Alexandra’s Parrot (Polytelis alexandrae)

Family: The Alexandra’s Parrot (Polytelis alexandrae) is an Australian bird of the parrot family Psittaculidae.

Habitat: Its habitats are found in frequent sandy, spinifex deserts, dry acacia scrub, and eucalypts bordering watercourses, however rare and highly nomadic. Despite being distributed throughout Australia’s interior, it is one of the country’s least known parrots due to its extreme elusiveness. Thus, very little is known about the habits of the Alexandra’s parrot, an infrequent inhabitant of the arid interior.

Behavior: This species travels in small groups, arrives for mating, and then vanishes. At irregular intervals, perhaps more than twenty years, a pair or a small flock will appear on a tree-lined watercourse, stay to breed, and then disappear as abruptly as it arrived. The flock usually numbers no more than 15 to 20 birds, but larger groups have been observed. Several pairs of Alexandra’s parrots may come together to form a small breeding colony.

As many as ten nests have been found in one tree. The female lays the eggs and raises the young, while the male provides food. About five to six weeks after hatching, the young leave the nest and accompany their parents on an almost immediate exodus from the nesting area. Young males acquire adult plumage in their second year.

Diet: The parrots spend most of the day on or near the ground searching for seeds of grasses and herbaceous plants, especially spinifex Triodia. They also feed on acacia blossoms and the berries of Mistletoe Loranthus. When disturbed, Alexandra’s parrots will fly to a nearby tree, where they often perch lengthwise along a stout limb. This posture presumably helps them to avoid detection.

Flight: This parrot flight is swift, similar to that of the Superb Parrot. The wing beats are irregular, so the bird undulates somewhat while flying. Before landing, it seems to pause momentarily in midair, then drops to the ground, fluttering its wings. It flies high when traveling long distances but stays close to the ground on short flights. Males have a spatulate tip to the third and longest primary flight feather, but its purpose is not known.

Courtship: The courtship display is also like that of the Superb Parrot. The male erects a few feathers on his forehead into an insignificant crest, bobs his head animatedly, and utters excited shrieks. Princess Alexandra of Denmark was given the parrot’s name when she got married to Prince Edward VII of Wales in 1863 and ultimately became Queen of the United Kingdom.

Other Names: Alexandra’s Parrot is also known as Princess Parrot, Spinifex Parrot, Rose-throated Parakeet, Queen Alexandra Parrot, Alexandra’s Parakeet, and Princess of Wales Parakeet.

Life Span: It is estimated that they can live up to 30 years.

Size: Alexandra’s parrot measures about 400–450 mm, including a very long tapered tail, and weighs between 110 and 120 grams.

Identification: The male has crown and nape are light blue; the forehead and sides of the head are pale blue-gray; the chin, throat, and fore-neck are rose-pink. Mantle, back, and wings pale olive-green; shoulder wing coverts bright yellow-green; underwing coverts blue-violet. The rump and upper tail coverts are violet-blue. The central tail feathers are olive-green, washed with blue towards the tips, and the outer tail feathers are blue-grey, edged with rose-pink. Breast and belly blue-gray tinged with green and yellow; thighs and lower flanks rose-pink; rest washed with blue; crissum olive-yellow; and eyes are orange. Bill and cere coral; therefore, the feet and toes are mid-gray, and the claws are darker. Female: Like the male, but crown gray-mauve; rump and upper tail coverts grey-blue; wing coverts duller and greener; central tail feathers shorter. The immature bird looks like adult females; males acquire adult plumage gradually at the second annual moult. Downy young white-downed and dull-billed.

Vocalizations: Normal contact calls in the flight of strident rattling notes, more like that of a kingfisher than a parrot. Also cackling notes, and when flushed into trees or bushes, a soft twittering.

Nesting and Breeding: Alexandra’s parrot breeds mainly from September to January. Nest a hollow limb or hole in a tree, but every so often a casuarina away from water. They prefer to build their nests in desert oak or eucalyptus hollows.

Eggs and Incubation: The bird lays four to six eggs, highly glossy white, round, 26–28 x 21–23 mm. Laid in wood dust at the bottom of the hollow. The incubation period is about 20 days for females. The young birds fledge in five to six weeks.

Distribution: Alexandra’s parrot distribution is from Fitzroy River and Coolgardie, WA, eastwards to the southern Northern Territory, northern South Australia, and the lower Diamantina River, southwestern Queensland.

Pet: These birds are favorites among many aviculturists and pet owners because of their colorful appearance and personality. Although, they have a limited range of imitating abilities, but some have the ability to “talk.” They can attach to multiple members of the host family when the correct conditions are met.