Mulga Parrot

Psephotellus varius

Named for the mulga scrub it haunts. Males are a dazzling mosaic of green, yellow, red, and blue.

Population: Not numerically quantified; BirdLife/IUCN describe it as common to uncommon (locally uncommon in southwestern Australia due to habitat loss), with a suspected declining population trend from ongoing habitat destruction
Habitat: Arid mulga scrubland, lightly timbered grasslands, and dry open woodlands/plains (mallee, mulga, acacia, casuarina, saltbush, sea samphire) in the interior of southern Australia; favors areas near waterholes and seasonal creeks and dry riverine woodland; avoids dense forest; uses permanent freshwater marshes/pools outside the breeding season
Fun fact: Male Mulga Parrots' bills grew larger in surface area by about 10.7% between 1871 and 2008 according to a 2015 morphological study, a change consistent with climate-driven adaptation (Allen's rule).
Range: Interior of southern Australia: western New South Wales, northwestern Victoria, across South Australia, and into central/southern Western Australia (south-central Australia, west to southeast interior); endemic to Australia, non-migratory (resident); Extent of Occurrence ~4,810,000 km²
Diet: Granivore/omnivore: seeds of grasses, herbs, shrubs and trees (incl. acacia and saltbush), other plant matter, fruits and berries, greens/vegetables, mistletoe, chickweed, and occasionally small grubs; forages mainly on the ground beneath trees, along roadsides, and on spilt grain at farms
Size: 0.29 m
Wingspan: 0.36 m
Lifespan: 12 years

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