About Psephotellus varius (A.H.Clark, 1910)
The mulga parrot (Psephotellus varius) measures 27–32 cm (10.5–12.5 in) in length, has a 30–42 cm (12–16.5 in) wingspan, and weighs 50–60 g (1.8–2.1 oz). It is a medium-sized parrot with a slim build and a long tail. This species is sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females differ noticeably in plumage. The male is multicolored, which gives the species its alternate common name, many-coloured parrot. It is bright green overall, with a bluish tinge on the neck and above the eye, and a paler breast. Its rump is light green, the forehead is yellow, and there is a red patch on the back of the head. The lower belly and thighs are yellowish, marked with orange-red. The wings are greenish, aside from yellow median wing coverts and blue outer webs of primaries. Its long tail has a mix of colors: the two long central feathers are dark blue tinged with green, the outer feathers are blue that shades to white, and there is some red on the upper tail coverts. The male's bill is blue-grey edged with black, and its iris is brown. The female is duller overall, with an olive-brown head and chest, a duller yellow forehead and duller red patch on the back of the head, a pale green belly, and a more brown-grey bill. It sometimes also has a red shoulder. This species is found across the drier interior of the Australian continent. Its range extends from western New South Wales, starting west of Collarenebri, West Wyalong, and Griffith, through the northwestern tip of Victoria, across South Australia, and into the drier central regions of Western Australia, reaching west to the Wheatbelt and north to the Pilbara. Mulga parrots are generally encountered in pairs in arid grassland and mulga scrubland.
