The ground parrot is a parrot endemic to Australia. It is one of only four ground-dwelling parrots in the world, the others being the closely related night parrot, the Antipodes parakeet, and the flightless kākāpō from New Zealand.
Region
Southeastern Australia and Tasmania
Typical Environment
Occurs in dense coastal heathlands, sedgelands, and button-grass moorlands along the southeastern Australian seaboard and in Tasmania. Prefers low, thick vegetation with ample cover, often near swamps, lagoons, and coastal dunes. Populations are patchy and closely tied to mature heath structure, recovering slowly after fire. In Tasmania it also occupies inland moorlands where suitable ground cover persists.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy, ground-dwelling parrot that relies on dense heath to hide and will flush suddenly, flying low and straight before dropping back into cover. Its dusk and dawn calls are clear, ringing whistles that can carry far across heathlands. Habitat loss and inappropriate fire regimes are key pressures, while a closely related western population is now treated as a separate, highly threatened species.
At Cooloolah NP, SE Queensland, Australia
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
low, direct flight with short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, becoming more vocal at dusk and dawn. Nests on the ground in a well-concealed, grass-lined scrape under dense vegetation. Pairs maintain small territories and rely on camouflage to avoid detection. Breeding occurs mainly in spring to early summer.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
At dusk and dawn gives clear, ringing whistles and thin, penetrating notes that carry over long distances. Calls are often given from the ground or low perches and can sound insect-like, making the bird easier to hear than to see.
Plumage
Fine black and yellow barring over bright green plumage with a long, narrow tail and soft, dense feathers suited to slipping through heath.
Diet
Feeds primarily on seeds of sedges and heath plants, supplemented by grass seeds. Also takes fresh shoots, buds, and occasionally flowers and small berries when available. Forages quietly on the ground, picking seeds directly from plants or fallen material. May swallow small grit to aid digestion.
Preferred Environment
Forages within dense heath, sedgelands, and moorlands where cover is continuous. Often feeds along edges of wetlands and in post-fire habitats once vegetation has regrown sufficiently to provide concealment.
