This limited-edition cover and stamp collection features stamps from three issues featuring Australian parrot species. Australia’s colourful parrots are among our most beautiful and spectacular birds. Of around 300 species of parrot worldwide, 56 (including cockatoos, lorikeets, rosellas, ringnecks, and budgerigars) occur in Australia and constitute a significant proportion of the country’s approximately 850 bird species, 45 per cent of which are endemic. Parrots can be found throughout Australia in many habitats, from tropical rainforest to the desert, from the mountains to the coast.

Parrots belong to the group of birds known as Psittaciformes. Physically two features set them apart from many other birds: a short, deep, downcurved bill; and the arrangement of their toes, with two pointing forwards and the other two pointing backwards. Within the Psittaciformes, cockatoos are placed in a separate family, the Cacatuidae, while lorikeets and parrots both belong to the Psittacidae family. All stamps in this pack feature birds from the Psittacidae family.

Five 50c stamps issued in 2005 feature the rare, elusive Princess Parrot (Polytelis alexandrae) found in Australia’s arid interior; the widespread Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus); the Green Rosella (Platycercus caledonicus), found only in Tasmania and the islands of Bass Strait; the Red-capped Parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius), which is confined to the south-western corner of the Australian continent; and the strongly nomadic Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala), found across southern Australia.

Australia’s three species of ground parrots are shown on the $1.20 stamps issued in 2024. These shy and elusive birds spend much of their time on the ground, mainly in dense tussock and grasses or in coastal low heathlands. The Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) was considered extinct until the late 1980s but is now listed as critically endangered. The Western Ground Parrot (Pezoporus flaviventris) is also listed as critically endangered, with the two known populations, in Western Australia, comprising around just 150 individuals. The Eastern Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus), while vulnerable, is more numerous, occurring in fragmented populations in the eastern states.

The Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) appears on the 5c stamp, first issued in 1998. One of the world’s rarest and most endangered species, this small parrot is on the brink of extinction. It is listed as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act and on the IUCN Red List. The Orange-bellied Parrot is a migratory bird that is endemic to southern Australia. It breeds only in coastal south-west Tasmania and spends winters in coastal Victoria and South Australia. Only around 80 birds are known to be alive in the wild, supported by an active captive breeding program.

Includes stamps from Australian Endangered Birds stamp issue released on 25 June 1998, stamps and reprint of printed gutter from Australian Parrots stamp issue released on 8 February 2005, and stamps from Australian Ground Parrots stamp issue released on 13 February 2024. Includes 3 exclusive minisheet covers with foiled title, post mark, and numbering. Also includes exclusive perforate and imperforate minisheets with foiled title and numbering.