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Turquoise Parrot (Neophema pulchella)

The Turquoise Parrot is a small ground-feeding parrot of open eucalypt and cypress-pine woodland, grassy edges, riparian woodland, farmland and heathland in south-eastern Australia. It is listed as Vulnerable in New South Wales and occurs in habitats commonly affected by clearing, grazing, firewood collection, hollow-tree removal and infrastructure works.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Turquoise Parrots are resident or locally dispersive rather than migratory. The timing below represents the usual breeding period and local movement pattern described for the species.

April to May breeding has also been reported, so a pre-clearing cavity inspection remains appropriate outside the usual August to December season.

  • Breeding: Breeding usually occurs from August to December. Some birds may make a second breeding attempt in the same season.
  • Young: Incubation lasts about 18 days, nestlings remain for about four weeks, and fledged young remain dependent for at least another week. Young may remain with their parents while a second clutch is started.
  • Local movement and dispersal: The species is resident and locally dispersive, with seasonal movement between forested and more open areas. Most movements are less than 10 km and often follow treed corridors; no fixed migration months are documented.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and disturbance are most likely to harm the species from August to December because eggs, nestlings and dependent fledglings may be present in low tree, stump, log or post cavities.

Identification

The Turquoise Parrot is a small, mostly green and yellow parrot that is often detected on the ground beneath woodland trees. It may flush to a nearby tree when disturbed, then return to ground feeding.

Adult males have bright green upperparts, a turquoise-blue crown and face, blue wing markings, and a chestnut-red shoulder patch. The throat, breast, belly and outer tail feathers are yellow, with orange sometimes present on the breast or belly.

Females are duller. They have whitish lores, a paler blue face, a pale wing stripe and no red shoulder patch. Immature birds generally resemble females, although young males may show a darker face and some brown or red in the inner wing.

Length: 20 to 21 cm.

Weight: 35 to 46 g.

Call: A soft metallic or tinkling contact call in flight, with high-pitched twittering while feeding or roosting and a sharp sit-sit alarm call.

Identification: Similar species

The Blue-winged Parrot is duller olive-green, with a blue forehead, yellow face and more extensive blue on the upperwings, but it lacks the Turquoise Parrot's red shoulder patch. The Orange-bellied Parrot has a blue forehead, yellow face and no red on the upperwings.

The larger, longer-tailed Red-rumped Parrot lacks the Turquoise Parrot's blue face. The male Red-rumped Parrot has a red rump, a yellow rather than red shoulder patch and a white-edged tail.

Identification: Field signs and detection

Look for pairs, family groups or small flocks feeding quietly on the ground beneath trees, especially in shade, along grassy woodland edges and near creeks. Flocks of up to 30 birds have been reported.

The species has no distinctive tracks, scats or sloughs used for routine field identification. The most useful field signs are the bird's soft metallic flight call, its low ground-foraging behaviour, and nest cavities in trees, stumps, logs or posts.

  • Record the sex and age class where possible, because females and immature birds lack the male's red shoulder patch.
  • When a bird flushes, check the nearby tree and ground beneath it, as the species commonly flies to a nearby tree and may return to feeding soon afterwards.

Distribution: States and bioregions

The Turquoise Parrot is endemic to south-eastern Australia. Its range extends from south-eastern Queensland through eastern New South Wales to eastern and northern Victoria, from coastal plains and valleys to the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range.

In Queensland, the species occurs in the south-east, including the Brigalow Belt South. In New South Wales, it is recorded across the Cobar Peneplain, Darling Riverine Plains, Nandewar, New England Tablelands, NSW North Coast, NSW South Western Slopes, Riverina, South Eastern Highlands and Sydney Basin. It also occurs in the South East Corner and adjacent Victorian areas.

The NSW indicative distribution includes known records in the Cumberland, Burragorang, Hunter, Illawarra, Moss Vale, Wollemi, Yengo, Capertee Valley, Inland Slopes, Lower Slopes, New England Tablelands and Riverina areas, among others. Some subregions are listed as predicted rather than known, so local absence cannot be assumed from mapping alone.

Distribution: Strongholds and population

The species occurs as a population that is broadly contiguous across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, rather than as clearly separated named subpopulations. Important habitat includes the western side of the tablelands, inland slopes, adjoining plains and dry coastal valleys, including the Sydney Basin.

