# Swift Parrot (*Lathamus discolor*) The Swift Parrot is a colorful bird that loves to fly fast! It has bright green feathers and a beautiful red forehead. These parrots are known for their playful nature and love to eat nectar from flowers. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Swift Parrot](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Swift_parrot_%28Lathamus_discolor%29_South_Bruny.jpg&width=800) Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swift_parrot_%28Lathamus_discolor%29_South_Bruny.jpg) ## Appearance The Swift Parrot is a slender, medium-sized parrot with brilliant grass-green plumage. It has a striking red face, chin, and forehead, bordered by a blue crown. Its vibrant red underwings and long, pointed tail are distinctive during flight. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Psittaciformes - **Family:** Psittacidae - **Genus:** Lathamus ## Interesting facts - Swift Parrot parents are known to chew tree hollows larger for their nests! - Their bright colours help them blend in perfectly with red eucalyptus blossoms. - These parrots are critically endangered, making every one super precious. - They fly non-stop across a large ocean strait every year for winter! ## Special abilities - **Nectar Sipper:** Swift Parrot has a brush-tipped tongue that helps them lap up sweet nectar from eucalyptus flowers with great efficiency. - **Rapid Flyer:** Swift Parrot can fly with incredible speed and agility because of its streamlined body and pointed wings, helping them travel long distances quickly. - **Leaf Peeler:** Swift Parrot can use its specialized beak to peel bark and leaves, helping them extract tiny sugary lerps and insects for food. - **Hollow Nester:** Swift Parrot has strong claws and a hooked beak that helps them climb trees and find hollows for safe nesting sites. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 24-26 cm - **Wingspan:** 35-40 cm - **Weight:** 0.05-0.08 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 20-22 days - **Migration Distance:** 1000 km ## Diet & Feeding These speedy parrots sip sweet nectar and munch on sugary lerps from eucalyptus trees. - **Primary Foods:** nectar, pollen, psyllids, lerps, honeydew, eucalyptus seeds - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** [Tasmanian Blue Gum](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tasmanian-blue-gum) (*Eucalyptus globulus*) — major source of nectar and nesting sites for breeding. - **Depends on:** [River Red Gum](https://www.snappit.app/explore/river-red-gum) (*Eucalyptus camaldulensis*) — key winter food source on mainland Australia. - **Eaten by:** Brown Goshawk (*Accipiter fasciatus*) — a common raptor that preys on adult Swift Parrots. - **Eaten by:** Pied Currawong (*Strepera graculina*) — known to prey on eggs and nestlings in tree hollows. ## 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. - [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. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [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. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. - [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 Swift 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 Swift Parrot? 24-26 cm ### What is Swift Parrot's wingspan? 35-40 cm ### How much does Swift Parrot weigh? 0.05-0.08 kg ### How long does Swift Parrot live? 5-10 years ### How fast can Swift Parrot move? 60 km/h ### What does Swift Parrot eat? These speedy parrots sip sweet nectar and munch on sugary lerps from eucalyptus trees. ### Where is Swift Parrot usually found? Forests ## 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: [Swift Parrot: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/swift-parrot)