Diet of one wild Western Ground Parrot Pezoporus flaviventris
Brenda Newbey
pp. 102-110
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the diet of a wild Western Ground Parrot Pezoporus flaviventris, a cryptic and critically endangered species. There has been no previous systematic study of the diet for this species. A wild male Western Ground Parrot was filmed over several days in spring 2006, in the Fitzgerald River National Park, Western Australia. The bird was recorded feeding, sunbathing, preening and dozing in his natural habitat. Fifty 30-second samples of the video were used to obtain 555 feeding records. The bird’s diet at that time was most dependent on flowers (38%), followed by sedge seeds (35%), and a further 20% was comprised of green fruit of dicotyledonous plants. At least 27 plant species were consumed by the individual in this study. The plant species eaten varied considerably within and among 30-second video samples, as well as varying between days. The daily diet is likely to vary to a similar degree to the overall pattern. Other observations, combined with the findings of this study, emphasise the diversity of plant species in the diet of the Western Ground Parrot.
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