Naretha Blue-Bonnet Parrots

Psephotus Information … Photos of the Members of the Psephotus Family for Identification

Distribution / Range

Naretha Blue-Bonnet Parrots (Northiella narethae) are endemic to Southern Australia . This is an endangered species (CITES II).

Blue Bonnet parrots are sporadically dispersed, socially gathering in groups of up to 30 birds.

Breeding / Mating

They permanently mate. Their courtship ritual is quite entertaining and entails fanning and shaking of their tail feathers, raising their crown feathers and a lot of head bobbing.

They nest in low-lying tree openings lined with wood substances. The average nest consists of 4 to 7 eggs, which are incubated by the female for about 22 days.

The male assists in rearing the young and feeds the female on the nest.

Diet / Feeding

The main diet consists of native grasses and herbaceous plants, as well as flower and fruit nectar.

Description:

As Blue-bonnet Parrots (haematogaster), but the plumage is generally much paler brown-grey; forehead, lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird’s head) and area over eye greenish-blue; no red to abdomen and thighs; under tail-coverts red; bend of wing and shoulder feathers greenish-blue to pale mauve-blue; outer lesser wing-coverts orange-red; rump, upper tail-coverts, inner lesser and median wing-coverts pale olive-yellow; upperside of middle tail-feathers olive with blue tips; on average slightly smaller.

Female as male, but with slightly duller plumage; facial area duller blue; head and bill generally smaller.

Immatures as adults, but with slightly duller plumage; adult plumage attained by 12 months

These parrots average 28 cm / 11 inches in length.

Taxonomy:

Genus: Scientific: Northiella … English: Blue-Bonnets … Dutch: Blauwkapparkieten … German: Rotsteißsittichen … French: Perruche à queue rouge

Species: Scientific: Northiella haematogaster narethae aka Psephotus haematogaster narethae … English: Naretha Blue-Bonnet … Dutch: Naretha Blue-Bonnet Parkiet … German: Narethasittich … French: Perruche à anus rouge de Naretha

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