The species suffered a severe historical decline but was considered to be increasing at the time of the NSW review. More recent recovery is difficult to assess because the available NSW atlas sample was small and the species is data deficient for recent population recovery.

Estimated global breeding population: About 20,000 breeding birds, with low reliability.

Estimated NSW component: About 18,000 birds, based on an estimate that approximately 90 percent of the global total occurs in NSW.

Generation length: About three years.

Trend: Increasing after a historical early twentieth-century crash, but recent recovery is uncertain.

Conservation status: Vulnerable in NSW. The supplied sources describe the species as threatened or Near Threatened in Victoria and not listed under Commonwealth legislation.

Habitat: Vegetation and setting

Turquoise Parrots use open, grassy woodland and forest edges where trees, ground-layer food and nearby shelter occur together. They are also recorded in riparian woodland, farmland, orchards, roadside vegetation, heathland and pastures with exotic grasses and weeds.

Preferred woodland includes eucalypt and cypress-pine open forest, box and box-ironbark woodland, open woodland on foothills, and riparian gum woodland. The species often occurs near ecotones between woodland and grassland, or between coastal forest and heath.

Richer creek flats, river flats and foothills are preferred habitat types, but these areas have also been heavily cleared for agriculture. The species can use woodland margins, tree-lined creeks through farmland, orchards, roadsides and open areas with introduced grasses.

Habitat: Structural features

Suitable habitat usually includes live or dead trees, stumps and logs for nesting, trees and shrubs for shelter, and seeding grasses and forbs beneath or near trees. Treed corridors are important where birds move between feeding and breeding areas.

Retain both existing hollow-bearing trees and younger mature trees that can provide replacement hollows. Ground habitat should retain native grasses, forbs, leaf litter and low cover rather than being heavily grazed or cleared.

Recorded elevation: Up to about 700 m.

Typical movement distance: Most movements are less than 10 km, often along treed corridors.

Foraging habitat: Diet

Turquoise Parrots feed mainly on the ground, usually in pairs or small groups. They favour shaded ground beneath trees and woodland edges with seeding grasses, forbs and shrubs.

The diet consists mostly of seeds from grasses, forbs and native shrubs. Birds also take flowers, nectar, fruit, leaves, moss spore cases and scale-insects.

Recorded food plants include native grasses such as Danthonia and Stipa, introduced grasses including Briza minor, Hordeum murinum and Paspalum, and plants such as Dianella revoluta, Geranium, Sisymbrium, Leucopogon microphyllus, Stellaria media, Grevillea alpina, Hibbertia stricta, Dillwynia retorta and Brachyloma daphnoides. Spilt sorghum beside roads has also been recorded as food.

  • Search beneath trees, along grassy woodland edges, beside creeks and in lightly grazed grassland for feeding birds.
  • Check seeding grasses and forbs before clearing or slashing, particularly where shaded ground cover occurs near hollow-bearing trees.
  • Assess food resources in orchards, pastures, roadside verges and areas containing introduced grasses, as these can also be used.

Foraging habitat: Foraging range

Breeding birds prefer to feed within 100 m of the nest but may travel up to 1.4 km. This means that clearing a feeding area can affect a nest site even when the nest tree itself is retained.

Preferred distance from nest: Within 100 m.

Recorded maximum feeding distance: Up to 1.4 km from the nest.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding pairs are solitary, although nests may be clustered in favoured patches. Breeding habitat requires suitable cavities close to shaded, seed-rich ground and connected woodland or shrub cover.

The nest is placed in a vertical or near-vertical hollow in a live or dead tree, stump or log. Hollows may be reused. The female incubates the eggs and cares for newly hatched chicks initially; after a few days both parents feed the chicks. The male may continue feeding fledged young while the female begins a second clutch.

Multiple breeding attempts can occur in one season, and some birds may breed twice annually.

Breeding season: Usually August to December; additional breeding from April to May has also been reported.

Clutch size: Usually four to five eggs; four to six is also reported.

Eggs: White, broadly elliptical eggs, about 20.5 by 16.5 mm.

Incubation: About 18 days.

Nestling period: About four weeks.

Post-fledging dependence: At least one week, with juveniles remaining with and being fed by their parents.

Age at maturity: Not stated in the supplied sources.

Longevity: 10 to 15 years is reported for captive birds; wild longevity is not stated.

