Terrance Pacey wrote:
>
> Help please.
>
> Today I saw an unusual coloured rosella. It was in the Lockyer Valley
> about
> 70 km west of Brisbane. The habitat was typical Pale-headed Rosella
> and
> many had been seen during the morning. A pair of rosellas flew from a
> hole
> in a tree. They were only seen in flying fast between the trees and
> directly in the sun. It was assumed that they were Pale-headeds as
> that is
> the only species in the area. Another bird emerged from the hollow
> and sat
> quietly on a branch. It was obviously immature. However ....
>
> This bird was a bright golden-yellow over the face, chest, belly, back
> and
> shoulders with pale grey markings. The areas of wings and tail that
> are
> usually blue and/or green were brown and there was a black triangular
> patch
> beneath the chin. No red or blue was visible. I know that there have
> been
> breeders living within a reasonable distance of the area and feel that
> it
> could be the result of breeding between an escapee of some sort
> (Yellow
> Rosella?) and a wild bird but even that should not normally result in
> the
> poor mixed up bird I saw.
>
> Has anyone any ideas?
>
> Terry Pacey
> Toowoomba Qld
>
>
>
> Sounds more like a lutino form of your local Pale-headed Rosella or (maybe)
> of an Eastern Rosella. In a lutino yellow pigment predominates. Yellow
> Rosella is certainly yellow but not really a bright golden-yellow, at any
> rate those I photographed at Hattah and saw recently at Gunbower weren't -
> also Yellow Rosella should have a small bit of red on frons above the bill.
Quite a few abnormal coloured birds do exist, and by no means all of
them are derived from cagebird hybrids. (Though I was once assured that
breeding imitation 'Paradise Parrots' and smuggling them to overseas
collectors is profitable).
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