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28 cm. length and a weight between 74 and 105 g..
The Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster) they have the forecrown, lores and face, blue-violet color. The rest of the head, the chest, the layer, the back and rump It has a beautiful ochre mixed with yellow belly. The abdominal area It is covered by a large red spot.
The curvature of the wings is blue, most of the coverts are a key olive. The outermost feathers are purplish blue. The the wing lower and flight feather they are also blue-purple. The tail color is greenish bronze but the outer feathers they are blue-purple with white tips.
The bill grayish white is; the irises pale grey; legs grey.
The females they are more off, with less blue in the face and a pale bar on the wing
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The immature they resemble females, but the stain abdominal Red is more discrete. The immature plumage is lost after few months. The chicks have the bill yellow.
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Northiella haematogaster haematogaster
(Gould 1838) – The nominal.
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Northiella haematogaster haematorrhoa
(Bonaparte 1856) – The curvature of the wing is turquoise blue and the blankets they are redheads. The underparts is red
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Northiella haematogaster pallescens
(Salvadori 1891) – The plumage It is similar to the nominal, but the underparts they are paler.
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Northiella haematogaster narethae
(White,HL 1921) – The forecrown is blue, and has spots on the chest. The upperparts color is olive, the underparts is yellow with reddish color underneath the tail. Small outer covers red.
* A molecular study published in 2015 by Gaynor Dolman and Leo Joseph He confirmed the genetic isolation of the subspecies Northiella haematogaster narethae and recommended that it was restored as a separate species, the Naretha Bluebonnet (Northiella narethae)
The Bluebonnet frequent arid and semi-arid forests dominated by trees of the genus Myoporum, which are perennial shrubs and resistant to salt and drought.
They also appreciate the conifer and the casuarinas that you are home to colonies of caterpillars. They have a certain affection for the acacias and eucalyptus, especially if the weed is made up of small quenopodios.
The Bluebonnet they often visit the grassy plains, dry brush and trees lining the river. Sometimes they come to buildings, farms or small ponds.
In the South of its range, the removal of waste bags of Mallee, located on agricultural land, It seems to have had a very important influence.
The Bluebonnet they live in pairs or in small groups. When resent, loud disperse, but they remain on the ground a short distance from the trees. In the event of alarm, they raise the feathers of her eyebrows.
These birds are very enable, especially early in the morning when the boisterous groups are formed, just before his departure to feed. They are able to run very fast and have a very characteristic straight posture.. They are less active during the heat of the day, staying on the ground in silence.
The Western populations They seem to form larger groups, showing more sociability than the Eastern. They tend to get together with other species of parrots, such as the Mulga Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella and Mallee Ringneck.
During the spawning, the Bluebonnet carried out parades such as greetings with head, movements of the tail and eating ritual exchanges. They also have a ceremonial flight consisting of small flapping.
The season of nesting extends from July to December, with some variations depending on the rains. The nest is located in a cavity in a tree, except in the subspecies narethae to use scrubby trees, being their favorite nesting place a nest on the ground in a crack in the base of a trunk. This subspecies usually gives preference to a tree of the genus acacia (Acacia papyrocarpa) family Fabaceae.
The spawning contains 4-7 eggs with one incubation lasts a few 19 days. The young chicks are born without feathers and remain in place of birth at least during 30 days.
The Bluebonnet consume mainly herbaceous seeds, of Atriplex hortensis, of coquia (Kochia scoparia), of bassia and some grown as garden plants.
Sometimes consume fruit, berries and acacia flowers, the mistletoe and the larvae of Lepidoptera that are attracted to the trunks of casuarinas.
When are juveniles, its menu consists mainly of seeds composed of helipterum, that you belong to the same family as sunflowers.
Endemic to Australia, where there are four populations, one of which is isolated in the southeast of Western Australia, from the West of the Nullarbor plain up close Kalgoorlie.
Birds belonging to this western race are also found in western Southern Australia, about Ooldea and Colon, but they are probably coming from exhausts. further east, the range of the species varies through the east of Southern Australia, from the West of Bordertown through Salt Creek, Adelaide, the northern parts of the Cape York Peninsula and Eyre, to the North across the basin of the Lake Eyre to the Simpson Desert, about Commonwealth Hill station (but largely absent from the Montes Flinders).
From the North of Southern Australia, extends to the South of Queensland to the West of the Great dividing range, reaching around to East of Windorah, Charleville, Mitchell and Goondiwindi.