Breeding habitat: Nest habitat

Nest cavities are commonly within 1 to 2 m of the ground. The nest chamber contains decayed wood dust or fine wood chips, and leaves or grass may be carried to the cavity by the female.

Retain hollow-bearing trees, standing dead trees, stumps, fallen logs and suitable fence posts where they occur near open woodland, grassy feeding habitat and treed corridors.

Nest height: Often within 1 to 2 m of the ground.

Hollow depth: About 0.5 m on average.

Entrance size: About 10 by 7 cm.

Nest chamber: About 12 by 9 cm in diameter.

Breeding density: Four to seven pairs per hectare has been recorded, with nests as little as 8 m apart.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter and roosts

The species uses trees and shrubs for shelter, roosts and escape cover, while feeding and nesting close to the ground. Suitable shelter is particularly important in open woodland, farmland and cleared country where birds move between small habitat patches.

Turquoise Parrots use trees and shrubs for shelter and roosting. Communal roosts are not uncommon. Birds may flush from ground feeding to a nearby tree and return when the disturbance has passed.

Retain connected tree lines, creekside vegetation, woodland margins and dense shrubs around feeding areas. Avoid removing isolated shelter trees between retained woodland patches.

  • Inspect trees, shrubs, creek lines and woodland edges before clearing, including areas that appear to be used mainly for feeding.
  • Retain dead standing trees, stumps and fallen logs because they can provide nest cavities as well as cover.
  • Maintain ground cover and avoid prolonged heavy grazing around known or potential feeding and nesting habitat.

Sheltering habitat: Cavities and low refuges

Breeding and shelter features include live or dead trees, stumps, fallen logs and fence posts with cavities. The known nest cavity is commonly low, often within 1 to 2 m of the ground, so low cavities can be missed during a rapid tree inspection.

Known nest structures: Live or dead trees, stumps, fallen logs and fence posts.

Typical cavity height: Within 1 to 2 m of the ground.

Cavity entrance: About 10 by 7 cm.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main project risks are removal of woodland and grassy feeding habitat, loss of low tree hollows, fragmentation of treed movement routes and disturbance during the breeding season. The species can tolerate some disturbance while feeding, but this does not remove the need to protect nest trees and connected habitat.

Clearing of grassy woodland, open forest, riparian woodland and woodland margins removes feeding areas, nest trees and shelter. Fragmentation is a concern because most movements are less than 10 km and often follow treed corridors.

Retain hollow-bearing trees and younger replacement trees, along with woodland links between nesting and feeding areas. Do not assume that retaining a nest tree alone will protect the local pair if nearby feeding habitat within 100 m to 1.4 km is removed.

  • Map and protect hollow-bearing trees, stumps, logs and low cavities before clearing.
  • Retain treed corridors, creek lines, woodland edges and shaded grassy ground between retained patches.
  • Stage clearing outside the August to December breeding period where practicable, and inspect potential cavities before any work during that period.

Threats: Fire, grazing and timber removal

Inappropriate fire regimes, heavy or prolonged grazing, firewood collection, timber cutting and removal of dead wood reduce food resources, ground cover and nest-hollow availability. Grazing can also reduce the supply of grass and forb seeds.

Retain dead wood and hollow-bearing trees, protect lightly grazed ground beneath trees, and avoid burning that removes low cover or future nest trees.

  • Prevent machinery, stock and storage areas from compacting or stripping seeding grasses and forbs beneath retained trees.
  • Do not remove dead trees, stumps or logs unless a specific safety risk has been assessed and suitable fauna procedures are in place.
  • Plan fire and fuel-reduction works to retain hollow trees, logs, shrubs and ground-layer food plants.

Threats: Predators and other pressures

Foxes and feral cats prey on adults, nesting females and nestlings. Noisy Miners can aggressively exclude Turquoise Parrots from woodland. Illegal trapping and egg collection can also destroy hollows and remove birds from the population.

The supplied sources do not identify a specific disease threat or hydrology-change impact. Changes to creekside vegetation, drought and reduced food resources can still degrade habitat, particularly where works remove riparian trees or increase grazing pressure.

