Northern Rosella

Platycercus venustus · Parrot native to northern Australia
Order
Psittaciformes
Codes
norros1, NORO

About the Northern Rosella

The northern rosella, formerly known as Brown's rosella or the smutty rosella, is a species of parrot native to northern Australia, ranging from the Gulf of Carpentaria and Arnhem Land to the Kimberley. It was described by Heinrich Kuhl in 1820, and two subspecies are recognised. The species is unusually coloured for a rosella, with a dark head and neck with pale cheeks—predominantly white in the subspecies from the Northern Territory and blue in the Western Australian subspecies hillii. The northern rosella's mantle and scapulars are black with fine yellow scallops, while its back, rump and underparts are pale yellow with fine black scallops. The long tail is blue-green, and the wings are black and blue-violet. The sexes have similar plumage, while females and younger birds are generally duller with occasional spots of red.

Source: Wikipedia

Taxonomy & Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderPsittaciformes
FamilyOld World Parrots (Psittaculidae)
SpeciesPlatycercus venustus
Species Codesnorros1, NORO

Frequently Asked Questions

What family does the Northern Rosella belong to?

The Northern Rosella (Platycercus venustus) belongs to the Old World Parrots family (Psittaculidae), in the order Psittaciformes.

How can I identify the Northern Rosella?

The northern rosella, formerly known as Brown's rosella or the smutty rosella, is a species of parrot native to northern Australia, ranging from the Gulf of Carpentaria and Arnhem Land to the Kimberley. It was described by Heinrich Kuhl in 1820, and two subspecies are recognised. The species is unus...

Where can I report a Northern Rosella sighting?

You can log sightings of Northern Rosella on eBird (ebird.org) using species code norros1, or on iNaturalist.