Pale-headed Rosella

Description:

Sexes are similar.Female is duller, often flecked with red on the head in the pale-headed and black-headed races; and smaller off-white underwing stripe persists in younger females to a greater or lesser extent. Head is plain scarlet, white or black, to lores and nape, cheeks are white-edged with pale blue to a greater or lesser extent; according to race. The mantle and scapulars black, the feathers broadly edged with golden yellow, lemon or cream, mid-back to upper tail coverts lettuce green, pale blue or cream, according to race. The shoulders of wing black, grading to mid-blue, on bend of wing and primary coverts; then to dusky washed deep blue on flight feathers; underwing coverts are deep blue. The ventral surface varies according to race; throat and upper breast is scarlet and lower breast and belly yellow-green in red-headed race, throat to belly pale blue or cream-white on throat and breast in pale-headed race and throat to belly is cream, with fine, black feather fringes in black-headed race; crissum is scarlet in all races. Tail, with central pair of feathers uniformly dusky blue-green and all outer feathers dusky blue, with extensive pale or whitish blue tips. Eye dark brown. Bill is bone coloured; cere dark grey. The feet, toes and claws are dark grey.

Habitat:

Eucalypt woodlands, open forests and the edges throughout eastern and northern Australia, inland to fringes of inland plains. These Pale-headed Rosella were in my backyard. Cottoneaster; Mulberry Tree and Jacaranda Trees surround this area.

Notes:

Photo shows race:- palliceps. Rosella has a loud, harsh, staccato chut-chit, chut-chit....chut-chit, as contact call in flight and in alarm. When perched give tri-syllabic whistle or metallic, piping whistle, possibly to signal position. When tree-feeding, displaying or socializing, they chatter musically. All calls resemble the equivalent vocalizations in Crimson Rosella but are higher pitched. These birds were enjoying time in my back yard while I enjoyed watching them. Reference:- Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds. Photos have been edited.