  • Control foxes and feral cats in key habitat where an approved control programme is available.
  • Report suspected trapping, egg collection or illegal bird sales to the relevant state authority.
  • Retain riparian trees and grassy creek margins rather than treating drainage lines as low-value areas.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and diurnal searches

Survey for Turquoise Parrots should focus on open woodland and woodland edges with grassy ground cover, nearby water, feeding areas and suitable nest hollows. The supplied documents do not provide a prescribed survey guideline or minimum number of visits, so effort should be scaled to the area and habitat proposed for disturbance, with records collected during the breeding season where practicable.

Map all open eucalypt and cypress-pine woodland, box or box-ironbark woodland, riparian gum woodland, woodland edges, grassland interfaces, coastal heath and adjoining pasture within and near the disturbance area.

Search on foot during daylight for pairs, family groups, small flocks, feeding birds, feathers, droppings and calls. Turquoise Parrots usually feed on or near the ground and may fly to a nearby tree when disturbed before returning to feed.

Give particular attention to grassy areas beneath trees, creek and river flats, tree-lined farm creeks, timbered ridges, roadsides, orchards and areas with seeding grasses, forbs or shrubs.

Cover all suitable habitat within the proposed clearing area and retained habitat that may be used for relocation or movement. Record the survey route, date, start and finish times, weather, observers, area searched and all detection locations.

Typical group size: Solitary birds, pairs, family groups or small flocks; flocks of up to 30 have been reported.

Preferred feeding distance from nest: Usually within 100 m of the nest, with movements of up to 1.4 km recorded.

  • Repeat searches when the species is most likely to be detected, including the August to December breeding season and periods when grasses and forbs are seeding.
  • Use quiet observation before walking through feeding habitat because the species can forage quietly and may tolerate disturbance until flushed.

Survey methodology: 2. Nest and hollow assessment

Inspect all live and dead trees, stumps, logs and fence posts that could provide a nest cavity, including features within the clearing footprint and along access tracks or machinery routes.

Record hollow-bearing trees and other potential nest features with a location, tree condition, height, entrance dimensions where visible, surrounding ground cover and photographs. Do not place observers or equipment at the hollow entrance if this could disturb a nesting bird.

Give priority to hollows close to the ground. Nest cavities are often within 1 to 2 m of the ground, with reported entrance dimensions of about 10 by 7 cm and hollow depth of about 0.5 m.

Where a hollow may be occupied, arrange inspection by appropriately authorised and experienced personnel. Do not use a pole camera or otherwise handle a nest, eggs or chicks unless the activity is authorised under the applicable state requirements.

Breeding season: August to December.

Typical clutch: Usually four to five eggs; two to five eggs are also reported.

Nest locations: Cavities in live or dead trees, stumps, logs or fence posts.

  • Survey potential nest trees before vegetation removal and again immediately before clearing where works occur during August to December.
  • Check nearby ground habitat around each potential nest tree because breeding pairs may defend a small feeding area and can feed within 100 m of the nest.

Survey methodology: 3. Detection records and survey limitations

Record positive and negative results separately for each habitat type. A failure to detect the species should not be treated as evidence of absence because the NSW review describes the species as infrequently reported and data deficient for assessing recent recovery.

Map each observation, nest feature and flock location in a project geographic information system. Record whether the bird was feeding, moving, calling, nesting or using retained habitat.

There is no species-specific survey guideline or prescribed effort in the supplied documents for transect length, survey hours, spotlighting, trapping or acoustic recording. Do not report an invented minimum effort; state the actual area, route length, observer time, weather and number of visits.

  • Use targeted searches across all suitable habitat rather than relying only on general fauna surveys.
  • Extend searches along treed corridors and into retained habitat where the development could interrupt movements, because most movements are less than 10 km and often follow treed corridors.
  • Consult the relevant state wildlife database and local threatened species records before finalising survey locations and report all verified records after the survey.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Survey all suitable habitat proposed for clearing, construction access, stockpiles and temporary compounds, and document the total area searched.
  • Include at least one targeted survey during August to December where the program allows, and add repeat visits where habitat is extensive, fragmented or difficult to inspect.
  • Record all observations, calls, feathers, nests, hollow-bearing trees and evidence of feeding, including zero-result searches and the conditions under which they were made.
  • Submit verified records to the relevant state wildlife database and provide records to the project approval authority where required.
  • Retain photographs, coordinates, survey tracks, observer names, dates, weather, effort and any fauna handling or relocation records in the project file.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Avoid clearing Turquoise Parrot habitat wherever practicable. The main site risks are loss of open woodland and grassy feeding areas, removal of hollow-bearing trees and dead wood, interruption of treed movement routes, grazing pressure, fire, and predation by foxes and cats.

