Like other species of the genus, it bears confinement well; and although
it is not so frequently met with in the cage or the aviary as some of
its more gaily attired brethren, it must not be attributed to any
inaptitude for domestication on the part of the bird.
The sexes during the first year are not to be distinguished from each
other, but when fully adult, the female is smaller in size and less
brilliantly coloured than her mate.
Holes in the large gum-trees afford a natural breeding-place. The eggs,
which are laid in September and the three following months, are pure
white, and six or eight in number, one inch and two lines long by eleven
and a half lines broad. When the young are first hatched they are
covered with long, white down, and present an appearance not very
dissimilar to a round ball of white cotton-wool.
I found this species very abundant on the banks of the Tamar, and in one
instance I saw hundreds congregated at a barn-door among the straw of
some recently-thrashed corn, precisely after the manner of the Sparrow
and Pigeon in England.
Forehead crimson; crown of the head and back of the neck pale yellow,
each feather very slightly margined with brown; space under the eye dull
crimson; cheeks blue; back and shoulders dark olive-black, each feather
edged with green; middle of the wings blue; the basal half of the
primaries blue on their external edges, the remainder blackish brown;
rump and two middle tail-feathers green, the remainder of the
tail-feathers dark blue at the base, lighter towards the tip; under
surface of the body yellow; bill flesh-colour; feet greyish brown.
The adults of both sexes are very similar, but a considerable difference
exists in birds of different ages, the young of the year being greenish
olive with a slight tinge of blue on the cheeks, wings, and outer
tail-feathers, and a faint indication of the red mark on the forehead.
As they advance in age they gradually assume the plumage of the adult,
which is not fully accomplished until the second or third year.
The Plate represents fully adult sexes of the natural size.
[Illustration:
PLATYCERCUS FLAVEOLUS: _Gould_.
_J. & E. Gould del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
PLATYCERCUS FLAVEOLUS, _Gould_.
Yellow-rumped Parrakeet.
_Platycercus flaveolus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 26.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account