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
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Psittaciformes |
| Family | Old World Parrots (Psittaculidae) |
| Species | Platycercus venustus |
| Species Codes | norros1, 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.