Psephotus dissimilis
The Hooded Parrot breeds only in open woodland and savanna in Arnhemland (N Territory, Australia). The male is turquoise blue with a black head, yellow shoulders, grey back and greenish blue-bronze tail feathers edged with white. The female is olive green with pale blue below.
This parrot excavates its nest in a termite mound, where the female lays two to four white eggs. The Hooded Parrot seems to have a relationship with a moth, the larvae of which feed on the nestling’s waste and are thought to keep the nest-cavity clean. These parrots feed on seeds, berries and vegetables.
The above picture was taken at the zoo of Toledo, Ohio, in August 2003.
Genus Psephotus
Tribe Platycercini
Subfamily Platycercinae
Family Psittacidae
Order Psittaciformes
Class Aves
Subphylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata
Kingdom Animalia
Life on Earth
Index