Furry Diary

Scarlet-chested Parakeet

Neophema splendida

Also called Scarlet-chested parrot, Splendid parakeet, Splendid grass parakeet, Scarlet-breasted parrot

SpeciesShort profile

From Arid interior of south-western to south-eastern Australia, mainly the Great Victoria Desert, in mallee and mulga scrub with sparse spinifex.1

A friendly guide, not veterinary advice. For anything about your pet's health, ask your vet.

At a glance the quick version

Length19 to 21 cm12
Lifespan10 years1
Sizesmall
Quiet, soft twittering voice
Small and easy to house
Stunning colours
2

Looks how to spot one

Feathered; small grass parakeet

A small, jewel-bright parakeet. Males have a cobalt-blue face, bright green back, a vivid scarlet patch on the chest and throat, and yellow underparts. Hens share the blue face in a paler shade but have a green chest instead of red.12

ColoursWild typeRed-frontedCinnamonLutinoOpaline2

Personality what they are like

A calm, quiet little parrot whose call is a gentle twitter, softer than its grass parakeet relatives. It spends much of its time on the ground.21

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Likes to forage on the ground and fly. Give a walk-in aviary of at least 2.1 m or an indoor aviary of at least 1.8 m, with foraging toys, bird-safe branches and, ideally, soil to scratch in.1

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Provide shallow bowls for bathing and an area of soil or dirt for natural scratching and foraging.1

Home where they are happiest

Walk-in enclosure at least 2.1 m long or an indoor aviary at least 1.8 m long.1

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A small-seed mix (canary seed, millet, some oats, buckwheat, safflower and a little hemp) with limited sunflower, spray millet, greens such as chard, dandelion and chickweed, seeding grasses, fruit like apple, pear and banana, and a complete pellet. Wild birds eat grass seeds from the ground.12

Company who they like around

Forms big flocks outside the breeding season and nests in loose groups, so it enjoys the company of other birds.1

The story where it all began

John Gould described the bird in 1841, and its species name comes from the Latin for 'splendid'. Tommaso Salvadori placed it with the other grass parakeets in the genus Neophema in 1891. It has become increasingly popular with bird keepers thanks to its quiet voice and small size.2

Fun facts for the dinner table

  1. 1

    Hens carry green leaves back to the nest tucked into their rump feathers.1

  2. 2

    Wild birds can manage well without drinking water, getting moisture from succulent plants.2

  3. 3

    Young males start showing red at 2-3 months but need 15-18 months to finish their scarlet chest.2

  4. 4

    It favours recently burnt scrubland in the wild.1

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List
Least Concern; population size unknown but stable, with natural ups and downs.1
CITES
Appendix II.1
Taxonomy
Described by John Gould in 1841 as Euphema splendida and moved to Neophema by Salvadori in 1891.2

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Scarlet-chested Parakeet. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

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Treats they will love homemade and simple

Budgie Seed Bells

A fun homemade treat that mimics shop-bought seed bells, giving budgies a foraging activity and a tasty reward.

You need

  • 150g bird seed mix
  • 2 egg whites
  • Rapeseed oil
  • Greaseproof paper
  • Small terracotta pots
  • 20cm lengths of wire

How

  1. Beat the egg whites until frothy.
  2. Mix the frothy egg whites with the bird seed mix.
  3. Grease the greaseproof paper with a little rapeseed oil and line the insides of the terracotta pots.
  4. Fill the pots with the seed mixture.
  5. Insert both ends of a 20cm wire through the drainage hole in the base of the pot, so a loop of wire sits inside the mixture.
  6. Bake the pots in a cool oven at 80-90°C (175-200°F) for 90 minutes, checking after the first hour to ensure the mixture has set.
  7. Allow to cool completely, then gently remove the seed bells from the pots and peel away the paper.
  8. Hang from the cage roof by looping the wire ends through and around the bars, ensuring no sharp ends are accessible.

How much: Offer one seed bell occasionally as a treat, not as a daily food.

Recipe from Omlet UK

Budgie Cookie Treats

A nutritious, homemade biscuit that provides variety and enrichment, using safe ingredients like vegetables and seeds.

You need

  • 3 tbsp chopped vegetables and greens (e.g., carrot tops, kale)
  • 100g wholemeal flour
  • 100g maize flour (cornmeal)
  • 60g crushed budgie pellets OR ground mixed seeds and grains
  • 1 small carrot, grated
  • 1 dried fig, finely chopped
  • 60g mixed seeds, whole
  • 150ml water

How

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Mix all the ingredients together to form a stiff dough. Add a little more water if too dry, or more flour if too wet.
  3. Roll the dough into small balls in the palm of your hand.
  4. Place the balls on a floured baking tray and flatten each until 1cm thick.
  5. Prick the biscuits all over with a toothpick.
  6. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes.
  7. Allow to cool completely before serving.

How much: Offer one small cookie as an occasional treat, not a daily food.

Recipe from Omlet UK

Fresh Greens for Canaries and Finches

A simple, healthy treat that adds essential vitamins and moisture to the diet, mimicking natural foraging.

You need

  • Small pieces of fresh, washed greens (e.g., parsley, carrot tops, kale, red leaf lettuce, endive, dandelion, chickweed, or groundsel)

How

  1. Wash the greens thoroughly to remove any pesticides or dirt.
  2. Cut into small, bird-sized pieces (about thumbnail size for a canary or finch).
  3. Offer a small portion in a clean dish or clipped to the cage bars.
  4. Remove any uneaten greens after a few hours to prevent spoilage.

How much: Offer a small portion several times a week as a treat, making up about 20-25% of the daily diet.

Recipe from VCA Animal Hospitals

Not veterinary advice. Check with your vet first if your pet has allergies, a health condition, is on a special diet or is pregnant. Treats should stay a small part of the daily food. Cut to a safe size and supervise.

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Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.

  1. Scarlet-chested Parrot - World Parrot Trust Parrot Encyclopedia parrots.orgused for size, weight, lifespan, range, status, captive care, diet, fun facts
  2. Scarlet-chested parrot - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for history, taxonomy, length, voice, mutations, fun facts

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.