Retain open eucalypt and cypress-pine woodland, box or box-ironbark woodland, riparian gum woodland and woodland edges adjoining clearings.

Retain grassy ground cover, native seeding plants, shrubs, trees and dead wood used for feeding, shelter and nesting.

Retain all live and dead hollow-bearing trees, stumps, logs and fence posts that may provide nest sites, including younger mature trees that can replace older hollow-bearing trees.

Avoid clearing creek and river flats, woodland to grassland ecotones, treed corridors and habitat within about 100 m of a nest or potential nest where practicable, because birds often feed within that distance of the nest.

Keep retained woodland connected to nearby habitat and avoid creating breaks in treed corridors used for local movement.

  • Use existing cleared areas for access, laydown and stockpiles wherever possible.
  • Fence and clearly mark retained trees, logs, ground-feeding areas and no-go habitat before machinery arrives.
  • Do not place lighting, noise-generating plant or repeated vehicle movements beside an occupied nest unless the fauna management plan has assessed and controlled the disturbance.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and timing

Confirm the current conservation status and approval requirements for the project location before works begin. The species is not listed under the Commonwealth legislation in the supplied NSW profile, while it is listed as Vulnerable in NSW.

Obtain any state permits or authorisations required for capturing, handling, moving, possessing or treating a Turquoise Parrot, its eggs or young.

Schedule vegetation removal outside August to December where practicable. If clearing cannot avoid this period, use targeted nest and habitat checks immediately before works and apply staged clearing controls.

Complete a project-specific fauna management plan that identifies retained habitat, nest trees, exclusion zones, fauna handling responsibilities, release sites, stop-work triggers and emergency contacts.

Commonwealth status in the supplied NSW profile: Not listed.

NSW status in the supplied NSW profile: Vulnerable.

  • Check whether the proposed action requires an EPBC Act referral if the species is listed or becomes relevant under the current Commonwealth protected matters information for the project.
  • Obtain written advice from the relevant state agency where the project may affect a nest, egg, chick, hollow-bearing tree or listed habitat feature.
  • Brief all supervisors, operators and contractors on the species profile, no-go areas and the fauna spotter catcher's authority to pause works.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

Complete a pre-clearance inspection of all vegetation and ground habitat that will be disturbed, including temporary work areas and access routes.

Mark every hollow-bearing tree, dead tree, stump, log and potential nest feature that is to be retained or managed during clearing.

Install exclusion fencing around retained habitat, nest trees and feeding areas where fencing can be done without damaging roots, ground cover or access for fauna.

Confirm a nearby retained release area with suitable woodland, grassy ground cover, shelter and water, and ensure the release area is outside the machinery work zone.

Check for fox and cat activity and remove food, waste and other attractants from the work area before clearing.

  • Do not use exclusion fencing that blocks normal movement between retained patches unless the fauna management plan provides a safe alternative.
  • Inspect fencing and marked habitat each morning before work starts and after storms, vehicle movements or changes to the work footprint.
  • Keep a current site map at the work front showing no-go areas, hollow trees, release sites and emergency contacts.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

Clearing should be supervised by an appropriately experienced fauna spotter catcher who can pause work and direct the machinery operator. Work should proceed in small, controlled stages so birds can move into retained habitat and any occupied nest feature can be managed before it is disturbed.

Hold a daily pre-start briefing with the spotter catcher, clearing supervisor and machinery operators.

Inspect the work area, exclusion fencing, marked trees and access routes before machinery starts each day.

Clear from the edge of the disturbance towards retained habitat where safe, allowing birds to move away from the machinery and into connected woodland.

Use a spotter catcher positioned where the operator can see and hear instructions, and stop the machine immediately when the spotter catcher gives a stop signal.

Keep machinery away from retained hollow-bearing trees, logs, stumps, grassy feeding areas and treed corridors unless the approved method specifically allows work there.

Limit clearing to the approved footprint and do not widen tracks, stockpile areas or turning areas without a new fauna check.

