Content

26 cm. length between 54 and 56 g. of weight.

The Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotellus chrysopterygius) males have a pileum black, the forecrown, the lores and orbital area yellow, slightly with blue-green tones. The black of the pileum merges gradually with the greyish Brown of the the mantle, with some blue on the back neck pink. The rump shows a beautiful turquesa color that contrasts slightly with the green color of the tail view from above.

The median bright yellow, they form a visible band in the wings. The greater coverts they have a dominant brown-black color with some small patches of Turquoise Blue clear.

The flight feather they are blackish with a turquoise-colored border around the vane outer. The underparts is blue. The lower parts are turquoise blue, except the lower abdomen and the lower part of the tail, that are red with bases and white finishes. The central tail feathers they usually have a bluish-black-tipped bronze color. The lateral tail feathers they are blue-green with white tips. The underside of tail is white with a dark blue finish. The bill is pale-grey. The irises are dark brown, the legs brownish grey.

The females they have a yellowish-grey colour, along with opaque Brown wash on the top. It also, they have the forecrown yellowish. The flanks, bottom of the chest and Hip they are shaded light blue. The belly is whitish grey with red spots. You can see a pale bars on the wings.

The immature are similar to the females, although young male they have a dark CAP and the cheeks more blue. Young people acquire their adult plumage final at the age of 16 months.

• Sound of the Golden-shouldered Parrot.

The Golden-shouldered Parrot they are birds sedentary. But, just after the nesting season, they can make short trips that lead to mangroves. At the time of playback, mainly frequent open forests of eucalyptus and logging and whose undergrowth is covered with a thick layer of grass. Within these areas, the Golden-shouldered Parrot nest, mainly, along with small partially invaded by water bowls. In the territory should, mandatory, Haber mounds of earth made by termites, which are essential for the nesting of this species.

The Perico Aligualdor, usually, they live alone, in pairs or small family groups, but they also sometimes gather in flocks of up to 30 individuals. These birds feed and quench your thirst first thing in the morning or in the evening. They rest on the foliage during the hottest times of the day. The Golden-shouldered Parrot they tend to feed on the ground, where venture with confidence. They find refuge in trees if bother them. They walk up to small pools of water where bathing and quench your thirst.

The time of reproduction extends from April to August. During courtship, the male makes short flights around the female, rising from the front a short feather Crest and waving his chest feathers.

The Golden-shouldered Parrot they dig their nests in a termite mound still damp from recent rains.

There are two types of termite mounds that are usually used by this species:

– built by termites type conical termite mounds Scopulus

– semicircular termite mounds built by termites of the type laurensis.

The first are usually their favorite because the temperature is most constant, while in semicircular termite mounds, they often have the entrance North, which sometimes causes large thermal contrasts. The mound may contain several nesting rooms. The nest entrance is located between 45 and 125 cm above the ground. A long tunnel 15 to 60 cm ends into a round hole in one 25 cm long.

The Golden-shouldered Parrot It lives in symbiosis with a moth:
The Trisyntopa Scatophaga that at the same time it lays its eggs in the nest of the parakeet. The larvae feed on feces and feathers of the juveniles, helping to keep the nest clean waste.

The female lays of 4 to 7 eggs who is responsible for incubating single for almost 20 days. The young man takes around 5 weeks to acquire all their feathers and leaving the nest. A week after hatching, the male joins the female to feed the young. He stands guard at the top of the nest for long periods of the day.. When he brings the food, notifies the female's arrival, emitting loud cries. When it is time to leave the nest, the young are able to fly into the tunnel without landing.. After the trip, continue to be fed by adults for at least 2 weeks. They remain in the family group for quite some time. To the dispersal of family groups, young males are away more of their places of birth than young females.

outside the breeding season, the Golden-shouldered Parrot they have a diet almost exclusively vegetarian. Subsist on grass seeds Panicum or Eragostris. They often feed on fallen seeds of different plants.. during the rainy season, When these resources become scarcer, It is likely that it depends on the species of plants that can be found throughout the year.

endemic to northeastern Australia, where is distributed only in a small area north of the río Morehead and South of Musgrave, to the North of Queensland. There are currently at least four populations, each with between 30 and 100 birds, so the world's population can be of no more than 500 individuals, or 150 breeding pairs. Other more recent sources estimate the spawning in around 2.500 individuals mature (Garnett et to the., 2011).

