The scarlet-chested parrot, known alternately as scarlet-breasted parrot, orange-throated parrot or splendid parrot, is a parrot endemic to central South Australia and inland southern Western Australia. The species is sexually dimorphic; the male has a bright blue face and scarlet chest and yellow underparts, amid overall green plumage, while the female is similar but lacks the red chest. These nomadic parakeets move readily from the Great Victoria Desert region into neighbouring areas. These interruptions are triggered by a search for more favourable conditions. They can survive quite well without access to drinking water, however, as succulent plants help meet much of their fluid requirement. They feed mainly on grass seeds and are most commonly sighted in spinifex.
Region
Australian arid interior
Typical Environment
Occurs across central South Australia and inland southern Western Australia, with movements into neighboring arid and semi-arid regions after good rains. Prefers spinifex (Triodia) grasslands, chenopod shrublands, and open mallee edges on sandplains and dunes. It also uses samphire flats around salt lakes and sparsely timbered areas with scattered eucalypts and acacias. Nomadic shifts follow the availability of seeding grasses and herbs, and flocks may appear suddenly where conditions are favorable.
Altitude Range
0–800 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 3/5
This small grass-parakeet is renowned for the male’s vivid blue face and brilliant scarlet chest, a striking contrast against its green back and yellow underparts. It is nomadic within Australia’s arid interior, shifting range in response to rainfall and seeding grasses. The species can meet much of its water needs from succulent plants, allowing it to persist far from open water. It is quiet and easily overlooked, often seen in pairs or small groups.
Neophema splendida - MHNT
Adult male at Cincinnati zoo, USA
Temperament
shy and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
fast, direct flight with short rapid wingbeats low over vegetation
Social Behavior
Usually in pairs or small, loose groups; larger gatherings form temporarily where grasses are seeding. Breeding typically occurs in tree hollows of eucalypts or acacias, often following rains when food is abundant. Pairs are monogamous during the breeding season and roost quietly in dense shrubs or grass tussocks.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Calls are soft, thin, tinkling notes and gentle whistles that carry only a short distance. In flight, it gives brief, high-pitched contact calls. Singing is subdued compared with many parrots.
Plumage
Male with bright blue face and crown, vivid scarlet chest, green upperparts, and yellow underparts; female greener overall with blue face reduced and lacking the red chest. Both sexes show slender, pointed wings and a relatively long tail for a grass-parakeet.
Diet
Feeds primarily on seeds of grasses, especially spinifex (Triodia), as well as other native grasses and herbaceous plants. It also takes seeds of chenopods and occasionally flowers, buds, and small fruits. Birds often husk seeds deftly on the ground or perched low in shrubs. Moisture is supplemented by succulent plants, reducing dependence on open water.
Preferred Environment
Forages on sandy flats, dunes, and open shrublands with abundant seeding grasses. Frequently feeds at the edges of spinifex hummocks and in chenopod or samphire communities, moving to newly seeding patches after rain.
