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Pale-headed RosellaAlternative names: "Blue-cheeked Parrot", "Moreton Bay Rosella" Size: 28-32 cm |
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Habitat |
(for details refer to a field guide) |
Pale-headed Rosellas populate the entire eastern half of QLD, in a strip that is about 300-500 km wide, including all of Cape York and the hills of the Great Dividing Range, down to just south of the NSW/QLD border. After substantial inland rainfall they can extend their range out into the semi-arid interior of central and southern QLD and northern NSW.
Pale-headed Rosellas are usually found in open forest, often with grassy undergrowth. They adapt well to the presence of humans and are also found on farms or in urban parks and gardens.
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Twitcher's tip |
Since they can interbreed, Eastern Rosellas and Pale-headed Rosellas are in some field guides considered different races of the same species.
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Sightings |
We live in the region where the habitats of Pale-headed Rosellas and Eastern Rosellas overlap and where they are known to interbreed. Pale-headed Rosellas are seen in the Narrabri area more infrequently than Eastern Rosellas.
So far, pure-bred Pale-headed Rosellas have been spotted by us only occasionally, mostly 25 km west of Narrabri. There were some sightings in 2005, then none in 2006, but seen again in April and August 2007. Also seen 20 km east of Narrabri in August 2010.
Seen also in Moree, NSW, in 2007 and again in October 2011.
Pale-headed Rosellas were spotted by us again in July 2009, in various locations throughout southern and central QLD, including Girraween National Park in southern QLD. Here a hybrid was observed between a Crimson Rosella and a Pale-headed Rosella. The hybrid, as seen from behind, had the wing and body plumage of a Crimson Rosella, but the head and nape of the neck were yellow, as a Pale-headed Rosella's.
A Pale-headed Rosella was spotted by us 30 km west of Burren Junction, NSW, in October 2010.
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Photos |
Frontal view of a Pale-headed Rosella
Lateral view of the same bird as shown above...
... here seen preening
Dorsal view
Mixed pair of Pale-headed Rosella (front left) and a hybrid
between Pale-headed and Eastern Rosella (back right)
on a lawn; note how extremely pale the head of the bird on the
left is coloured, compared with other specimens shown on this page
Mixed pair of Eastern
Rosella (bottom) and Pale-headed Rosella (top)
Hybrids
Pale-headed Rosellas are known to hybridise with Eastern Rosellas.
Almost frontal view of a hybrid Eastern/Pale-headed Rosella (click on image to see the bird with its head turned the other way)
Here a very young Rosella of mixed parentage. It is a
mix between Eastern
Rosella and Pale-headed Rosella
A portrait of the little chick is available here.
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Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive | Elementary unit: Pair |
In the region where their habitats overlap, i.e. northern NSW and southern QLD, Eastern Rosellas and Pale-headed Rosellas can interbreed. We have seen several such mixed couples so far (see above).
We have not seen a Pale-headed Rosella yet near Narrabri that did not have an Eastern Rosella as partner.
