Eastern ground parrot
| Eastern ground parrot | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittaculidae |
| Tribe: | Pezoporini |
| Genus: | Pezoporus |
| Species: | P. wallicus |
| Binomial name | |
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Pezoporus wallicus Kerr, 1792 |
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The eastern ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus) of Australia is one of only five ground-dwelling parrots in the world, the others being its closest relatives, the western ground parrot (Pezoporus flaviventris), the extremely rare night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis), the somewhat closely related Antipodes parakeet (Cyanoramphus unicolor), and the unrelated highly endangered kakapo (Strigops habroptila) from New Zealand.
The colouration of the three Pezoporus species and the kakapo is similar – yellowish green with darker barring, somewhat reminiscent of the head and back of the wild-type budgerigar. This is not an indication of a true relationship, however, but either adaptation to a particular lifestyle or a feature retained from ancestral parrots; probably the latter as barred plumage is found all over the family, from the tiny tiger parrots to female cockatiels.
When disturbed, a ground parrot flies swiftly just above the ground before dropping back into the vegetation. The presence of the bird is often only revealed by its characteristic dusk and dawn call, a clear whistling sequence of notes which rise in pitch before fading. It is silent in flight.
Traditionally, two subspecies are recognized within the eastern ground parrot, but recent molecular studies show no genetic differentiation between the two east coast individuals and the individuals from Tasmania. Until recently, the western ground parrot was also considered a subspecies (Pezoporus wallicus flaviventris) but is now considered a separate species (Pezoporus flaviventris).
The eastern ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus wallicus) occurs in fragmented populations near the coast in southern Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria and is considered vulnerable on the schedules of the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act. There are estimated to be 4000 breeding birds. It has become extinct in South Australia.
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Wikipedia