Part 1: Golden-shouldered Parrot - Searching for a return to the Golden Years - The Ant-bed Parrot.
With fewer than 800 remaining in the world, the Golden-shouldered Parrot is a striking symbol of beauty on the brink. This is an extraordinary bird, and it desperately needs our help.
Nestled in the tropical savanna woodlands of far northern Queensland, the Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius) dazzles with its vibrant plumage in turquoise, red, black, green, greyish-brown with a tiny black cap, and a yellow fore-crown. Known for being one of Australia’s most striking parrots, this bird is both mysterious and beautiful, making it a powerful symbol of protecting Australian wildlife and the urgent need for protecting the Golden-shouldered Parrot specifically.
The Golden-shouldered Parrot gets its name from the bright golden-yellow patches on its shoulders featured on the male, thought to be used to attract a mate. The female (left in image) is primarily green with turquoise wash on face and underparts.
Photo Credit - Conservation Partners
Unlike most parrots that nest in trees, the Golden-shouldered Parrot has a unique nesting strategy: it uses termite mounds! The parrots excavate cavities within these vacant mounds to create safe, stable nests. Of course, they don’t make things easy, they only like the conical termite mounds between 30-50 years old. The mounds provide protection from predators and help regulate temperature, making them an ideal place for raising young in the harsh environment of the Australian outback.
Inside a Golden-shouldered Parrots Home
When you take a look inside the nest, things get a little more interesting. At first glance, you may think there are termites in the nest, however these squirming creamy-white co-habitant insects are moth larvae! Their name, the Ant-bed Parrot Moth Larvae, synchronises their lifestyle with the Golden-shouldered Parrot, laying their eggs at the entry of the nest for the larvae to easily enter the nest. The larvae consume the parrots droppings, which helps keep the nest clean.
Now, while some larvae are understood to be an odd snack for the parrots, the Golden-shouldered parrot has a strong preference for native grasses, particularly those found in the savanna's and woodlands of northern Australia such as Cockatoo Grass. It feeds on seeds from these grasses, which makes it an important player in the health of these ecosystems. Its survival is intricately linked to the health of the grasslands.
Feeding in these open grasslands also forms an important role in their protection from predators (of which there are many and we will dive a little deeper into this in our next article). These open areas mean that they can see a predator coming and will be able to flee to safety. With these grasslands disappearing due to the thickening of the woodlands, means they can be easily snuck up on and ambushed.
Photo Credit - Conservation Partners
The Golden-shouldered Parrot is classified as endangered. There are only around 770 individuals left in the wild, primarily due to habitat destruction, invasive species, and predation. Conservation efforts are underway to protect their native habitat and reduce threats.
Our friends at Conservation Partners do an amazing job in their conservation efforts, and in our next edition of this Avian Journal series we will explore the amazing work they do to protect this magnificent parrot.
