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Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans)

The Elegant Parrot is a small, ground-feeding grass parrot found in two separate parts of southern Australia, including Western Australia, South Australia and western Victoria. It uses open grassland, mallee, heath, saltbush, pasture and open woodland, so clearing can remove feeding habitat and hollow-bearing trees used for nesting.

Conservation status

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Timing varies between regions and may respond to rainfall. The table uses the broad breeding window reported for the species and should be adjusted to local records and conditions.

The breeding dates differ between the supplied references. Confirm timing through local surveys, recent records and inspection of hollow-bearing trees before clearing.

  • Breeding, nesting and laying: Breeding is reported from July to November, approximately mid-August to late December, or August to October. Breeding may also follow significant rainfall.
  • Young in nest or dependent: Incubation lasts about 18 to 21 days. Young leave the nest at about 30 to 35 days and may remain dependent for a further 10 to 12 days.
  • Local movement and flocking: The species is described as nomadic or locally mobile in some areas, with local movements near range edges. South-western birds are generally more sedentary. Flocks of about 20 to 100 may form outside breeding.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing is most likely to harm the species from August to December because nests, eggs, nestlings and recently fledged dependent young may be present. Use local observations and rainfall to extend the precautionary period.

Identification

The Elegant Parrot is a small, slim grass parrot with olive and yellow plumage. It is usually detected by its low flight, soft calls and habit of feeding on the ground in open vegetation.

Adults are about 22 to 23 cm long and weigh about 41 to 51 g. The upperparts are golden olive, with bright yellow on the lower belly and vent. A dark blue frontal band extends across the forehead and behind the eyes, and the wing bend is blue. The bill and legs are grey to grey-black, and the eyes are dark brown.

  • Males can show a pale orange or orange-tinged belly patch.
  • Females are generally duller, with less yellow on the head and upperparts and a narrower blue frontal band.
  • Juveniles are duller and lack the well-defined frontal band.

Identification: Distinguishing features

The blue frontal band extending behind the eyes helps separate the Elegant Parrot from the similar Scarlet-chested Parrot, which is identified as a similar species in the field references. The species is also similar to the Rock Parrot, so observers should record the full combination of the olive body, yellow underparts, blue forehead and blue wing bend rather than relying on one colour patch.

  • Check the extent of the blue forehead band, the yellow belly and vent, and the olive body colour.
  • Use photographs or clear notes where identification is uncertain, particularly for females and juveniles.

Identification: Field signs and detection

The species feeds on the ground and may be encountered singly, in pairs or in small groups during the breeding period. Outside that period it can form flocks of about 20 to 100 birds, sometimes with other grass parrots. Flight calls and contact calls are available for comparison, but the supplied references do not provide a written call description.

  • Search open ground, pasture, grassland edges and low shrubland for birds flushing from vegetation or feeding on fallen seed.
  • Inspect suitable mature trees for nest hollows during the breeding season.
  • Do not treat the absence of tracks or scats as evidence that the species is absent, because the supplied references do not describe reliable ground signs for this parrot.

Distribution: Australian range

The Elegant Parrot is endemic to Australia and has two disjunct distribution areas. The available references describe broad state-level and regional limits, but do not provide a population estimate or formal Australian bioregion names.

The western population occurs in south-western Australia, broadly from Moora to Merredin and Esperance. The south-eastern population extends through South Australia, north to Marree, east into western Victoria and includes Kangaroo Island. The species is not recorded from Tasmania or the Bass Strait islands.

  • States and territories recorded in the supplied material are Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria.
  • The broad climate range is subhumid to semiarid.
  • The supplied sources do not identify a confirmed range in any other Australian state or territory.

Distribution: Subpopulations and trend

The two disjunct areas should be treated as separate regional populations for project assessment. Local movement is typical near the range edges, while birds in south-western Australia are described as largely sedentary.

Reported distribution area: About 865,736 km²

Breeding latitude range: About 38.2 degrees south to 21.8 degrees south

Global conservation status: Least Concern

  • The species may be locally nomadic or move after rainfall, particularly near the margins of its range.
  • The supplied references do not give a national population size, density, or mapped project-scale stronghold.
  • One source reports that the overall population is increasing, but the supplied material does not provide the supporting population estimate or trend period.

Habitat: Vegetation types

Elegant Parrots use open and semi-open vegetation with a developed ground layer and scattered trees or shrubs. Habitat can occur in coastal or inland settings and in both natural and modified areas.

Recorded habitat includes grassland, pasture, mallee shrubland, dry open woodland, open woodland, Acacia scrub, saltbush, bluebush and heathland. Coastal and inland dunes, marshland, open savanna and gallery woodland are also used.

