# Superb Parrot (*Polytelis swainsonii*) The Superb Parrot is a colorful bird that loves to fly in the trees. With bright green feathers and a cheerful personality, they are a joy to watch as they play and chatter with each other. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Woodlands and open forests - **Also known as:** Swainson's Parrot ![Superb Parrot](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Polytelis_swainsonii_-_Canberra.jpg&width=800) Photo: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polytelis_swainsonii_-_Canberra.jpg) ## Appearance The Superb Parrot is a striking, slender green parrot. Males have a brilliant yellow face with a crimson band across the throat, while females are duller green with a bluish-green face and no red band. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Psittaciformes - **Family:** Psittacidae - **Genus:** Polytelis ## Interesting facts - A group of parrots is sometimes called a "pandemonium" because of their noisy chatter! - Superb Parrots fly incredibly fast and low over the trees, almost like green streaks! - These birds love to eat mistletoe berries, helping to spread the plant's seeds around. - They often nest in the very same tree hollows year after year! ## Special abilities - **Seed Cracker:** Superb Parrot has a powerful hooked beak that helps them crack open tough seeds and nuts with ease. - **Canopy Navigator:** Superb Parrot can fly swiftly and expertly through tree canopies because of their streamlined body and strong wings. - **Tree Talker:** Superb Parrot has a range of distinctive chirps and whistles that helps them communicate with their flock. - **Hollow Home Seeker:** Superb Parrot can find and adapt tree hollows for nesting because of their reliance on existing cavities. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 38-40 cm - **Wingspan:** 42-45 cm - **Weight:** 0.13-0.16 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-25 years - **Speed:** 55 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-6 - **Incubation:** 20-22 days ## Diet & Feeding These parrots love a plant-based diet, munching on tasty seeds, fruits, flowers, and nectar! - **Primary Foods:** Eucalyptus seeds, Acacia seeds, Mistletoe berries, Nectar, Grass seeds - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** [River Red Gum](https://www.snappit.app/explore/river-red-gum) (*Eucalyptus camaldulensis*) — Provides nesting hollows and a food source for the parrots. - **Eats:** Stalked Mistletoe (*Amyema miquelii*) — Feeds on its berries, helping to disperse the mistletoe seeds. - **Eaten by:** Brown Goshawk (*Accipiter fasciatus*) — A common predatory bird that may hunt adult parrots. - **Eats:** Golden Wattle (*Acacia pycnantha*) — Feeds on seeds from its pods and flowers. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Superb Parrot? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Superb Parrot? 38-40 cm ### What is Superb Parrot's wingspan? 42-45 cm ### How much does Superb Parrot weigh? 0.13-0.16 kg ### How long does Superb Parrot live? 15-25 years ### How fast can Superb Parrot move? 55 km/h ### What does Superb Parrot eat? These parrots love a plant-based diet, munching on tasty seeds, fruits, flowers, and nectar! ### Where is Superb Parrot usually found? Woodlands and open forests ## Where to spot - [Kurpark Bad Dürrenberg](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kurpark-bad-durrenberg) — Sachsen-Anhalt, DE · Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Superb Parrot: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/superb-parrot)