blackhead rosella

Black-headed rosella (Platycercus charming)

APPEARANCE

Medium parakeet with body length up to 28 cm and weight up to 100 gr. The body, like all rosellas, is knocked down, the head is small, the beak is large. The color is rather motley – the head, nape and back are brown-black with yellow edging of some feathers. The cheeks are white with a blue edging below. Chest, belly and rump are yellowish. The feathers around the cloaca and the undertail are scarlet. The shoulders, contour wing feathers and tail are blue. In females, the coloration is paler and a browner hue predominates on the head. Males usually have a more massive beak and are larger in size. The species includes 2 subspecies that differ from each other in color elements. With proper care, life expectancy is about 10 – 12 years.

HABITAT AND LIFE IN NATURE

Black-headed rosellas live in the north of Australia and are endemic. The species is also found in western Australia. They are found at an altitude of 500 – 600 m above sea level in the savannas, along the banks of rivers, on the edges, along roads, as well as in mountainous areas. They can live near human buildings. Usually they are not noisy, shy, it is quite difficult to meet them, the birds keep in small flocks of up to 15 individuals. May coexist with other types of rosella. This type of rosella rarely descends from trees, they spend most of their lives in the crowns. The population of this species is numerous and stable. The diet consists of plant foods – seeds, buds, plant flowers, nectar and seeds of acacias, eucalyptus. Sometimes insects are included in the diet.

BREEDING

The nesting season is May-September. For reproduction, hollows in eucalyptus trees are usually chosen. The female lays 2-4 white eggs in the nest and incubates them herself. The incubation period lasts about 20 days. The chicks leave the nest at the age of 4 – 5 weeks, but a few weeks after the parents feed them. During the year, the young can hold on to their parents.