Western ground parrot
| Western ground parrot | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittaculidae |
| Genus: | Pezoporus |
| Species: | P. flaviventris |
| Binomial name | |
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Pezoporus flaviventris North, 1911 |
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| Yellow plus green is historic range, green is current remaining range | |
The western ground parrot (Pezoporus flaviventris) is an endangered species of parrot endemic to Western Australia and is a close relative of the eastern ground parrot (P. wallicus) and the somewhat more distantly related and mysterious night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). It is one of the world's rarest birds with about 40 individuals remaining.
The western ground parrot plumage is similar to the eastern ground parrot, but feathers of the abdomen and under tail-coverts are bright yellow with indistinct black barring. The fledgling western ground parrot is grey/brown around the head, wing covets and across the back, while the eastern ground parrot has bright green (adult) plumage in these areas. This plumage difference would provide better camouflage to mobile fledglings in the habitat typical of the southwest arid regions where they reside. In contrast the eastern ground parrot lives in thick vegetation with little open ground.
Molecular DNA evidence suggests the western ground parrot split from ground parrots of eastern Australia around 2 million years ago.
Described as a separate species by Alfred John North in 1911 on account of its distinctive plumage. The specific name, flaviventris, is derived from the Latin terms flavus "golden-yellow" and venter "belly". The western ground parrot was subsequently considered a subspecies of the eastern ground parrot by Gregory Mathews in 1912. He felt it not distinctive enough to warrant specific rank. Other authorities followed suit, until a 2010 molecular study revealed its genetic distinctness from populations in eastern Australia and Tasmania. The third species in genus is the critically endangered and mysterious night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). The phylogenetic position of the genus Pezoporus within the parrot family remains unclear.
The western ground parrot plumage is similar to the eastern ground parrot (P. wallicus), but feathers of the abdomen and under tail-coverts are bright yellow with indistinct black barring. The fledgling western ground parrot is a more neutral grey/brown in colour, while the eastern ground parrot has bright green (adult) plumage in these areas.
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Wikipedia