Northern Rosella - BirdForum Opus

Platycercus venustus

Photo by TJ Collins
This was photographed in a woodlands/swamp area around Darwin airport Northern Territory Australia. A pair of birds feeding on grass. This one flew to a dead tree when disturbed.

Identification

28cm. Dark crown and white cheeks, black forehead, crown and nape, with white-on-blue cheek-patches. Black back and wing feathers with yellow borders, pale yellow belly, chest and rump with black borders giving rise to a scalloped appearance. Blue green long tail. Pale grey bill, dark iris. Immature plumage is similar to adult but duller.

Distribution

Australia

Taxonomy

A subspecies, var. hilli, was described by Mathews in 1910, however is not felt to be valid.

Habitat

Savanna

Behaviour

Nesting occurs in tree hollows in winter, with 2-4 eggs laid.

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