Polytelis alexandrae) is light olive brown color, heavily washed in blue pastel in the Crown area, the nape of the neck, and slightly below the eyes; the Chin and throat pale pink.
Mantle and scapulars Brown olive-tinged greenish and fine dark stripes; back and rump, color pastel blue; upper coverts greenish-gray tail. Upper coverts bright yellowish green wings, with a few more green feathers around the curve of the wing; Dark greenish blue primary coverts; primary blue-green with yellowish-brown, and dark brown margin leading edge for the vane inner (the third rรฉmige primary has the tip spatula-shaped. ); secondary of pale blue-green with a yellowish margin (more pronounced in vane outer); greenish grey tertials with vane more obscure internal. Wing of bright green feathers, more yellow towards leading edge; undertail, wings greyish Brown with large pale yellow inner margin to the vane inner. Usually gray olive underparts pale, with the pink color of the throat which runs on top of the chest; belly and flanks washed clear bluish green; thighs and lower flanks with increase in pink; coverts yellow olive color infracaudales. Upper, tail Brown olive green near the axis and blue toward tip-washed, lateral feathers bluish grey and pink-tipped; undertail, Black tail with tips and margins of pink.
The beak is red with a grey periophthalmic ring; orange-yellow irises; grey legs.
Female has a shorter tail (average of 6 cm.. less than the male) and it lacks of spatula in the third tip rรฉmige primary. The wing coverts are greener and more off. And the mantle shows less green Suffusion. Crown, back and rump are less blue.
Immature similar to females and males acquire the adult plumage in about 14 to 18 months.
- Sound of the Alexandra's Parrot.
Habitat:
Highly nomadic and little known in the wild.
Inhabits the deserts of sand from the arid Center of Australia, often far from water. Birds can reach an area which have been absent for many years, reproduce, and quickly exit again.
They are found in mound grasslands, dry forests of coastal eucalyptus, thickets of acacia, mulga (Acacia aneura) and deserts with scattered Oaks (Allocasuarina decaisneana).
The birds are alone, in pairs or in small groups of up to 15 Member. There are also some earlier records of larger breeding colonies.
Reproduction:
The breeding season has been recorded from September to January, Although the nesting can be irregular and probably depend on the rainfall of rain and is also sometimes colonial.
During courtship, the male raises some feathers on its Crown and extends its wings and tail.
Favorite nesting place is a large hole in a Red eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) lined with a pile of rotting wood dust (the desert oak It has also been used).
Of four to six white eggs make up the implementation, incubated by the female for a few 21 days. While the female is incubating, the male takes care of your power. The young are fed during 5-6 weeks and become independent from three to five weeks after leaving the nest.
Food:
The birds feed on the ground and can be very meek. The diet includes seeds of Spinifex (Triodia mitchelli) and Herb mulga (Bipartite Danthonia). As well, according to sources, they can feed on nectar.
Distribution:
The Alexandra's Parrot are confined to the interior of Australia, where usually are very rare and few records. The species is an irregular visitor, It may not appear in parts of its distribution area for two decades or more.
Are distributed in Western Australia, from the North of the Great sandy desert to the West of the fitzroy river, about Wiluna, Sandstone, Menzies and Coolgardie and East through the deserts Gibson and Great victory.
Occurs in the Northern Territory to the North of the area of Newcastle Waters and Stuart Plains, and to the South up to around Alice Springs.
In Queensland, It is very rare in the South-western end, but there is a recent breeding record around Cloncurry.
In South Australia, extends to the East, about Oodnadatta, and there is a record of 1986 in the Great Victoria desert some 25 kilometers to the North of the Nurrari Lakes.
There is disagreement about its conservation status. The recent lack of records of large groups of reproduction, He cited as a possible indication of population decline, but there is little real information, and it suggests that the world's population can be estimated between 1.000 and 20.000 birds. A recent study suggests the species could be irruptive rather than nomadic, and that a population nucleus may be resident in the area around the Tobin Lake, Western Australia.
Trade, fires, changing land use regimes and predation, they have been cited as potential threats.
Protected by law.
A large number in captivity.
VULNERABLE
Conservation:
โข Current category of the Red List of the UICN: Near threatened
โข Population trend: Stable
The population of the Alexandra's Parrot It is estimated, with low reliability, in 5 000 birds breeding (Garnett and Crowley 2000).
