10 Amazing Facts about Swift Parrots

Swift Parrots are fast birds, as you might guess from their name! These 10 facts will get you excited about seeing one the next time you’re in Australia or Tasmania! Swift Parrots are very colorful and love to consume large amounts of nectar!

10 Amazing Facts about Swift Parrots

1. Swift Parrots have colorful coats!

The male Swift Parrot is mostly green with patches of red and yellow around their beak and on their tail. They also have a small patch of dark blue on the top of their head and under their wings. The outside of their wings is a dull grey color. Female adults have similar coloring, but a little duller and less red.

2. The Swift Parrot lives in Tasmania.

Swift Parrots mainly live and breed on the southeast coast of Tasmania. They migrate for some of the seasons to southeast Australia.

3. Swift Parrots live in a forest habitat.

The Swift Parrot lives in eucalypt forests during the breeding season especially, but also most of the other time as well. They may also live in parks, gardens, open areas, and the suburbs for a small amount of time.

4. The Swift Parrot is one of the only migrating parrots!

These birds spend most of their time in Tasmania, but they migrate to Australia from January until May. Very few Swift Parrots stay in Tasmania for the entire year. They migrate to the Victoria area while flowering takes place!

5. Swift Parrots are small birds!

Adult Swift Parrots usually only grow to be around 10 inches in length. They weigh between 0.11 and 0.16 pounds.

6. The Swift Parrot loves pollen and nectar!

Swift Parrots consume mainly pollen and nectar, but only from a few specific types of flowers. They also eat insects, larvae, fruit, berries, and seeds.

7. Swift Parrots like to be heard!

The most common vocal they emit is a double note or holding out the same note for longer. They sing the most while eating. Swift Parrots are known for their warbling notes while feeding on nectar and pollen. They may also make a noise that sounds kind of like an alarm going off.

8. The Swift Parrot builds their nests in trees!

Swift Parrots breed from October to January. They usually make their nests in a hole in a tree. They only nest in certain types of trees. These nests can be found between 23 and 66 feet high!

9. Swift Parrots incubate their eggs!

The Swift Parrot lays between 3 and 5 eggs in captivity. They may incubate their eggs for up to 20 days! They stay in their nest for around 10 weeks.

10. The Swift Parrot is critically endangered.

There have been almost 5,000 recorded sightings of the Swift Parrot! This is a lot more than most critically endangered birds. The estimate of remaining adult Swift Parrots is about 2,000, but that number is constantly declining. People in Australia and Tasmania have made an effort to plant a lot more of the trees that Swift Parrots live in and eat from.

Ornithology

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