Rock Parrot

1. Dull olive-green to olive-brown body with yellowish underparts and limited blue in the folded wing.

2. Dark blue frontal band bordered by pale blue, and pale blue face between the eye and bill`.`

3. Almost always found in coastal habitats, especially near rocky shorelines and offshore islands.

Rock Parrots feed mainly on seeds and fruits of coastal grasses, shrubs, and halophytic (salt-tolerant) plants such as pigface (Carpobrotus), saltbush (Atriplex), and Lepidium, as well as some introduced plants. They are typically seen in pairs or small groups, foraging quietly on the ground, especially in the early morning and late afternoon. They are notably quiet for parrots, usually making only thin, high-pitched or plaintive “zitting” calls. Breeding occurs mainly on offshore islands from August to December, with nests hidden in burrows or rocky crevices-sometimes reusing seabird burrows. The female incubates 3–6 eggs for 18–21 days, with chicks fledging at about 4.5 weeks. The species is monogamous and may nest in loose colonies.

Rock Parrots are distributed along the coasts and islands of western and southwestern Western Australia and central and eastern South Australia, from Shark Bay to Lake Alexandrina. They prefer coastal dunes, saltflats, Atriplex shrublands, casuarina woodland, brackish margins, and rocky shorelines and islets, rarely venturing far inland. Offshore islands are important breeding sites, where they nest in burrows, rock crevices, or even reused seabird burrows.