Red-winged Parrot

1. Bright pale-green body with conspicuous red shoulder patches

2. Male’s black back and female’s all-green back

3. Deep blue lower back and rump visible during flight

These parrots are primarily arboreal feeders, consuming seeds from eucalypts, acacias, hopbush, mistletoe berries, grevillea blossoms, fruits, nectar, and insects. They breed in tree hollows high above the ground, often in waterside eucalypts. Breeding season varies with location: August to February in southern regions, April to July in the northeast. Females lay 3–6 eggs, incubating them for about three weeks, with chicks fledging after approximately five weeks. Red-winged Parrots are mostly seen in pairs or small flocks, but may gather in larger groups, especially near water. During drought, they become partially nomadic, traveling considerable distances in search of water.

Red-winged Parrots are widespread across northern and eastern Australia, from the Pilbara in Western Australia to Cape York Peninsula and as far south as northeast South Australia and New South Wales. They inhabit open eucalypt forests, riverine thickets, melaleuca woodlands, acacia scrub, savanna, mangroves, and farmlands, rarely far from water.