Pale Headed Rosella

Description:

The Pale-headed Rosella is a medium-sized, broad-tailed parrot, with a pale head and all white, or blue and white cheek patches. The underbelly is mainly blue, with red under the tail. The back is yellow with dark flecks. The female is similar, though slightly duller, with an off-white underwing stripe. There is marked geographical variation, with differences in the depth of colour and the facial patch. This is a noisy and conspicuous parrot, except when feeding.

Habitat:

Pale-headed Rosellas are found in savanna woodlands, lightly timbered woodlands with a grassy understorey, tree-lined watercourses and agricultural lands.

Notes:

Feeding: Pale-headed Rosellas feed mainly on the ground, but also in trees and shrubs. They mainly eat seeds and fruits of grasses, shrubs and trees, as well as flowers, insects and their larvae. They feed more often in shade than in sunlight. Breeding: Pale-headed Rosellas make their nests in the hollows of either dead or living trees, usually in eucalypts, or hollow stumps and posts. The nest is often near water. The eggs are laid on wood dust. Only the female incubates, though a few days after hatching the male helps with feeding the young.