Australian Ringneck

Overview

The Australian ringneck (Barnardius zonarius) is a medium-sized parrot native to Australia, adapted to almost all environmental conditions except extreme tropical and highland areas. It is a gregarious species that can be either resident or nomadic depending on the conditions, with four currently recognised subspecies that differ considerably in colouration.

Identification

• Medium-sized parrot approximately 33 cm long with a broad tail and basic green plumage.
• All subspecies feature a characteristic yellow ring around the hindneck, with wings and tails mixed green and blue.
• Subspecies variation includes dull black heads with brilliant green backs, bright green crowns with blush cheek-patches, or pale green bodies with distinct abdominal bands.
• Calls are described as either 'ringing' or 'strident', with the Twenty-eight subspecies making a distinctive onomatopoeic sound resembling the words 'twenty-eight'.

Habitat

Found in eucalypt woodlands and eucalypt-lined watercourses across most of Australia, excluding extreme tropical and highland regions. The species is endemic to Australia, with different subspecies occupying distinct ranges, though intermediates exist in most cases except between the Port Lincoln and Cloncurry parrots.

Diet

The Australian ringneck feeds on a wide range of foods including nectar, insects, seeds, fruit, and native and introduced bulbs. It is known to eat orchard-grown fruit, which occasionally results in it being regarded as a pest by farmers.

Did you know?

The common name 'Twenty-eight' for one subspecies is an onomatopoeia derived from its distinctive call, which sounds like the number 'twenty-eight' or, according to one early description, the French equivalent 'vingt-huit'.