takes around three weeks. The tunnel is roughly horizontal and around 50 to 80 cm long. Breeding takes place once or twice a year between April and August. The female lays four or five white, slightly shiny eggs that are 21 long by 19 mm wide. The hooded parrot has a close ecological relationship with the moth species Trisyntopa neossophila. The female moth lays eggs in the parrot nesting cavity, so that the eggs hatch at the same time as the baby hooded parrots. The moth larvae live in small tunnels at the base of the cavity and emerge to eat the dark material of parrot feces, leaving the white uric acid deposits. They build a silk layer across the base of the cavity to protect themselves from chicks. They pupate in the cavity walls once the juvenile parrots leave the nest. The goanna species Varanus tristis has been recorded raiding nests for eggs. The termite mounds are vulnerable to damage by cattle in cattle-breeding areas, which threatens nesting sites. A flock of 28 immature birds perished after drinking water contaminated with tar at a tar spill by the side of the road. Aviculture The hooded parrot breeds readily in captivity but it can be aggressive, which precludes keeping it in a mixed aviary with other parrot species. It became much more popular in captivity in Australia in the 1980s. A yellow mutation has been bred. References Cited text External links BirdLife Species Factsheet hooded parrot Birds of the Northern Territory Endemic birds of Australia hooded parrot