  • Use low-speed, short work stages around habitat features and inspect the next stage before removing vegetation.
  • Stop work during poor visibility or when the spotter catcher cannot maintain a safe view of the clearing front.
  • Do not allow unbriefed workers to enter the clearing zone or handle fauna.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

Treat every occupied or potentially occupied hollow as a controlled habitat feature until inspected and cleared by an authorised person.

Do not fell a tree containing an active nest, eggs or chicks unless the relevant authority has approved the action and an experienced person has prepared a specific management method.

Retain and protect fallen logs, stumps, dead trees and woody debris where they are part of the approved retained habitat or may provide nest sites.

If a tree must be removed, inspect accessible hollows before felling and use a controlled method that minimises breakage and allows fauna to escape, under the direction of the fauna spotter catcher.

Do not bury, burn or remove logs, stumps or dead trees from retained habitat without confirming that the action is permitted and assessed in the fauna management plan.

Maintain safe access to retained woodland, grassy feeding areas and tree-lined corridors during construction.

  • Use nest boxes only where approved as a replacement measure and where their design, placement and maintenance have been specified by a suitably qualified ecologist.
  • Do not relocate a hollow, log or other feature into a new position unless the fauna management plan identifies the feature, method and receiving habitat.
  • Treat eggs, chicks and nests as protected items and refer any required intervention to the relevant wildlife authority and authorised fauna handler.

During habitat disturbance: Fauna response, stop-work triggers and records

If a Turquoise Parrot is found, stop the immediate activity, keep people and machinery back, and allow the bird to move without pursuit where it is able to fly safely.

Only an appropriately authorised and trained fauna handler may capture, handle or relocate the bird, and handling must be limited to what is necessary for the approved fauna management action.

Release a healthy bird into nearby retained habitat with suitable woodland, grassy ground cover, shelter and access to food, at a location agreed in the fauna management plan.

Take an injured bird to a veterinarian or registered wildlife carer through the approved project contact pathway, and record the transfer.

Stop work if a bird is trapped, injured, nesting, unable to move away, or found in a tree, stump, log or hollow that is scheduled for disturbance.

Stop work if exclusion fencing fails, a marked no-go area is entered, a nest or eggs are found, or clearing would damage a retained hollow-bearing tree or movement corridor.

Record the date, time, location, activity, bird condition, action taken, handler, release or treatment outcome, photographs and any approval or incident number.

  • Do not chase, net or relocate a bird merely because it is present in retained habitat or has flown into a nearby tree.
  • Do not resume work at an incident location until the fauna spotter catcher and clearing supervisor confirm that the stop-work condition has been resolved.
  • Report injuries, nest disturbance, deaths, unauthorised clearing and repeated fauna incidents to the project environmental officer and the relevant authority as required.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance inspection

Post-clearance work should confirm that retained habitat and nest features remain intact, that displaced fauna has not been trapped, and that construction controls continue to protect nearby feeding and breeding habitat.

Inspect the cleared area, retained vegetation edge, access tracks, exclusion fencing and nearby release habitat at the end of each clearing stage.

Search for injured or trapped birds, damaged nest trees, fallen hollow-bearing trees, isolated logs, damaged fencing and new barriers to movement.

Check retained grassy areas and woodland edges for continuing use by Turquoise Parrots, including feeding birds, pairs, family groups and calls.

Reinspect any tree or hollow that was identified as potentially occupied but could not be fully assessed before clearing.

  • Complete a final fauna sweep before the clearing crew leaves each stage and document the result.
  • Remove temporary fencing only when it is no longer needed and its removal will not expose retained habitat to machinery or heavy grazing.
  • Keep access controls around retained nest trees and feeding habitat for as long as construction activity could cause injury or disturbance.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained woodland, grassy feeding areas, treed corridors and any nest boxes or replacement features during construction and rehabilitation.

Use the same mapped observation points or search areas where practicable so records can be compared between pre-clearance, construction and post-clearance periods.

Report new records, nesting activity, injuries, mortalities, habitat damage and management actions to the project environmental officer and approval authority where required.

Submit verified species records to the relevant state wildlife database, including coordinates, date, observer, behaviour and habitat.

Useful monitoring indicators: Turquoise Parrot presence, feeding use, nesting use, intact hollow-bearing trees, connected retained woodland and incidents involving injury or mortality.

