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Wednesday, 17 July 2013

Wild Bird Wednesday 53 - Western Ringneck

I did not manage to get any pictures of this rather splendid parrot when I saw them in Perth a few months ago - so I was very pleased to see some in the middle of Alice Springs.

We were sitting having lunch when a couple of these colourful birds dropped in to see what was on offer.  After sizing up the healthy options, one of the birds decided it would have a bit of sweet treat, and it stole a packet of sugar from a nearby table.  It sat on a wire, opened the packet and eat the sugar - all with one foot!   Not hard to work out why these birds are considered highly intelligent.

This bird occurs over much of central and western Australia - which is why I need to travel to see it.  Going by the name of Barnardius zonarius its about 35 cm long and is also called the Port Lincoln Parrot and the Twenty Eight Parrot and The Australian Ringneck (some books consider each of these to be different species, some say that they are just races of one species.)  I have to say I rather like them.






The next picture was taken at Ormiston Gorge on our way to Kings Canyon - it was a wonderful place.  This picture does show that it was not all plain sailing on this trip - the light was almost always a combination of deep shade and bright sunshine - so I was rather pleased to find this bird in dappled sunlight.


Now it's your turn to get involved with WBW.  Click on the link below and off you go.  Dont forget to link back to here, and to make your link to a post rather than just he "top" of your blog.   Then visit and invite!

Enjoy.



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50 comments:

  1. Revrunner17 July 2013 at 02:05

    Sweet! :-)

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  2. FAB17 July 2013 at 02:18

    Sure is colourful and thanks Stewart for posting another new Parrot.

    Like our Ringed-necked Parakeets it's amazing how dextrous their feet are.

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  3. Sylvia K17 July 2013 at 02:25

    What a beautiful, colorful bird, Stewart!! Wonderful captures for the day!!

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  4. Anonymous17 July 2013 at 02:28

    They are clever the little parrots! I would very much like to see them in the wild. All the best from Sweden!

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  5. TexWisGirl17 July 2013 at 02:41

    really, really cute! and so smart. :)

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  6. Andrea @ From The Sol17 July 2013 at 02:43

    A handsome bird and smart indeed. I love parrots ... over here the African Gray Parrot is considered the smartest ... but I am guessing this Ringneck would give them a run for their money. Great pictures, Stewart. Now I am going to shamelessly suggest you stop by my new page (after you see my WBW post, of course) "Being Izzi". I am branching out a little and writing a page about and sometimes by Izzi our Mini Aussie. Just for fun and a change of pace ... Have a great week ...

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  7. Findlay Wilde17 July 2013 at 02:55

    Really nice parrots and very clever opening that packet of sugar. From Findlay

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  8. Kenneth Cole Schneider17 July 2013 at 03:09

    Smart and beautiful as well!

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  9. Gordon17 July 2013 at 03:16

    What a fantastic looking bird Stewart, a lot smarter than the ferral ones in the UK.
    All the best Gordon.

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  10. Kusum17 July 2013 at 03:50

    Wow! These are beautiful! Only parakeets I have seen are Rose ringed ones which are common in India.

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  11. Hootin Anni17 July 2013 at 03:55

    Incredibly beautiful!!! I can see why you were very pleased to see them in Alice Springs.

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  12. Richard Pegler17 July 2013 at 04:00

    I can see why you like these Stewart. Great characters - great photos!

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  13. Daniela Augustka17 July 2013 at 05:04

    Nepoznám u nás takého vtáka, ktorý by prišiel tak blízko k ľuďom, ako sa správajú papagáje v Perthe. Ani neviem, či sem s kvalitou mojich fotografií vôbec patrím. Tvoje fotografie sú veľmi pekné.

    I do not know of such a bird, that would come as close to the people, how they behave parrots in Perth. I do not know if here the quality of my photos all belong. Your photos are very nice.

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  14. Dave17 July 2013 at 05:08

    Nice find Stewart. It looks to be a fair sized bird too.

    Shade, bright sunlight, dappled light..... sound like my trips to the rainforests of Malaysia, I just couldn't get a settled light wherever I went....lol

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  15. Sharon Wagner17 July 2013 at 06:03

    It is sweet that you even got a shot of the sugar packet!

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  16. DIMI17 July 2013 at 06:30

    Hallo Stewart!!!
    Great captures!!!Both birds are very beautiful!!Nice colours!!!
    Have a lovely day!!My love to Melbourne!
    Dimi..

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  17. Carole M.17 July 2013 at 06:53

    how good to have it come so nearby! Fantastic photos; so colourful; great post Stewart. Sounds like a very special trip that one

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  18. eileeninmd17 July 2013 at 06:58

    Stewart, beautiful shots of your parrots. Must have been neat to watch them opening the sugar to eat. Wonderful photos!

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  19. Neil17 July 2013 at 07:03

    Birds can have a sweet tooth as well as us.

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  20. DeniseinVA17 July 2013 at 07:05

    He's a beauty Stewart, great shots! The one of him with the packet of sugar made me smile. I have a sweet tooth but am not quite so ambidextrous these days :)

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  21. Fergiemoto17 July 2013 at 07:10

    I love how you were able to get the bird to pose so well for you!
    Great photos!

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  22. SandyCarlson17 July 2013 at 11:52

    Some gorgeous birds! I love the colors.

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  23. John @ Beans and I on the Loose17 July 2013 at 11:58

    Beautiful colors on that bird.