In New South Wales found to the West of the Cordillera Central, and coming east of a line, More or less, that crosses Warialda, Orange and Wagga Wagga (record out of bounds east of Gunning).
In Victoria, from time to time, they arrive as far East as Rochester and Southeast of Bendigo and Beaufort.
The species is common within a suitable habitat.
The world population is probably superior to the 100.000 individuals, although the Western subspecies Nanthae You can have less than 5.000 specimens, having suffered for their catch in the past.
A small number of captivity.
Fully protected by law.
• Current category of the Red List of the UICN: Least concern
• Population Trend: Decreasing
In accordance with the Manual of the birds of the world (Handbook of the Birds of the World, HBW), the Bluebonnet they are not globally threatened. Son fairly common, except at the extremes of its range. But, the elucidation of native plants must be stopped if we want to preserve the food resources and nesting places.
The spread of the Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) It is a real danger in some areas. The subspecies Narethae is prized by poachers and the lots of beautiful feathers.
The proliferation of rabbits and Lagomorphs threatens the equilibrium of the habitat.
"Bluebonnet" in captivity:
The Bluebonnet they were classified for more than one hundred years within the genus Psephotus. On the basis of some essential differences with the species Psephotus, they are currently classified within the independent genre Northiella.
The parakeet more required by lovers of Australian parakeets, are likely to be the Bluebonnet, Although the subspecies Naretha is very rare and scarce. The Bluebonnet pure breed, they are virtually non-existent in Europe.
There are many Bluebonnet non-purebred, since they often interbreed with the of red-bellied (Northiella haematogaster haematorrhoa). The birds that have tones rojas in the coverts infracaudales non-purebred. Be very careful when making their acquisitions.
The first breeding success of the nominal species dates back to the year 1878, in France. With the subspecies of red-bellied (Northiella haematogaster haematorrhoa) also data from 1878, but this time in Belgium.
The first breeding results with the subspecies Northiella narethae they date from 1941 in Australia.
Are capricious in nature. The big problem is that of aggression since they are probably the most aggressive of all the Australian parakeets. Males, above all, they are the protagonists of this bad reputation. Therefore other birds not can be joined with the Bluebonnet, even larger birds.
The aggressiveness of the male reaches their own partner, the Aviary must take into account this, the female should be able to take refuge in case of attack. On the other hand, they are very animated and jugetones.
You spend much time on the ground looking for food, they are moderate rodents and are lovers of bath.
According to sources, a sample lived 15,3 years in captivity. In captivity, these animals have been known that they be reproduced in approximately 2 years of age.
– Bluebonnet, Blue Bonnet, Blue-Bonnet, Bluebonnet Parakeet, Bulloak Parrot, Common Bluebonnet, Common Bluebonnet Parrot, Crimson-bellied Parakeet, Crimson-bellied Parrot, Eastern or Western Bluebonnet, Little Bluebonnet, Naretha Bluebonnet, Naretha Parrot, Oak Parrot, Pallid Parrot, Red-bellied Bluebonnet, Red-vented Bluebonnet, Yellow-vented Bluebonnet, Yellow-vented Parrot (ingles).
– Perruche à bonnet bleu, Bonnet bleu, Perruche à bonnet bleu ou P. de Nareth (French).
– Blutbauchsittich (German).
– Periquito-de-bluebonnet (Portuguese).
– Perico Azul, Perico Cariazul (español).
scientific classification:
– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittaculidae
– Genus: Northiella
– Scientific name: Northiella haematogaster
– Citation: (Gould, 1838)
– Protonimo: Platycercus haematogaster
“Blue-faced Parakeet” images:
«Blue-faced Parakeet» (Northiella haematogaster)
Sources:
- Avibase
- Parrots of the World – Forshaw Joseph M
- Parrots A Guide to the Parrots of the World – Tony Juniper & Mike Parr
- Birdlife
Photos:
(1) – To Blue Bonnett in the Cocoparra National Park (near Griffith), NSW, Australia By David Cook Wildlife Photography [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(2) – Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster) Birdsville Track, South AustraliaBy by Ron Knight – Flickr
(3) – Northiella haematogaster, Photo by Benjamint444 – Animalia Etymology of animal name
(4) – Bluebonnet/Blue Bonnet/Crimson-bellied Parrot – animalphotos
(5) – Blue Bonnet Fact Sheet 26 May 2011, Windorah. QLD – travelling-australia.info
Sounds: Frank Lambert (Xeno-canto)
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