  • Review monitoring results after each clearing stage and change controls if birds continue to enter the work area, if habitat is being damaged or if release sites are not being used.
  • Keep all fauna registers, photographs, maps, handling forms, veterinary records and authority notifications with the project completion records.

After habitat disturbance: Residual impacts and offsets

Assess any remaining loss of woodland, grassy feeding habitat, hollow-bearing trees, dead wood or treed movement routes against the project approval conditions and applicable state requirements.

Apply any approved offset, restoration or compensatory habitat measure only after avoidance and on-site minimisation have been documented.

Ensure any offset or compensatory action includes the habitat features used by the species, rather than relying only on area of vegetation.

  • Document the location, area, condition and management commitment for any retained or compensatory habitat.
  • Include protection of hollow-bearing trees, control of grazing and predators, and maintenance of grassy feeding habitat in long-term management commitments where required.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure and food resources

Rehabilitation should recreate the combination of open woodland, grassy ground cover, shelter, food plants and nesting features used by Turquoise Parrots. Recovery measures should be monitored against actual use by the species, not only plant survival.

Re-establish open eucalypt or cypress-pine woodland and woodland edges that connect retained trees, creek lines and other suitable habitat.

Restore a native grassy understorey with seeding grasses, forbs and shrubs used for ground feeding, while controlling exotic pasture dominance and excessive grazing.

Retain existing live and dead trees, stumps and logs during rehabilitation and protect younger mature trees as future sources of nest hollows.

Where appropriate to the local vegetation community, retain or plant native food plants that provide seeds, flowers, nectar or fruit. The species has been recorded feeding on native and introduced plants, including grasses, forbs, shrubs, Grevillea and Dianella.

  • Use locally appropriate native species selected with the project ecologist and land manager rather than planting a dense, closed canopy that removes open feeding habitat.
  • Protect revegetation from heavy, prolonged grazing until ground cover and food plants are established.
  • Maintain grassy areas beneath trees and along woodland margins as feeding habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Replace nesting and shelter features

Retain natural hollows wherever possible because the species nests in cavities in live or dead trees, stumps, logs and fence posts.

Install nest boxes only where natural hollows have been lost, the measure is approved, and a suitably qualified person has specified box design, placement, predator protection, inspection and maintenance.

Place any approved replacement nest feature in or beside retained woodland with nearby ground-feeding habitat and safe access for birds.

Retain logs, stumps and dead wood in suitable locations unless they create a safety or fire management hazard.

Reported natural nest cavity: Usually within 1 to 2 m of the ground, with an entrance of about 10 by 7 cm and a hollow depth of about 0.5 m.

Fledging and dependency: Nestlings remain for about four weeks, and juveniles remain with their parents for at least one further week.

  • Inspect nest boxes and replacement features before and during the August to December breeding season, using an authorised method that avoids unnecessary disturbance.
  • Record occupancy, eggs, chicks, fledging and maintenance for each box or replacement feature.
  • Do not claim a replacement feature as successful from installation alone; confirm use or other measurable habitat improvement through monitoring.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage predators, weeds, fire and monitoring

Control foxes and feral cats in key retained and restored habitat using methods approved for the site and relevant authority requirements.

Control weeds and exotic pasture where they reduce native seeding grasses, forbs or shrubs, while retaining introduced food plants only where their presence is compatible with the approved rehabilitation objective.

Use a fire regime that protects hollow-bearing trees, logs, ground cover and food plants, and obtain ecological advice before planned burning in occupied habitat.

Maintain treed corridors and avoid rehabilitation designs that isolate small habitat patches from nearby woodland.

Movement pattern relevant to connectivity: The species is resident and locally dispersive, with most movements less than 10 km and often along treed corridors.

Reported breeding density: Four to seven pairs per hectare in suitable breeding areas, with nests as little as 8 m apart.

  • Monitor rehabilitation during establishment and through at least the project maintenance period for plant survival, ground cover, weed cover, hollow feature condition, predator activity and Turquoise Parrot use.
  • Use species presence, feeding observations, breeding records, retained or occupied hollows, connected woodland and stable native ground cover as success measures.
  • Investigate and correct grazing, drought, fire, weed, predator or construction impacts when monitoring shows that habitat features are declining.
  • Submit confirmed post-rehabilitation records to the relevant state wildlife database and retain the monitoring results with the project completion report.

Sources