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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Psittaculidae
  4. ›
  5. Psephotellus
  6. ›
  7. Golden-shouldered Parrot
Golden-shouldered Parrot
Photo · (c) Tom Field, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Golden-shouldered Parrot

Psephotellus chrysopterygius(Gould, 1858)

Updated 21 March 2026

Also known asAlwal

Conservation status: EndangeredOrigin: Endemic
Order
PSITTACIFORMES
Family
Psittaculidae
Genus
Psephotellus

At a glance

The Golden-shouldered Parrot is a medium-sized bird, about 23–28 cm long, listed as Endangered and endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
23–28 cm
Conservation status
Endangered
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Rare
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Golden-shouldered Parrot look like?

The Golden-shouldered Parrot is a medium-sized bird, about 23–28 cm long and weighing 38–51 g.

The golden-shouldered parrot, also known as the alwal, arrmorral, minpin, thaku, or antbed parrot, is a rare bird of the southern Cape York Peninsula, in Queensland, Australia. A small parrot related to the more common hooded parrot (P. dissimilis) of the Northern Territory and the extinct paradise parrot of Queensland and New South Wales.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
23–28 cm
Weight
38.3–51.4 g
Wingspan
34 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

Field tips

flight

  • In flight, females and juveniles display a prominent and diagnostic broad, pale cream bar on the underside of the wings.

plumage

  • Adult males feature a jet-black crown contrasting with a narrow yellow band above the bill, a turquoise body, and a diagnostic golden-yellow shoulder patch.
  • Females and juveniles are mainly dull greenish-yellow with a charcoal-grey cap and a subtle but diagnostic pale salmon-pink wash on the feathers around the vent.

size_and_shape

  • This parrot has a notably long, thin, and pointed tail that creates a very slender, streamlined profile when perched.

voice

  • Listen for a soft, musical, two-syllabled whistling call, often a high-pitched 'fweet-fweet' or 'chee-chee' typically given when the bird is flushed.

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Golden-shouldered Parrot?

The Golden-shouldered Parrot 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 a Golden-shouldered Parrot eat?

The Golden-shouldered Parrot feeds on seeds and foliage/herbs, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

3 photos

The BirdUp app

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Golden-shouldered Parrot live in Australia?

The Golden-shouldered Parrot is endemic to Australia, recorded across 4 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingNorth-central Cape York Pen., north-east QLD (north-east Australia)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Vagrant
  • Breeding

6 regions recorded