  • Retain connected patches of grassland and low shrubland where ground-feeding parrots can move and forage.
  • Treat scattered mature eucalypts, stringybark forest and trees along watercourses as potential breeding habitat when hollows are present.
  • Do not assume that pasture or other modified open areas have no value, because pasture and artificial water sources are included in the reported habitat and range information.

Habitat: Structure and climate

The species is associated with semi-open habitat rather than dense forest. It occurs in subhumid and semiarid zones, with habitat ranging from coastal areas to inland open country.

  • The supplied material gives no elevation limits.
  • The supplied material gives no minimum patch size, canopy cover, tree diameter or vegetation height requirement.
  • Maintain ground vegetation, low shrubs and access to suitable trees when planning clearing boundaries and construction compounds.

Foraging habitat: Food

The Elegant Parrot is primarily a ground-feeding herbivore and granivore. It searches open ground and low vegetation for seeds and other plant material.

The main food is seed from grasses and other herbaceous plants. The species also takes green plant material, berries and small fruits. Reported food includes clover and millet seeds and flowers of Lomandroideae.

  • Retain seed-producing grasses and herbs within and beside the development footprint.
  • Avoid unnecessary removal of low shrubs and flowering plants in areas used for repeated feeding.
  • Inspect ground-feeding areas before clearing, particularly where birds are flushed from pasture, grassland or saltbush and bluebush.

Foraging habitat: Foraging behaviour

Food is generally collected from the ground. Birds may occur in pairs or small groups during breeding and in flocks of about 20 to 100 outside the breeding period.

Foraging level: Ground

Reported flock size outside breeding: About 20 to 100 birds

  • Include open ground and the edges of shrubland, woodland and pasture in habitat inspections.
  • Record flock size, feeding location, vegetation type and direction of flight during pre-clearing surveys.
  • The supplied references do not provide a foraging home range or daily movement distance.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Elegant Parrots are hollow-nesting birds that breed in mature trees and other suitable cavities. Breeding timing varies between sources and can be associated with rainfall.

The female incubates the eggs, while the male remains nearby and feeds her. Nestlings leave the nest after about 30 days in one source, while another source gives 32 to 35 days. Young remain dependent on their parents for about another 10 to 12 days in the latter account.

Typical breeding period: July to November, or approximately mid-August to late December; August to October is also reported

Clutch size: About 4 to 6 eggs, with 4.5 to 5.5 eggs reported in one dataset

Egg colour and size: White and rounded; about 21 by 18 mm in one source

Incubation: About 18 to 21 days

Age at first breeding: About 1 year

Fledging: About 30 to 35 days after hatching

Lifespan: Average about 3.2 years in one dataset; maximum recorded age about 16.7 years

Breeding habitat: Breeding trees and cavities

Nesting is reported in tree hollows, including hollows more than 15 m above ground in a eucalypt along a watercourse or in stringybark forest. Other references describe cavities in large branches or rotten stumps.

Reported nest height: More than 15 m above ground in one account

Nest types reported: Tree hollows, cavities in large branches and rotten stumps

  • Retain mature hollow-bearing eucalypts, stringybarks, large dead branches and suitable stumps within the clearing area and its immediate surrounds.
  • Inspect trees and large branches for active or recently used hollows before clearing.
  • Apply the longer breeding window where rainfall has been substantial or where local records indicate active nesting.

Sheltering habitat: Hollows and trees

The supplied references identify nest cavities as the main specific shelter feature. They do not describe separate roost structures, burrows or refuge dimensions.

Potential shelter and nesting sites include hollows in mature eucalypts, cavities in large branches and rotten stumps. A nest hollow more than 15 m above ground has been reported in a eucalypt near a watercourse or in stringybark forest.

Specific hollow height reported: More than 15 m above ground

  • Retain hollow-bearing trees and large hollow branches wherever practicable.
  • Check trees proposed for removal for entrance holes, feathers, droppings, nesting material and repeated parrot activity.
  • Use a fauna spotter catcher for any occupied hollow or injured, trapped or displaced bird.

Sheltering habitat: Ground and flock refuges

Outside the breeding period, birds may form flocks and use open country, low shrubland, pasture and woodland edges. The supplied references do not give a roost tree size, ground-cover height or minimum refuge area.

  • Keep suitable low vegetation and escape cover connected to feeding areas during staged clearing.
  • Avoid isolating small patches of ground-feeding habitat between roads, stockpiles and construction compounds.
  • Record repeated evening or early morning congregation sites, even where no nest hollow is found.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The species is listed as Least Concern globally, but clearing can affect it directly by removing ground-feeding habitat and hollow-bearing trees. The supplied references do not provide a detailed threat assessment for each pressure.

