Content

37 to 42 cm.. length and around 114 g. of weight.

The Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus) has the yellow head, tending to yellow olive in it crown and nape. Green olive the the mantle; scapulars of color Brown olive dark; floor area of the back and tail showy yellow, tending to yellow olive in uppertail-coverts. Smalls and medium corbeteras, Yellow; greater coverts of color black blue in them pens external, Red with yellow tips on the innermost feathers; tertiary black grey in vane inner; reddish pink, with yellow tip in the vane outer; primary coverts bluish-black; primaries and secondaries bluish-black, with black inner tubes. Wing feathers yellow; underside of flight feather brown, almost black. The underparts Yellow, more off the yellow olive in undertail-coverts with some brands Orange indistinct around it area anal.

The tail is of color black with infiltrations of color blue dark in the part superior of their feathers Central and of the threads internal of their feathers side.

The bill is pinkish-Red. The irises are of color brown orange; legs grey.

The female has the underparts grey and of color green it top. Lords and ear-coverts are of colour more greenish. The strip of color blue dark of the feathers is more broad and it extends to the under wing-coverts that are more than color yellow-green that in the male. The rump is green olive opaque, not yellow. The red dot of the wing is less developed and has less brightness. Tail of color green blue by over. It has a pink tip below.

The youth they resemble females, However, young males have more yellow in the head.

• Sound of the Regent Parrot.

• Polytelis anthopeplus anthopeplus

  : (Lear 1831) – The nominal.




• Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides

  : (Schodde 1993) – The male has much more brightness that it nominal species, particularly, the yellow of the underparts.

The Regent Parrot they reside mainly in the East, although the birds disperse after the breeding season.

More regular movements have been recorded in the Western population, with spread towards the South during the summer, and a concentration below 32° S in the fall.

The birds move to the northeast in winter; movements of up to 320 km have been recorded. Oriental birds are linked to the banks of the rivers, where is the red rubber (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) trees with mallee Shrublands partners (Eucalyptus gracilis). They are also distributed in forests of eucalyptus, areas with thin Cypress pine (Callitris preissii), orchards and vineyards.

In the West, the species is less dependent from the Mallee and they reside in mixed plots of acacia and eucalyptus (wandoo, salmonophloia) and within agricultural land.

The Regent Parrot they are not in the forests of the South-western area, Although there have been in the forest clearings.

outside the breeding season, the birds can be found in noisy flocks of a hundred or more individuals, being in general cautious. They feed primarily on Earth.

The nesting season takes place between January and August. These birds nest either in single pairs or in small colonies composed of a maximum of 18 couples. Before the mating, There are ritual offerings of food.

The site selected for reproduction is usually a great tree of the gum dead or dying, to 20 metres above the ground and near a permanent water course. These nests are often reused.

The spawning includes of 3 to 6 white eggs You settle on a layer of decaying wood shavings. The female incubates alone during 21 days. His companion, who deserted the nest tree and joined an all-male group, it comes to collaborate with food tasks. The chicks have white down. Usually, leave the nest after 5 to 6 weeks, but after feather, remain in the family group for a few weeks yet.

The diet usually comprises seeds of grasses, herbs, fruit, berries, sprouts and flowers. They also take crops of cereals and dried fruits from orchards, as well as grain spilled on highways.

In the East, males tend to feed in the mallee scrub (for example White Mallee Eucalyptus dumosto and Red Mallee Eucalyptus socialis) during the breeding season.

Size of the area of distribution (reproduction / resident): 1.520.000 km2

Confined to Australia, where in two very distant populations. In Western Australia are distributed mainly in the wheat belt, extending north to Ajana, on the inside of Laverton and Karonie, and down in Israelite Bay, on the South Coast; is also located to the South of Perth, but they have not fully colonized the wooded area Southwest.

In the southeast of Australia the range has shrunk in recent years. In the South of Australia, the species occurs along of the murray river, around Morgan at the border of New South Wales, Victoria (seven colonies).

In Victoria are distributed in the Wyperfeld National Park and along the wimmera river to the South of the Lake Hindmarsh, but the reproduction, probably, ceased to occur in the Lake Albacutya as recently as 1988.

In New South Wales is isolated along foci of the murray river, and around the mouth of the murrumbidgee river.

Along the border of New South Wales, Victoria, they are now grouped into four areas, and is absent 100 kilometres on both sides of Mildura; There are some couples throughout the North of the darling river in Pooncarie, and along the the Wakool River the east.

There is some post-breeding dispersal, but the birds is unlikely it lies to the northeast of Balranald or to the South of Castenaso, except perhaps during periods of drought.

Locally common in areas of riparian forest and Mallee (Eucalyptus gracilis).

The world's population is believed to be superior to the 15.000 individuals, but the subspecies of the East is by far the smaller of the two.

Completely protected by law in all but a few regions of the South-West.

A moderate number of captive.

• Polytelis anthopeplus anthopeplus

  : (Lear 1831) – The nominal. Southwest of Australia.




• Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides

  : (Schodde 1993) – Interior West of the part of Southeast of Australia (Southeast of the South of Australia, Southwest of New South Wales and Northwest of Victoria).

• Current category of the Red List of the UICN: Least concern

• Population trend: Decreasing

The species has an estimated world population in 21.500 individuals (Garnett and Crowley 2000).
The population of the subspecies anthopeplusis It is estimated in 20.000 individuals.
The population of the subspecies monarchoides It is estimated in 1.500 individuals (Garnett and Crowley 2000).

The population of the subspecies anthopeplusis is probably stable as a whole, While the subspecies monarchoides could be declining (Garnett and Crowley 2000).

degradation areas Mallee (eucalyptus), accidents on the road, occupation natural cavities of swarms of bees and persecution due to farmers, they are the threats more recurrent. Despite its original development in areas of the southwest through the development of agriculture, even in these areas, It is considered a slight decline. The hope comes from the fact that can go to colonizing New Territories in forest areas in the South-western end. By now, the species is considered not presenting no major problem. But, in nearly all regions, except in areas of intensive agriculture, benefits from the protection.

It is a bird very quiet. It is customary to his carer quickly enough. Friendly, It will also tolerate other non-aggressive species. Very active in the morning and afternoon. They may be prone to infections in the eyes and feet.

One sample was still alive after 13,8 years in captivity. It has been reported that these animals can live up to 27,5 years in captivity but it has not been able to be verified; the same study reported that these animals can reproduce from around the first year of age in captivity.

Not very common in captivity.

– Regent Parrot, Black-tailed Parakeet, Black-tailed Parrot, Black-throated Parrot, Blossom-feathered Parakeet, Mallee Smoker, Marlock Parakeet, Marlock Parrot, Mountain Parrot, Plaide-wing Parrot, Regal Parrot, Rock Pebbler, Royal Parrot, Smoker, Smoker Parrot, Yellow King-Parrot (ingles).
– Perruche mélanure, Perruche à queue noire (French).
– Bergsittich (German).
– Periquito-regente (Portuguese).
– Perico Regente, Periquito de Rock Pebbler (español).

– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittaculidae
– Genus: Polytelis
– Scientific name: Polytelis anthopeplus
– Citation: (Lear, 1831)
– Protonimo: Palaeornis anthopeplus

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«Regent Parakeet» (Polytelis anthopeplus)

Sources:

– Sounds: Scott Connop (Xeno-canto)