Orange-bellied Parakeet

Facts

IUCN CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR)

Facts about this animal

The Orange-bellied Parakeet is a small parrot with a length of about 20 cm. The adult male has a graduated tail and is about half of the total length. The crown, back and rump are brilliant deep grass green; the breast and the face are yellowish-green. It has a greenish yellow abdomen with a large reddish-orange patch. The fontal band is blue and is bordered above with a faint blue line. The wings are blue. The upper tail is green tinge blue, the undertail yellow. The female is duller than the male and the frontal band is paler and lacks the upper border.

Did you know?
that the orange-bellied parakeet is primarily threatened by competition for feed from introduced bird species and predation by cats and introduced foxes?

Factsheet
Class	AVES
Order	PSITTACIFORMES
Suborder	PSITTACI
Family	PSITTACIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Neophema chrysogaster
Name (English)	Orange-bellied Parakeet
Name (French)	Perruche à lunettes vertes
Name (German)	Goldbauchsittich
Name (Spanish)	Cacatúa de vientre naranja
CITES Status	Appendix I
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
Dave Watts

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Australia
Habitat	Overwinters in saltmarsh habitat, migrating to eucalypt forest and moorland for the breeding season
Wild population	Approx. More than 150 individuals (2005) (Red List IUCN 2011)
Zoo population	84 reported to ISIS (2005)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 11C of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Some veterinary or customs authorities require that all psittacine birds are ringed upon importation.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Dave Watts

Why do zoos keep this animal

The orange-bellied parakeet is critically endangered in the wild. with a view of preventing a further decline of the wild population by breeding zoo birds and releasing them, ARAZPA has established a conservation breeding programme. from 1999 to 2004 a total of 150 birds have been released to the wild.

Keeping orange-bellied parakeets in zoos also helps raising and suport for the recovery effort. The zoo birds are also used for carrying out genetic studies.

How this animal should be kept

An aviary for a pair or a small group of compatible birds must have a surface of no less than 2 x 1.5 m and a height of at least 2 m. In cold and temperate climates a frost free shelter or indoor aviary of at least 1.5 m² x 2 m high is necessary.

A variety of branches for perching, climbing and chewing is necessary to keep these intelligent birds busy.

Parakeets may select food items on the basis of colour and texture rather than on taste or nutrient content. Therefore it is important to provide nutritionally valuable and, at the same time, interesting food items. The diet offered must give the birds the possibility to choose from a variety of items. Pellets provide an ideal diet only in combination with other favourable and nutritionally suitable feeds.