Family Parrots (Psittacidae)

Least Concern

Northern Rosella (Platycercus venustus)

figure, drawing, illustration of Northern Rosella (Platycercus venustus)

Taxonomy

French: Perruche gracieuse German: Brownsittich Spanish: Perico gracioso
Taxonomy:

Psittacus venustus

Kuhl

, 1820,

Arnhem Bay, Northern Territory, Australia

.

Forms a species-group with P. adscitus and P. eximius, and sometimes considered conspecific with both. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution
  • P. v. hilli Mathews, 1910 – N Western Australia (Kimberley).
  • P. v. venustus (Kuhl, 1820) – N Australia from N Northern Territory (including Bathurst I and Melville I) E through Barkly Tableland to extreme NW Queensland.

    • Descriptive notes

    28 cm; mean 85 g. Bill whitish; head black except for off-white lower cheek and chin; underparts, lower back and rump pale yellow lightly edged black, giving weak scaled... read more

    Voice

    Commonest call is a loud doubled or tripled “kwe-kweep!” or “kwe-kwee!-kwup” heard in flight. When... read more

    Habitat

    Eucalyptus and Melaleuca woodland in hilly country where access to water greater... read more

    Food and feeding

    Seeds of eucalypts, Melaleuca and Acacia, also C. intratropica; grass seeds and nectar also recorded. Birds in... read more

    Breeding

    Jun–Sept, sometimes earlier. Nest in hollow limb or hole in tree, usually a eucalypt near water. Eggs 2–4; incubation lasts c.... read more

    Movements

    Probably mainly sedentary, although in dry season birds retreat to vicinity of watercourses.

    Status and conservation

    Not globally threatened. CITES II. Considered to be relatively uncommon overall, and only locally common. Evidence of former abundance disputed, so not clear if any decline... read more

    Recommended citation

    Collar, N. & Boesman, P. (2019). Northern Rosella (Platycercus venustus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/54513 on 16 December 2019).