Clearing grassland, pasture, mallee, heath, saltbush, bluebush and open woodland can remove food plants and movement areas. Removing mature trees, large branches or rotten stumps can remove nest cavities.

  • Mark and retain hollow-bearing trees and connected ground-feeding habitat before vegetation removal.
  • Stage clearing from retained habitat towards open ground so birds have an escape route.
  • Avoid clearing during the breeding and dependent-young period where practicable, particularly from August to December.

Threats: Construction, roads and disturbance

Roads, traffic, machinery and temporary works can divide feeding habitat and disturb birds using open ground or nest trees. The supplied references do not quantify road mortality or disturbance distances.

  • Inspect the construction footprint and access routes for feeding birds before daily clearing.
  • Keep vehicle movements and stockpiles away from retained hollow-bearing trees where practicable.
  • Use speed controls and fauna protocols on project roads where birds are regularly recorded.

Threats: Fire, predators and hydrology

Fire can alter grass, herb, shrub and woodland structure used for feeding and nesting. Predation, disease and hydrology change are not described in detail in the supplied references, so project controls should follow the approved local fauna management plan and current state guidance.

  • Avoid unplanned fire and retain a range of vegetation ages where site management allows.
  • Do not create standing water, artificial food sources or other conditions that concentrate birds unless authorised and managed.
  • Report sick, injured or unusually tame birds through the project fauna response procedure.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and mapping

Survey for Elegant Parrots should focus on open and semi-open habitat where birds feed on the ground, including grassland, pasture, mallee, dry open woodland, Acacia scrub, saltbush and bluebush communities. The supplied documents do not provide a project survey guideline or prescribed effort, so the ecologist should apply the relevant state or project approval guideline and record the basis for the selected effort.

Map all suitable habitat within and adjoining the disturbance footprint before field surveys begin.

Prioritise semi-open areas with grass, herbaceous plants, seed-producing ground cover, scattered trees, mallee, shrubland and nearby water sources.

Record habitat connectivity because the species occurs in two disjunct Australian regions and can make local movements near the edge of its range.

Activity period: Diurnal and primarily terrestrial

Recorded habitat: Open habitats, grasslands, pasture, mallee shrubland, dry open woodland, Acacia scrub, saltbush, bluebush and heathland

Feeding location: Primarily on the ground

Survey methodology: 2. Daytime walked searches

Conduct systematic daytime searches through suitable feeding habitat, particularly grassland, pasture, open woodland edges and areas with seed-bearing grasses or herbs.

Walk transects or parallel search lines that provide visual coverage of the entire suitable habitat area, and record the area searched, route, start and finish times, weather, observers and detection conditions.

Search during periods of good visibility and avoid relying on dense vegetation searches alone because the species feeds on the ground and may be difficult to detect when stationary.

  • Record every sighting, flock, pair, call, feeding observation and flight direction with a GPS location.
  • Document the number of birds, sex or age where identifiable, habitat used and whether birds move into or out of the disturbance area.

Survey methodology: 3. Call and movement observations

Use quiet observation during the daytime to detect birds moving between feeding areas, trees, shrubs and water sources.

Record repeated flight paths and local movements, especially at habitat edges and between retained patches.

Do not treat the absence of a response to call playback as evidence that the species is absent, and do not use playback unless it is permitted by the relevant survey guideline or approval.

  • Use passive acoustic recording only where it is justified by the project survey design, and document the equipment, deployment period and analysis method.
  • Consider repeat visits where habitat is suitable but detection is low, particularly in areas with recent rainfall or seasonal movements.

Survey methodology: 4. Breeding habitat and hollow inspection

Inspect suitable trees and other potential nesting features within the impact area and along the proposed access and machinery routes.

Record hollow-bearing trees, tree species, hollow height, entrance size where safe to assess, tree condition and the distance to retained habitat.

The supplied sources describe nesting in tree hollows, including hollows more than 15 metres above ground, and report breeding from approximately July to November or from August to December depending on source and rainfall.

