Bird of the month – Pale-headed Rosella
Pale-headed Rosella photo by Scott Humphris
Our region has a kaleidoscope of stunning parrots to adore, and the pale-headed rosella is no slouch when it comes to displaying a magnificent array of colourful plumage.
A mid-sized, broad-tailed parrot (from where it gets its latin name Platycercus adscitus), pale-headed rosellas have, unsurprisingly, 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.
They can be spotted in open forests and woodlands, as well as in parks and gardens, feeding mainly on the ground, dining on seeds and fruits of grasses, shrubs and trees, flowers, insects and their larvae.
Hollows in trees are used by pale-headed rosellas as nests, which makes keeping stumps and dead trees in place in the bush so important for the survival of this species, and many others.
Only the female incubates the clutch, usually five to six eggs, though a few days after hatching the father helps with feeding the young.
Melissa Marie
