Plum Headed Parakeet
Psittacula intermedia
Until the late 80's these birds were quite rare in Australian aviaries, however they are now fairly well known however they can be difficult to breed. It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
It undergoes local movements, driven mainly by the availability of the fruit and blossoms which make up its diet. Plum-headed Parakeet is a bird of forest and open woodland. It nests in holes in trees, laying 4-6 white eggs.
Plum-headed Parakeet is a gregarious and noisy species with range of raucous calls. The usual flight and contact call is oink? repeated now and then.
Though this species is not exploited as heavily as the sympatric Alexandrine Parakeet the trade takes its toll on local populations across the range. Population is reduced in urban areas and heavily inhabited zones.
Adelaide Rosella
Platycercus adelaidae &
Platycerus Adelaide subadelaidae
There are number of colour differences amongst this family and in fact possibly another sub-species. Also known as the Pheasant Parrot, this bird lives in a variety of timbered habitats in the Mount Lofty Ranges, but is generally found along water courses, country roads and of course, orchards. It is also found in the Flinders Ranges and in the suburbs of Adelaide. It is a perfectly normal Rosella and is bad to the bone when it comes to a piece of fruit on a tree.