- Barnardius zonarius
AKA Western Ringneck
Identification
33cm. It is a green bird, with yellow round its hindneck. The wings and tail are green and blue.
Distribution
Western half of Australia
Taxonomy
The Australian Ringneck was first described by the English naturalist George Shaw in 1805. The classification of what was this species is still debated; currently, two species are recognized, Port Lincoln Ringneck and Mallee Ringneck. Most subspecies of Ringneck have been described as distinct species in the past; the following are included in Port Lincoln Ringneck:
The Port Lincoln Parrot or Port Lincoln Ringneck (B. z. zonarius (Shaw, 1805)) is common from Port Lincoln in the south east to Alice Springs in the north east, and from the Karri and Tingle forests of South Western Australia up to the Pilbara district.
B. z. occidentalis has been synomised with B. z. zonarius but is currently recognized as a separate subspecies by most world-wide checklists.
The Twenty Eight (B. z. semitorquatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1830)), named in imitation of its distinctive 'twentee-eight' call, is found in the south western forests of coastal and subcoastal Western Australia.
Recent molecular research has found that all subspecies are very closely related. Intermediates (hybrids) exist between all subspecies except for between B. z. zonarius and B. b. macgillivrayi.
The species is considered not threatened, but in Western Australia, the Twenty Eight subspecies (B. z. semitorquatus) gets locally displaced by the introduced Rainbow Lorikeets that aggressively compete for nesting places.[citation needed] The Rainbow Lorikeet is considered a pest species in Western Australia and is subject to eradication in the wild.
Habitat
Eucalypt woodlands and eucalypt-lined watercourses but also drier habitats.
Behaviour
It breeds in tree cavities. The diet includes nectar, insects, seeds, fruit, and native and introduced bulbs. It will eat orchard-grown fruit, and is sometimes seen as a pest by farmers.
