The regent parrot or rock pebbler is a bird found in southern Australia. It has predominantly yellow plumage with a green tail. The bird is found primarily in eucalyptus groves and other wooded areas of subtropical southwestern Australia, as well as in a smaller area of subtropical and temperate southeastern Australia. Seeds make up the bulk of its diet.
Region
Southern Australia
Typical Environment
The species is split between southwestern Western Australia and the Murray–Mallee region of southeastern Australia. It favors open eucalypt woodlands, riparian forests, and mallee scrub, often near watercourses. Along the Murray–Darling, it uses river red gum corridors and adjacent farmland. In the southwest it occupies wandoo and salmon gum woodlands interspersed with agricultural lands. It typically nests in large tree hollows, especially in eucalypts close to rivers or creeks.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 600 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also known as the rock pebbler, the regent parrot occurs in two disjunct populations in southwestern and southeastern Australia. Males are strikingly yellow with red wing patches, while females are duller olive-green, a clear sexual dimorphism. They nest in deep hollows of large eucalypts, often near rivers. The eastern subspecies is regionally threatened due to habitat loss along the Murray–Darling system.
"Palæornis anthopeplus Blossom-feathered Parrakeet", the image that sees Lear cited as the author of the first description.
A female (left) and male (right) in Wyperfeld National Park, Australia
Juvenile at Walk-in Aviary, Canberra, Australia
Male at Symbio Wildlife Park, Australia
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
strong flier with fast, direct flight
Social Behavior
Outside the breeding season they form small flocks or loose groups, often commuting to roosts. Pairs are monogamous and nest in deep hollows of mature eucalypts, usually near water. Clutches typically contain 3–6 eggs, and parents feed nestlings by regurgitation.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Calls are clear, ringing whistles interspersed with sharp, metallic contact notes. In flight they give repeated piercing notes; at roosts they produce softer chattering. The species lacks a complex song but is vocal and carries well over open country.
Plumage
Males show bright yellow head and underparts with olive-green back, long green tail, blue-black flight feathers, and a red shoulder patch; females are duller olive-green with less yellow and reduced red on the wing.
Diet
Seeds form the bulk of the diet, including those of eucalypts, acacias, and native grasses. They also take cereal grains and spilled agricultural seed where available. Buds, flowers, nectar, and occasional fruits are consumed seasonally. Foraging occurs both on the ground for fallen seed and in the canopy for blossoms and pods.
Preferred Environment
They feed in open woodland edges, riparian belts, mallee scrub, and adjacent farmland, including orchards and paddock margins. River flats and floodplain woodlands are especially important during breeding.