A record of 1980 It extended its known range North to the pascoe river, but in general it has contracted markedly in recent 100 years, prior records were situated towards the South, until around Normanton.

They were largely trapped in the past, especially since the mid of 1960 until the beginning of 1970. But, grazing and burning of crop residues, the spread of tea trees Leptospermum, predation by cats and the disruption of nests by tourists, It may have played one major role in the decline of the species.

Despite the fact that is protected, probably some catches continue.
Some individuals in captive.

• Current category of the Red List of the UICN: Danger

• Population Trend: Decreasing

The breeding population has been estimated at around 2.500 individuals mature (Garnett et to the., 2011)

Historically, There were three confirmed breeding populations: from Coen to Port Stewart, According to sources taken in the decade of 1920, río Musgrave-Moorhead where the population has shrunk considerably and continues to decline, and to the West of Chillagoe where the population persists, with a stable trend. In general, the population is suspected that it may now be decreasing (Garnett and Crowley 2000), Although the likely rate of decline has not been estimated.

The species has suffered terribly from poaching in the Decade of 1960 and the early 70 Although this bird is protected, such practices still exist.
Today, the Golden-shouldered Parrot faced with new threats: the development of new agricultural land and the destruction of traditional habitats where they were distributed.

The Golden-shouldered Parrot It has always been a rare guest of aviaries in the world. But, There are now more birds in captivity than exist in the wild., which demonstrates the difficulties encountered by these birds in their natural habitat.

This species is not recommended for beginners; prices already are high enough to discourage potential buyers, only the true, virtually "professional" fans remain.

A small group composed of one male and seven females of Golden-shouldered Parrot they came to Britain in 1897. These birds were forerunners, but the first known result of successful reproduction dates of 1961. Is inscribed with the name of Alan Lendon an Australian.
The second reproductive success corresponds to a German W. Etterich, This was in 1966. R. Burkard from Zurich achieved it in 1968. It also, in 1954, a so-called Australian breeder Edward Hallstrom got sixteen hybrids after the mating of two males of Golden-shouldered Parrot with females of Hooded Parrot.
Nowadays there are many impure birds in hobby aviaries and that is a shame. These are mostly young hybrid females. These birds do not have the opaque yellow band on the front and, Therefore, one can easily recognize, female purebred if they have the yellow tape and a bronze-colored Crown clear.

The Golden-shouldered Parrot does not resist well a temperate maritime climate; are very sensitive to cold humidity. Apart from that, it is a peaceful and active bird, she is not shy and quickly forges a friendship with her caretaker. His voice is melodious, with what does not bother the neighbors. You spend much time on the ground and like, often, bathing. They are aggressive during breeding with other birds and it is not appropriate to keep them outside with other species.; interactions with other birds are often problematic.

– Golden-shouldered Parrot, Antbed Parrot, Anthill Parrot, Chestnut-crowned Parakeet, Chestnut-crowned Parrot, Golden shouldered Parrot, golden-shouldered parakeet, Golden-shouldered Parrot (chrysopterygius), Golden-winged Parakeet, Golden-winged Parrot (ingles).
– Perruche à ailes d’or, Perruche à ailes d’or (chrysopterygius) (francés).
– Goldschultersittich (alemán).
– Periquito-de-asas-douradas (portugués).
– Perico Aligualdo, Perico de Alas Amarillas, Loro Hombroamarillo, Periquito de Espalda Dorada (español).

– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittaculidae
– Genus: Psephotellus
– Scientific name: Psephotellus chrysopterygius
– Citation: Gould, 1857
– Protonimo: Psephotus chrysopterygius

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«Perico Aligualdo» (Psephotellus chrysopterygius)

Sources:

– Avibase
– Parrots of the World – Forshaw Joseph M
– Parrots A Guide to the Parrots of the World – Tony Juniper & Mike Parr
– Birdlife

– Photos:

(1) – Male Golden-shouldered Parrot at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia By TheGirlsNY (originally posted to Flickr as Pretty bird) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(2) – Golden-shouldered Parakeet (Psephotus chrysopterygius) – watercolor, Romain Risso By Gossipguy (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

– Sounds: Phil Gregory (Xeno-canto)