  • Do not climb trees or inspect high hollows without appropriately qualified personnel and safe access procedures.
  • Treat an occupied or potentially occupied hollow as a fauna management feature until the ecologist has assessed it and documented the outcome.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use the current state survey guideline or approval condition to set the number of visits, transect length, search area, survey hours and any repeat-survey requirement because no numerical survey effort is provided in the supplied documents.
  • Schedule surveys during daylight and include the breeding period and periods of suitable feeding activity where practicable.
  • Record survey dates, times, weather, rainfall where relevant, observers, methods, effort, habitat condition, detection limitations and all records of presence or absence.
  • Submit verified records to the relevant state wildlife database and provide records required by the project approval, fauna management plan or land manager.
  • Report the scientific name, Neophema elegans, with every record to avoid confusion with other Neophema species.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Before clearing or construction, avoid removing suitable feeding habitat and nesting features wherever practicable. The species is listed as Least Concern internationally but is listed as Vulnerable in Victoria in the supplied project information, so state requirements must be checked for every project location.

  • Redesign the footprint to retain open feeding areas, hollow-bearing trees, mallee, shrub patches and connected habitat wherever practicable.
  • Retain links between suitable habitat patches because Elegant Parrots can make local movements and occur in separated distribution areas.
  • Keep retained grassland, pasture and open woodland edges connected to nearby feeding and shelter habitat rather than leaving isolated small patches.
  • Avoid unnecessary removal of seed-bearing grasses and herbaceous ground cover.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and fauna planning

International conservation status: Least Concern

State listing supplied for this profile: Victoria, Vulnerable

EPBC listing supplied for this profile: Not listed

  • Check whether the proposed action requires an EPBC Act referral or approval, and confirm the current national listing before works commence.
  • Check state threatened-species legislation, wildlife permits, clearing controls and fauna handling requirements for the project state or territory.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies suitable habitat, hollow-bearing trees, survey results, exclusion areas, fauna spotter catcher responsibilities, stop-work triggers and reporting requirements.
  • Confirm the authority and competency required for capture, handling, transport and release before a fauna spotter catcher is engaged.

Before habitat disturbance: Timing, staging and site preparation

  • Plan clearing outside the breeding period where practicable, noting that the supplied sources place breeding broadly from July to November or August to December and that rainfall can influence breeding.
  • Stage clearing so retained habitat remains available while adjoining works are completed.
  • Complete a pre-clearance survey shortly before clearing and repeat it if there is a material delay, substantial habitat change or new suitable habitat identified.
  • Mark retained habitat, hollow-bearing trees, exclusion areas, access routes and no-go zones before machinery arrives.
  • Install exclusion fencing where it can keep machinery and people out of retained feeding or nesting habitat without blocking required bird movement.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery interface

Works should be controlled so that the fauna spotter catcher can see the active clearing area, communicate directly with operators and safely manage any bird or nesting feature encountered. Clearing must stop when the approved fauna management plan or permit requires it.

  • Complete a daily pre-start check of exclusion fencing, marked habitat, access routes, machinery condition and the presence of fauna before clearing begins.
  • Keep the fauna spotter catcher in direct communication with machinery operators and ensure the operator can stop immediately on instruction.
  • Clear progressively from retained habitat towards already disturbed ground where this is consistent with the approved method and does not drive fauna into active work areas.
  • Use the fauna spotter catcher to inspect each section immediately before machinery enters it and to maintain observation while habitat features are removed.
  • Do not allow machinery to enter a no-go area or remove a marked hollow-bearing tree without the required approval and fauna inspection.

During habitat disturbance: Managing habitat features

  • Inspect hollow-bearing trees before felling and retain them wherever practicable, particularly trees with hollows more than 15 metres above ground that may provide nesting habitat.
  • If a hollow-bearing tree must be removed, follow the approved staged-felling, isolation and fauna inspection procedure and keep the area controlled until the tree and surrounding ground have been checked.
  • Inspect logs, dense shrubs, ground cover, rocks, drainage lines and other shelter features before they are disturbed, even though the supplied sources do not identify these as confirmed nesting features for this species.
  • Do not burn, chip or bury habitat material until the fauna spotter catcher has checked it and the management plan permits that action.

During habitat disturbance: If an Elegant Parrot is found

  • Stop the activity that could injure the bird and allow the fauna spotter catcher to assess the situation.
  • Do not chase, catch or handle a healthy flying bird unless this is authorised, necessary and safe under the fauna management plan and relevant permit.
  • Use only an appropriately authorised and competent person for capture, handling, transport or release.
  • Release a captured healthy bird into nearby suitable retained habitat that is outside the active work area, following the approved release method and recording the location.
  • Keep injured, shocked or grounded birds in a quiet, secure container and arrange prompt assessment by an approved wildlife carer or veterinarian.
  • Stop work and seek advice if a bird is found nesting, injured, repeatedly returning to the work area, trapped, or present in a hollow or other feature that has not been assessed.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work triggers and records

  • Stop work when an animal is inside the exclusion zone, when a potential nest or occupied hollow is identified, when fauna handling is required but the authorised person is unavailable, or when the approved fauna procedure cannot be followed safely.
  • Record the date, time, location, work activity, species, number of birds, condition, action taken, release or treatment outcome, personnel involved and any permit or incident reference.
  • Photograph and map habitat features or work areas involved in a fauna incident where this can be done without further disturbance.
  • Notify the project environmental officer and regulator or land manager when required by the approval, permit or fauna management plan.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance inspection

Post-clearance checks should confirm that no birds, nests or fauna management features were missed and that retained habitat and control measures remain effective. Monitoring should be scaled to the impact, approval conditions and the species' state listing.

