Paradise Parrot || Tales of Forgotten || Australia's Only Extinct Parrot

The paradise parrot (Psephotellus pulcherrimus) was a colorful medium-sized parrot native to the grassy woodlands extending across the Queensland and New South Wales border area of eastern Australia.
Once moderately common within its fairly restricted range, the last live bird was seen in 1927.
It is the only Australian parrot recorded as disappearing and presumed extinct.
Extensive and sustained searches in the years since then have failed to produce any reliable evidence of it.
The plumage was extraordinarily colorful, even by parrot standards, a mixture of turquoise, aqua, scarlet, black and brown.
The tail was almost the same length as the body, unusual for a bird that, although a rapid flyer, spent almost all of its time on the ground.
The species was observed in pairs or small family groups, making their nests in hollowed-out termite mounds, often at or near ground level.
They fed, so far as is known, almost exclusively on grass seeds. There is evidence that termitariums were occupied by the same breeding pair in successive years.
Less certain is confirmation of holes at riverbanks being tunneled out by this species.
Their clutch consisted of four to five round oval eggs … having a finely grained pure white shell with a slight gloss.
The reasons for the sudden decline of the paradise parrot remain speculative. It became rare towards the end of the 19th century and by 1915 was thought to be possibly extinct.
Possibilities include overgrazing, land clearing, changed fire regimes, hunting by bird collectors, and predation by introduced mammals like cats and dogs.
A severe drought in the region during 1902 may have been a factor in its demise, and where the new pastoralist practices were introduced the burning by graziers to encourage fodder for their stock resulted in the loss of seasonal foods.
Research has shown that population size of the Paradise Parrot has dramatically changed with temperature since the last glacial cycle.
A series of searches turned up a few more individuals over the next decade, but the last confirmed sighting was on 14 September 1927.
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