Blue-winged Parrot (Neophema chrysostoma)
Who am I?
Check out my vibrant beautiful azure-blue wings! My body is green, my face yellow and I have dark blue around my eyes and beak. I’m closely related to the famous Orange-bellied Parrot, but if you look closely, you’ll see that we are different.
Where can you find me?
You'll often find me in the woodlands and open forests of south-eastern Australia, where I dwell among the Eucalyptus trees. I can also be found out in open grassy areas or coastal wetlands, including coastal saltmarsh and farmland. I am mostly seen around the mouth of the Powlett River and around the taller forests of The Gurdies or Koonwarra.
Why am I threatened?
One of my biggest challenges is habitat loss and fragmentation from human activities like deforestation, urbanisation and land clearing for agriculture. When my forest homes are destroyed or broken up into smaller patches, it becomes harder for me to find suitable hunting grounds and places to nest.
Another issue is the depletion of my prey species. When humans hunt or remove animals that I rely on for food, it disrupts the balance of the ecosystem and can make it more difficult for me to find enough to eat.
How can you help?
Protect our home! Support efforts to conserve natural areas and resist the urge to clear more land for development. Respect our space and avoid activities that might scare us away or disrupt our daily routines. Feral cats and dogs can be real troublemakers, so preventing them from hunting us would be a big help.
Consider volunteering with or donating to organizations like GTSAG and Birdlife Victoria that are working to protect us and our habitat. Every little bit helps, whether it's planting trees, monitoring nests, or supporting research! Or why not install a next box of your own? For further information, get in touch (below).
Get involved now!
If you have seen a Blue-winged Parrot, report it HERE.
If you have or know of a suitable property for creating corridors or protecting remnant forest, please contact us HERE
If you want to join us as a member and get involved with on-ground works such as planting, weeding and education, join our Landcare Group HERE
Project link: Western Port Woodlands
Thank you for contributing to protecting a local threatened species!