  • Inspect the cleared area, felled trees, retained habitat edges and access routes after each clearing stage and again before the area is handed to construction.
  • Check tree hollows, fallen timber, shrubs, grass cover and ground depressions for trapped, injured or displaced fauna.
  • Confirm that all marked retained habitat and exclusion zones remain intact and have not been damaged by machinery, storage or vehicle movements.
  • Document any Elegant Parrot observations, including birds using retained habitat or moving through the work area after clearing.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

  • Monitor retained feeding habitat and connectivity during construction and, where required, during the rehabilitation period.
  • Use repeat daytime observations in suitable retained habitat where the project risk assessment or approval requires confirmation of continued use.
  • Report fauna incidents, unexpected breeding activity, habitat damage, permit breaches and corrective actions through the project's environmental incident system.
  • Submit validated project records to the relevant state wildlife database and complete approval or permit reporting by the required deadline.

After habitat disturbance: Maintain controls and offsets

  • Maintain exclusion fencing, no-go markers, access controls and signage until the environmental officer confirms that the risk has ended.
  • Repair damaged controls promptly and reassess retained habitat if construction changes the footprint, drainage, vegetation structure or access arrangements.
  • Apply any approved offset or compensatory habitat measure where residual impacts cannot be avoided or minimised, using the approval conditions and state requirements to define the measure.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore feeding habitat and connectivity

Rehabilitation should restore open, semi-open feeding habitat and maintain links to retained vegetation. The supplied sources support habitat restoration based on locally appropriate grass, herbaceous, shrub and open woodland communities, but do not prescribe a species-specific planting schedule or nest-box design.

  • Re-establish locally indigenous grasses and herbaceous plants that provide seed and ground-feeding habitat.
  • Restore a mixed structure of open grassland, pasture-like ground cover, shrubland and open woodland where that reflects the pre-clearing community.
  • Use locally appropriate mallee, Acacia, saltbush, bluebush and heathland species where those communities formed part of the original site habitat.
  • Reconnect rehabilitated areas with retained vegetation and nearby feeding habitat rather than creating isolated planting blocks.
  • Avoid dense planting across all of the site where the target habitat is naturally open or semi-open.

Rehabilitation actions: Replace nesting and shelter features

Reported nesting feature: Tree hollow, including hollows more than 15 metres above ground in one source

Reported breeding clutch: Approximately 4 to 6 eggs

  • Retain suitable hollow-bearing trees wherever safe and practicable during rehabilitation and site design.
  • Where approved habitat replacement is required, have a qualified ecologist assess whether nest boxes or other artificial hollows are appropriate for the site and install them only under an approved design and monitoring plan.
  • Reinstate suitable fallen timber, shrubs and other retained habitat features where they are consistent with the site's pre-clearing vegetation and do not create a fire or access hazard.
  • Protect restored habitat from vehicle access, stock damage, unauthorised clearing and soil compaction.

Rehabilitation actions: Weeds, predators and fire

  • Control weeds that displace native grasses, herbs, shrubs or open woodland regeneration.
  • Manage introduced predators and domestic animals where they threaten birds using retained or rehabilitated habitat, in accordance with the land manager's approved program.
  • Prepare fire management that protects regenerating habitat and retained hollow-bearing trees while meeting the site's legal and ecological fire requirements.
  • Prevent rehabilitation activities from removing seed-bearing ground cover during the period when birds are using the site for feeding.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

  • Inspect rehabilitation for plant survival, native ground cover, weed cover, erosion, habitat connectivity and damage at the intervals specified in the rehabilitation plan or approval.
  • Use repeat daytime searches to document whether Elegant Parrots return to feed, move through or use restored habitat.
  • Record the number and location of observations, habitat used, flock or pair size where visible, and any evidence of breeding or use of artificial hollows.
  • Define completion measures before works begin, including stable ground cover, successful establishment of locally indigenous plants, functioning connectivity, protected habitat features and completion of required fauna reporting.

Sources