IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Birds
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittaculidae
This friendly bird is native to the sandy deserts and open scrubland of Australia.
In the wild they typically eat seeds, flowers, nectar and leaves.
Interesting facts!
- Females have a brown-ish beak & brown iris, while males have a red-ish beak & orange iris. They have longer tails and brighter colours.
- This parakeet will do mobbing behaviour to scare away any potential predators.
- Princess of Wales parakeets normally nest between September and December. Small groups often form nesting colonies in the same tree. The female lays 4-6 rounded, whitish eggs which hatch after four weeks.
Conservation
There are only around 7,500 individuals left today, and as well as capture for the pet trade, this parakeet faces that threat of common introduced species such as rabbits, sheep and cats.
We have been successful breeding this species at the zoo in our Arid Lands exhibit.