There is no firm evidence to determine the general trend of the number of Princess Parrot that exist. But, the rate appears to have decreased (Garnett and Crowley 2000), and recent sightings (in different places of Tobin Lake in the Great sandy desert) they have only been small batches (Garnett 1993; Garnett and Crowley 2000). On the other hand, historical records include reports of large flocks and large breeding colonies (Forshaw and Cooper 2002; North 1912; Parker 1971; Whitlock 1924).
The Alexandra's Parrot It has not been registered crossed with other species in nature. It is unlikely that any interbreeding occurs because the other two members of the genus Polytelis, the Superb parrot (Polytelis swainsonii) and the Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus), they usually do not occur in the same places as the Princess Parrot (Higgins 1999).
Remote areas occupied by species, its irregular presence in most places, and the lack of information about their movements, make it difficult to accurately estimate population size (Higgins 1999).
Conservation Actions Proposed
โข Study the ecology of species, about the Tobin Lake or the Great Victoria desert to determine the likely constraints on population size.
โข Monitoring of sightings to characterize the habitat and habitat models to verify the needs and historical responses to fire and precipitation throughout the distribution of the species.
โข Use research information to develop a management strategy.
โข Protect the areas where the species breeds..
"Alexandra's Parrot" in captivity:
Not too noisy, good whistling, and friendly disposition. It is a robust bird able to tolerate reasonable temperatures. Susceptible to infections in the eyes.
According to records, a female lived 23,9 years in captivity.
common in captivity.
Pure birds, with colors typical of their species are increasingly difficult to find.
The Alexandra's Parrot they can be accommodated in a wide variety of sizes of aviaries. It is best to raise them as couples, They seem to play better if they can see or listen to another pair of the same species. An Aviary of 4 meters long is considered the minimum to adequately house these birds.
Have brought successfully as a colony of 3-5 couples in a large aviary.
Non-toxic hardwood branches can be placed in the Aviary of birds so that they can chew them. This entertains our parakeets, helping to minimize boredom and providing them with a little exercise for supico. Natural branches of different diameters, and placed in different angles, they can be used for hangers. These natural hangers can be chewed by birds and may need to be replaced periodically. Birds can chew the flowers and fruiting bodies on the branches.
Its diet It requires a mixture of quality of food for parrots and a variety of fruits, such as the Apple and orange, as well as a variety of vegetables – corn, chard, usually providing green food and green leafy vegetables. Sowing grasses, If they are available. Soaked or sprouted seeds if they are available.
Commercial dry pellets can be part of a balanced diet.
Some birds will eat insects, as mealworms, especially around the breeding season. The insects will provide adult and young birds with a good source of easily digestible protein.. Insects can serve food to these birds on your daily diet.
The breeding season These parrots begins in March; the implementation is of 3 to 7 eggs, and incubation lasts approximately 20 days; the young become independent to the 50 days; occasionally breeding occurs 2 times a year. It is frequent that the female sexually mature in the first year, the male after the second year; couples can stay in adjacent aviaries each other separated by double metal fabric.
Alternative names:
– Alexandra’s Parrot, Gould princess parrot, Pilpul, Princess Alexandra’s Parrot, Princess Parrot (ingles).
– Perruche d’Alexandra, Perruche, Perruche ร calotte bleue, Perruche Princesse-de-Galles, Princesse-de-Galle (French).
– Alexandrasittich, Alexandra-Sittich, Blaukappensittich, Grosser Alexandersittich (German).
– Periquito-princesa (Portuguese).
– Perico Princesa, Periquito Princesa de Gales (espaรฑol).
scientific classification:
– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittaculidae
– Genus: Polytelis
– Scientific name: Polytelis alexandrae
– Citation: Gould, 1863
– Protonimo: Polyteles alexandrae
ยซPrincess Parakeetยป Images:
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ยซPrincess Parakeetยป (Polytelis alexandrae)
Sources:
– Avibase
– Parrots of the World โ Forshaw Joseph M
– Parrots A Guide to the Parrots of the World – Tony Juniper & Mike Parr
– Birdlife
– AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database – Genomics.senescence.info
– Photos:
(1) – Pet Info Club – petinfoclub.com
(2) – Princess Parrot at Cincinnati Zoo, USA By Ted (originally posted to Flickr as DSC_0026) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(3) – Princess Parrot at Cincinnati Zoo, USA By Ted (originally posted to Flickr as DSC_0063) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(4) – A blue mutant Princess Parrot at Flying High Bird Sanctuary, Australia By paulgear (Picasa Web Albums) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(5) – ยฉ2013 Simon J.. Tonge – calphotos
– Sounds: Nigel Jackett (Xeno-canto)
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