Blue-winged parrot

​Habitat

• ​'Habitat' refers to both known habitat for the species (i.e. in or near habitat where the species has been recorded) and potential habitat (i.e. areas of habitat with appropriate characteristics for the species and within the species' potential range which have not yet been adequately surveyed).
  
• If in doubt about whether a site represents potential habitat for this species, contact the Threatened Species Section for further advice.
• Blue-winged parrots are mainly found in coastal, subcoastal and inland habitats, where grasslands and grassy woodlands are present, often near wetlands (Holdsworth et al.  2021). The species can also be seen in altered environments such as airfields, golf-courses and paddocks, and disturbed areas such as roadside culverts, and recently burnt areas.
• Foraging habitat includes grasslands, grassy woodlands and semi‐arid chenopod (drought- and salt tolerant) shrubland, where grasses, herbs and shrubs are present. The species forages almost exclusively on the ground for seed from a wide range of grasses, herbs and shrubs, from both native plants and introduced species.
• Breeding habitat includes eucalypt forests and woodlands. Nests are made in hollows, preferably with a vertical opening, in live or dead trees, stumps or fence posts.
  

​What to avoid

• Cutting down hollow bearing trees
• Inappropriate livestock grazing regimes that reduces foraging habitat
• Intense and frequent fires that damage nesting and foraging habitat
• Building structures that cause collision mortalities
• Building structures including lighted structures in important habitat on the migration route​​
  
  

To ensure you follow the law - check whether your survey requires a permit. Always report any new records to the Natural Values Atlas, or send the information direct to the Threatened Species Section. Refer to the Activity Advice: Surveying page for background information.

• In order to recognise the species if it uses your property, learn to identify the blue-winged parrot by sight and by its calls.
  
• In order to recognise habitat if it occurs on your property, learn to identify potentially suitable woodland breeding habitat and grassland foraging habitat.
• Important! Always report any observations of the species to the NRE Natural Values Atlas, or else provide the data direct to the Threatened Species Section. Records stored on the NVA are a permanent record and are accessible to other people interested in this species
• Consider the needs of the whole habitat. Preserving a threatened species' habitat is the best way to manage both the species and the environment in which it lives.
• If you have blue-winged parrot habitat on your land - consider protection of habitat through a vegetation management agreement or conservation covenant. See the NRE Private Land Conservation Program for more details.​
  

• Blue-winged parrot habitat has been degraded and lost throughout the species' range.
  
• The major contributing factor to the loss of woodland breeding habitat is land clearing.  
• To prevent loss of nesting habitat - cease all land clearing of important areas for the survival of blue-winged parrot.
  

• Major bushfires can reduce nesting habitat by removing trees with hollows, and can affect foraging habitat by depleting the soil seed bank.  The recovery time from destructive bushfires can be as long as several decades.
• Occasional low-intensity fire in mature eucalypt forest can result in a short-term increase in seed availability, which can provide a foraging resource for blue-winged parrots.
• To maintain habitat quality for the blue-winged parrot, planned burns within known and potential habitat should occur within the minimum and maximum Tolerable Fire Intervals for the vegetation community, and trees with hollows should be protected.
  

• Blue-winged parrot foraging habitat has been degraded throughout the species' range.
  
• A major contributing factor to the loss and degradation of foraging habitat are inappropriate livestock grazing regimes, which can reduce or remove the seeding heads of native herbs and grasses available to blue-winged parrot.
• Encourage livestock grazing practices that maintain or improve habitat values.