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  24. Rebecca17 July 2013 at 12:17

    Love the sugar packet photo! I would love to see a parrot in the wild instead of a pet store... Thanks for sharing and hosting WBW1

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  25. thewovenspoke17 July 2013 at 12:34

    What a beautiful parrot, they sure are talented. Have a great week.

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  26. Arija17 July 2013 at 12:41

    Much as it pains me, I'm going to question your Id. As far as I can tell, what you have there is the Australian Ringneck. The Port Lincoln Parrot or Ringneck has a green head and red spots above the beak. the Twenty Eight Parrot has a green head and no red spots. Ref. Pizzey & Knight Field Guide.

    Amazing how many birds have become opportunistic with the advent of modern man.

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  27. theconstantwalker17 July 2013 at 16:09

    A beautiful bird to see Stewart...

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  28. Irma17 July 2013 at 16:27

    Hello Stewart,
    Beautiful series of this beautiful parrot.
    Regards, Irma

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  29. Timur Wilde Photography17 July 2013 at 16:52

    Great....all i can say is : GREAT !!

    Greetings

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  30. Unknown17 July 2013 at 17:15

    I agree with all you have said about photographing the "red centre" and these parrots. There is a nice stained glass rendition of ringneck in a building in the Alice Springs cultural precinct.

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  31. Stewart M17 July 2013 at 17:19

    Hi Arija - we are talking about the same bird - have a look at the formal name.

    As far as I can tell some books split a group of "ring necks" into separate species (such as the Western Ring Neck) - while other books lump the group into a single species with different races.

    So, we agree we are talking about the same bird (as defined by the formal name) - but are using different common names.

    Cheers - SM

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  32. Arija17 July 2013 at 20:46

    Stewart, I was not questioning the "Ringneck", just the "Western", since the territory of the Ringneck goes up to the Blue Mountains in NSW and the "Port Lincoln" variety, which has those distinctive red spots and all those that i have seen here is SA, where they extend from Port LIncoln up into the Flinders Ranges have green heads.
    Sorry, did not mean to raise your heckles.

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  33. Unknown17 July 2013 at 21:09

    beautifully captured. great bird pictures.
    greetings babs

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  34. Kerri Farley17 July 2013 at 21:09

    Beauty and Brains!! Great shots Stewart!! I LOVE that you caught him with that sugar packet!!

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  35. Ercotravels17 July 2013 at 21:39

    Wow, Lovely parrots!

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  36. Stewart M17 July 2013 at 21:51

    Hello again Arija!

    No heckles raised - but I still dont think we are on the same page yet.

    I think my bird is an example of the race of Australian Ring Necked Parrot, that in some books is called the Western Ringneck. As far as I am aware the taxonomy of this bird has changed over time - and from what I seem to be able to find out some birds that were once considered different species have been lumped together - and the bird in my picture is an example of the race that is (in some places) specifically called the Western Ringneck.

    So the Australian Ringneck in my picture is (I think) Barnardius zonarius zonarius and the Australian Ringneck that occurs on the east B.z. barnardi.

    All the field marks you are taking about are correct for the different races.

    The whole joke is that I have four books in front of me, none of which tell the same story!! SM

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  37. Arija17 July 2013 at 22:30

    LOL,LOL,LOL, I'm giggling away merrily. Oneupmanship ahoy, I've got 5 books scattered around me and no two agree! Talk about precision of nomenclature.
    I'll post the Flinders Ranges version of the Ringneck next week. There seems to be total confusion among the experts.
    Isn't this fun?

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  38. grammie g17 July 2013 at 23:00

    Hi Stewart ...Not the kind of bird I would see in my neck of the woods unless it was in a cage : (!!
    What a character made me laugh when I saw the sugar packet !!
    Very nice your photo's!!
    Grace

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  39. Anonymous17 July 2013 at 23:17

    What beautiful, intelligent birds! Love the shot with the sugar packet.

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  40. Arija17 July 2013 at 23:24

    I'm in complete agreement on the handsome stakes Stewart.

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  41. Small City Scenes18 July 2013 at 01:41

    What a beautiful bird. You are so lucky to have these birds around you. MB

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  42. Maude Lynn18 July 2013 at 02:52

    That shot with the sugar packet is just awesome!

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  43. Anonymous18 July 2013 at 04:16

    Too Cute!

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  44. Rohrerbot18 July 2013 at 10:11

    Very cool parrot. Another new one that I wasn't aware of....thank you:)

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  45. Gemma Wiseman18 July 2013 at 20:19

    Such fascinating colouring! Intrigued by the darker colours round the face and the lighter and brighter ones elsewhere! A handsome guy!

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  46. Phil Slade19 July 2013 at 01:13

    If a bird can "look" clever than that one surely does Stewart. Iconic place to visit and looks impressive.

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  47. Wally19 July 2013 at 02:41

    Typical Australian: smart, good looking, likes sweet things and difficult to identify until it speaks.

    Great shots, Stewart!

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  48. Anonymous19 July 2013 at 09:24

    Beautiful! I love the brightly colored birds you share with us.

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  49. Mary Howell Cromer19 July 2013 at 21:58

    Oh what lovely Parrots and the image with the sugar packet is really fun. Very nice bird share, and always a swell treat. Happy weekend Stewart~

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  50. NatureFootstep21 July 2013 at 08:01

    it IS a nice bird. At least to look at.

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