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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Psittaculidae
  4. ›
  5. Northiella
  6. ›
  7. Eastern Bluebonnet
Eastern Bluebonnet
Photo · (c) Alan Bell, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Eastern Bluebonnet

Northiella haematogaster(Gould, 1838)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PSITTACIFORMES
Family
Psittaculidae
Genus
Northiella

At a glance

The Eastern Bluebonnet is a medium-sized bird, about 26–35 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
26–35 cm
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does an Eastern Bluebonnet look like?

The Eastern Bluebonnet is a medium-sized bird, about 26–35 cm long and weighing 60–105 g.

The eastern bluebonnet, also known as the greater bluebonnet, is an Australian parrot, one of two species in the genus Northiella. It was originally included in the genus Psephotus but due to distinctive physical and behavioural differences was reclassified into its own genus in 1994 by ornithologists and taxonomists Christidis and Boles. The bluebonnet is a medium-sized inland parrot commonly found in the interior of southeastern and central-southern Australia. It is adapted to life in semi-arid regions but can also flourish in regions of medium rainfall towards the eastern and southern extremities of its range.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
26–35 cm
Weight
60–105 g
Wingspan
26 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see an Eastern Bluebonnet?

The Eastern Bluebonnet is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does an Eastern Bluebonnet eat?

The Eastern Bluebonnet feeds on seeds, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

The BirdUp app

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Eastern Bluebonnet live in Australia?

The Eastern Bluebonnet is endemic to Australia, recorded across 34 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning south-east and south-central Australia.

BreedingSouth-east and south-central Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Non-breeding
  • Vagrant

8 regions recorded