Ground Parrots

[Gerard]

Has anyone on this forum ever kept, or even know of anyone, who has kept and/or Ground Parrots? More specifically the Eastern Ground Parrot Pezoporus wallicus. I know that they are essentially nocturnal, can run very fast and unlike most birds, don't possess a wishbone.

I cannot find them under schedules 3,4,5 or 8 of the DSE's (VIC) species list which generally means it's illegal to keep them. Given that the bird is not endangered I would be highly surprised if this was the case. I have never seen them advertised anywhere.

Are they difficult to keep or breed. Are they any good as pets? I wouldn't have thought that they would be any harder to keep than any other grass parrot???

Cheers,

Gerard.

[avinet]

Ground Parrots are definitely illegal to keep in Queensland and I suspect in all other states.

Having said that I do know someone who kept one for a little while locally. It was a sick one found and taken home until it recovered after treatment by a vet and could be released back to the wild. It apparently wasn't difficult to look after.

There were some kept and bred in captivity in the 1930's in the Sydney area, and reports from that time were that the bird remained almost motionless during the day but was active after sunset, and enjoyed sunflower seed. Three birds were also kept at Adelaide Zoo in the 1940's the last one dying in 1949.

Apparently the only aviculture article about them was by a L. Webber, in 1948 - The Ground Parrot in habitat and captivity, Avicultural Magazine, no 54, pp 41-45, 1948

The Avicultural Magazine has been published since 1894 by The Avicultural Society (in England), but unfortunately while the State Library of Victoria holds many issues of the magazine it appears from my reading of their catalogue the 1948 issue is missing from their collections. Maybe another library in Australia holds a copy.

cheers,

Mike

[greyeagle1]

Aren't cockatiels also called "ground parrots" in Australia?

[avinet]

Nov 3, 2012 5:02:36 GMT 10 greyeagle1 said:

Aren't cockatiels also called "ground parrots" in Australia?

Not that I have ever heard. Other names that are used are Quarrion, in inland Queensland and New South Wales, and Weiro in Western Australia, but Cockatiel is the official name.

Their is some information about the Ground Parrot at www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Pezoporus-wallicus

cheers,

Mike

[choco]

Not 100% sure, but I think in SA if we can get hold of any aniimal, and can get a permit for it we can keep any native animals. Thats just the way I read the specialist permit stuff on the DENR site.
Seems to me we are very lucky over here.

[greyeagle1]

But aren't they truly ground parrots in their native Australia in that they spend a lot of time on the ground?

[meandem]

I have often heard people refer to the normal grass parrot as a ground parrot