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Blue BonnetAlternative names: "Crimson-bellied Parrot", "Yellow-vented Parakeet", "Bulloak Parrot" Aboriginal name: "bulaybulay" [yuwaalaraay] Size: 27-34 cm |
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Habitat |
(for details refer to a field guide) |
Blue Bonnets are well-adapted to life in the semi-arid interior of the Australian continent. All four races are found mostly inland. Nominate race "haematogaster" is found in the south-eastern quarter of SA and the Murray River catchment. Further north in NSW, in the Darling River catchment and into southern QLD, race "haematorrhous" is found. They both connect with the range of race "pallescens" in the border region of SA with QLD, the range of which extends about 200 km either side of the border, between the two three-state corners. Race "narethae" is found in two small patches in south-east WA, just of the south coast, near the border with SA.
Blue Bonnets are usually found around dry open woodland, often with grassy undergrowth, and in open grassland.
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Sightings |
Although Blue Bonnets are seen in the Narrabri area quite regularly, their distribution is patchy. There was a family living on the paddocks of the property where we lived from 2003 to 2006, on the edge of Jack's Creek State Forest, 20 km south of Narrabri, NSW. They only came to the house and surrounding garden in wintertime; but we did almost always encounter up to 10 birds, throughout the year, in the Bohena area, just 10 km west further west. Also reported by C. Kellenberg from the Australia Telescope observatory, about 20 km west of Narrabri, in January 2011.
Seen only infrequently in the Eulah Creek area for months, but with the ripening of seeds in late spring, increased numbers of Blue Bonnets were seen by us in the foothills of the Nandewar Range over the summer of 2007, starting in October. Also seen in the area in subsequent years.
Also spotted by us 10 km south of Maules Creek, NSW, on various occasions. Half a dozen birds were also spotted by us 35 km north of Narrabri in June 2009.
Possibly due to their shyness, not spotted by us at all on a trip westward from Narrabri, into outback NSW and South Australia, in March 2008.
Blue Bonnets are the parrots with the largest variety of colours and patterns, probably because northern NSW, where we live, is an overlap area between the habitats of two subspecies, "haematorrhous" and "haematogaster".
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Photos |
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Frontal view of a pair of Blue Bonnets; photo courtesy of R. Druce
Lateral view of a Blue Bonnet; photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg
Pair of Blue Bonnets in a White Cedar tree in wintertime,
20 km south of Narrabri
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the bird on the left is probably a male, the one on the right
a female
Blue Bonnets enjoying the late afternoon sun in wintertime
Blue Bonnet in the yard
Frontal view of the underside of a Blue Bonnet, with an enormous richness of colours and patterns
Blue Bonnets, when seen from the back in dry grass, are hardly visible because of their superb camouflage.
Near-frontal view of a fledgling Blue Bonnet; note stubby tail characteristic of very young birds (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
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Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive | Elementary unit: Pair/small flock |
Blue Bonnets are the shiest parrots in our area that we have spotted so far. Being exclusively ground-feeding, they are vulnerable to attacks by predators.
Our observations in the Narrabri area suggest that they live in small family units of up to about 10 birds; larger groups/flocks have been seen by us further inland.
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Food |
Like many parrots, Blue Bonnets are seed-eaters; primarily they feed on grass seeds, but they will not shun bigger seeds either, when available (see below).
Blue Bonnets feasting on sunflower kernels
