Who's thriving and who's barely surviving in Australia, the Land of the Parrots?

Australia is the Land of the Parrot — few places in the world have such a dazzling array of colourful and clever members of the psittacine family.

Many native Australian parrots have weathered environmental and habitat changes since European colonisation, and several have thrived.

Others remain threatened. Some perilously so.

There are 56 native species across the continent, including 42 varieties of true parrots along with 14 cockatoos. 

North America, by comparison, has just one. 

The cosmopolitan rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) was Australia’s most counted bird during Birdlife Australia's 2024 Aussie Bird Count, edging out the noisy miner and the Australian magpie. 

The sulphur-crested cockatoo was fourth, the galah sixth, and little corella 10th.

The 'barely survivors'

On the other hand, just 91 orange-bellied parrots (Neophema chrysogaster) are known to exist in the wild, according to a scientific project set up to track their numbers. 

The population of swift parrots (Lathamus discolor) is estimated to be fewer than 1,000. 

These two species share much in common. They are specialists rather than generalists, according to research scientist Ryan Kilgower, who coordinates Birdlife Australia's orange-bellied parrot project.

"If you look at rainbow lorikeets and sulphur-crested cockatoos, they are generalists that can thrive across a diverse variety of conditions and make use of different food sources," Mr Kilgower said.

"These species tend to be more adaptable to changes and less picky about where they nest.

"Specialist species are often behaviourally routine. They do not adapt well to change.

"When conditions are right, you may see a sharp population increase, but continued changes can spiral these species towards extinction."

The swift parrot and orange-bellied parrots, along with blue-winged parrots (Neophema chrysostoma), are among nature's only migratory parrots. All three breed in Tasmania, with the swift and orange-bellied parrots migrating across the Bass Strait to the mainland, often to the same location each year.

It is a fraught journey, made even more so with habitat loss, drought and other challenging weather conditions.

"Orange-bellied parrots have been unable to adapt to urban environments, and while there is evidence of them consuming introduced plant species and being located on agricultural land, they have specific requirements that need to be fulfilled," Mr Kilgower said.

"Swift parrots are another species that only breeds in Tasmania and migrates.

"They have a preference for feeding on lerp and nectar in ironbark and box forests in Victoria and NSW during the non-breeding season, most of which have disappeared since European settlement."

The news is not all grim, with 91 orange-bellied parrots returning to Tasmania last year. There has been a gradual increase from a low of 17 during the 2016–2017 season.

In addition, there are more than 600 of the parrots in captivity, including at Moonlit Sanctuary in Pearcedale, Victoria, and 77 juvenile captive-bred birds were released in Tasmania and Victoria in recent times to boost the wild population.

Success stories

The road to recovery is rarely smooth, but there are success stories that encourage conservationists. 

The turquoise parrot (Neophema pulchella) had declined to the extent that it was viewed as extinct in 1915. Numbers have since rebounded. In 2020, its conservation status was re-assessed from "near threatened" to "least concern".

Private landholders have played a role in their restoration, along with conservation groups and enthusiastic volunteers. 

Nature photographer Chris Farrell owns Kurringai Cottage, a rural property bordering the Warby-Ovens National Park in north-east Victoria. 

"The Broken Boozy Conservation Management Network worked with the landowners involved in revegetation and building nest boxes for the birds," he said.

"The most important thing was to plant as many species of native grasses and other plants, eradicate rabbits, and provide water.

"It's created a safe haven, and we now have turquoise parrots here throughout the year."

Mr Kilgower said suburban gardeners could play a part in creating a habitat suitable for native parrots.

Australia's true parrots – a spotter's guide

There are 42 true parrot species in Australia. 

Nature photographer Chris Farrell offers these spotters' notes to help identify 15 of the most important varieties.

King parrot (Alisterus scapularis) 

Australia's largest true parrot, growing up to 43cm. The male has a bright red head and breast with a blue rump, and green wings. Females have a green head, back and wings, with a red breast. Found mostly along the east coast.

Crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans) 

Smaller than the king parrot (up to 36cm), adult crimson rosellas of both sexes have a red head and body, and blue wings, tail and cheek. Juveniles are predominantly green. Found across eastern Australia.

Yellow rosella (Platycercus elegans) 

The yellow rosella and Adelaide rosella are classified as the same species but different races of the crimson rosella.

Eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius) 

Found throughout south-eastern Australia. Males and females have similar colours, with the female being somewhat duller. 

Turquoise parrot (Neophema pulchella) 

Classified as vulnerable in Victoria, but with healthy populations in NSW and Queensland. Males and females are predominantly yellow with blue wings. The males have a turquoise face, while the female has a pale blue crown.

Orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) 

Yellow and light green overall with blue and green wings, and an orange patch on its belly. The orange patch is smaller on the female. 

Blue-winged parrot (Neophema chrysostoma) 

Green to olive in colour, with the wings having a bright blue leading edge. Predominantly a ground-feeder.

Swift parrot (Lathamus discolor) 

Bright green with a red face and chin, swift parrots grow to about 25cm. Nests in tree cavities. 

Rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) 

Easily identified with their purple-blue head, green wings and tail, and orange-yellow chest. Common throughout eastern Australia and has since colonised Western Australia.

Little lorikeet (Psitteuteles pusillus) 

Often seen with rainbow and musk lorikeets, but have a much quieter call. Predominantly green with a red patch around their beaks. 

Red-rumped parrot (Psephotus haematonotus) 

Also known as the common grass parrot. The sexes vary greatly in appearance, with the male being blue-green with yellow breast and red lower back, and the female being olive without the red rump.

Mulga parrot (Psephotellus varius) 

Also known as the many-coloured parrot. Similar in appearance to the red-rumped parrot, although the red patch is absent. The female is dull olive and brown. 

Superb parrot (Polytelis swainsonii) 

Known as the "green leek" because of its colouring, which makes it especially hard to spot in a tree. Found across the Murray-Darling Basin. There are also populations in Holbrook, Canberra and Numurkah. 

Regent parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus) 

Nicknamed by farmers as the "smoker" due to impressive speed and the smoky colouring of females. Like the superb parrot, it's an extremely strong flyer, with pointed wings and a long tail suited to high-speed manoeuvring.  

Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) 

Native to Australia. In nature, budgerigars are light green with a yellow chest. Blue budgies are a selectively bred mutation that rarely exists in the wild.