The Mulga Parrot male is one of the most colourful of Central Australian parrots. They have a quiet chatter, and I've mostly seen them in pairs. The female, although not quite as brilliant in colour, is still a stunning-looking bird. Prior to the last week, I haven't seen where they nested, or what their young look like. During my time spent observing the Black-breasted Buzzards and Brown Goshawks, a friend alerted me to the possibility of a Mulga Parrot nest nearby. After a little bit of searching, I was lucky enough to hear the chicks begging for food then saw the adults perched very close to where I was standing, then watched as the chicks were fed. As you will see in the photos and video of the post, the nest is down inside a hollow. The branch the hollow is in is about 4- 4 1/2 metres above the ground. It runs east-west and has shade for much of the day from the sun, has easy access to an open area to either fly in to feed, or escape quickly if there are predators around. Thus far I have noticed the male is the predominant feeder of the chicks, although I have seen the female around the nest. The chicks must be growing fast as I haven't seen either of the parents emerge from the nest for over a week, although with the other nesting birds around, I haven't spent vast amounts of time observing this nest.
There are at least four chicks inside the hollow. I suspect based on the observable plumage there are at least 2 males and 1 female. The hollow is a good size for feeding as the adult can perch on the lower side of the hollow opening then regurgitate the food and still be able to feed the still small, but growing chicks without them needing to come too far out of the hollow. Compared to the stunning adults, the chicks have not as yet taken on an overly eye-catching appearance. There is very little sound from the chicks in the nest while they are unattended. This changes when they hear the adult chattering nearby to alert them of their presence. This is similar to the calls I hear the adults make when they are observed free-ranging in the wild (ie not attending to a nest).
Hopefully I will be able to observe the young emerge fully-feathered to fledge, time and responsibilities permitting.
There are at least four chicks inside the hollow. I suspect based on the observable plumage there are at least 2 males and 1 female. The hollow is a good size for feeding as the adult can perch on the lower side of the hollow opening then regurgitate the food and still be able to feed the still small, but growing chicks without them needing to come too far out of the hollow. Compared to the stunning adults, the chicks have not as yet taken on an overly eye-catching appearance. There is very little sound from the chicks in the nest while they are unattended. This changes when they hear the adult chattering nearby to alert them of their presence. This is similar to the calls I hear the adults make when they are observed free-ranging in the wild (ie not attending to a nest).
Hopefully I will be able to observe the young emerge fully-feathered to fledge, time and responsibilities permitting.
Mulga Parrot
and here is a short video of the adult male feeding the chicks
