Polytelis anthopeplus
The Regent Parrot, *Polytelis anthopeplus*, is a strikingly elegant medium-sized parrot endemic to Australia, measuring approximately 40 cm (16 inches) in length and weighing between 140-190 grams (5-6.7 ounces). Males are particularly vibrant, sporting a brilliant yellow head, breast, and belly, contrasting sharply with their blue-black flight feathers and a distinctive scarlet-red patch on the wing. Females are generally duller, often exhibiting an olive-yellow body and a less prominent, du...
Found in semi-arid and arid woodlands, mallee scrub, and particularly riverine Eucalyptus forests, often near watercourses, extending into agricultural lands with remnant vegetation.
Primarily granivorous, feeding on seeds from various Eucalyptus species, acacias, Casuarina, and saltbush, supplemented with agricultural grains, fruits, nectar, flowers, and occasionally insect larvae.
Regent Parrots are diurnal, exhibiting peak activity in the early morning and late afternoon, often roosting communally in tall eucalypts. Their foraging strategy involves both arboreal gleaning for seeds, nectar, and flowers, and terrestrial foraging for fallen seeds and grains, typically in pai...
The Regent Parrot has a disjunct distribution across southern Australia, consisting of two main populations. The western population is found in Western Australia, spanning from the Murchison River in the north, southwards across the agricultural and mallee regions to the southwest corner, extendi...
Least Concern
- Regent Parrots are sometimes known by other names, including 'Black-tailed Parrot' and 'Rock Peplar'. - Their 'regent' name is believed to come from their stately appearance and elegant yellow plumage. - In captivity, Regent Parrots have been known to live for over 25 years. - They possess a di...