Distrmution and TAXONOMIC NOTES on SOME PARROTS from WESTERN AUSTRALIA by JULIAN FO~, Western Australian Institute of Technology
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THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST 99 DISTRmUTION AND TAXONOMIC NOTES ON SOME PARROTS FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA By JULIAN FO~, Western Australian Institute of Technology. SUMMARY species as occurring in the tall mallee, Euca The distribution limits of Platycercus lcterotis, lyptus oleosa, woodland along the Hampton Neophema bourkii, Psephoius ·haematogaster Scarp near Madura. There seems no valid narethae and Pezoporus wallicus flaviventris are reason to doubt this record. outlined. Geographic variation in Platycercus icterotis and Pezoporus wallicus is described. The generic status of the Bourke Parrot and Night Variation Parrot are discussed: the placement of the Bourke The Western Rosella is usually divided Parrot in N eopsephotus is questioned; the relation ship between the Night and Ground Parrots is into two subspecies, viz. nominate icterotis considered to be close enough for the two to be Kuhl in the wet sclerophyll forest block of placed in the genus Pezoporus. the South-West, and xanthogenys Salvadori in the eastern and northern parts of the PLATYCERCUS ICTEROTIS. species' range (Condon, 1941; Cain, 1955; Western Rosella. Serventy and Whittell, 1962). In xantho Distribution genys the green and yellow plumage is paler The eastern limit of the range of the and the distal margins of the back feathers Western Rosella is usually given as Lake are red instead of green. These differences Dundas (Serventy and Whittell, 1962). are due to an overall decrease in the Tyndall McColl (1929), however, reported the effect, less deposition of yellow carotenoid, 100 THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST and the replacement of yellow by red caro Several observations are from the southern tenoid pigment. part of the Gibson Desert and the northern The intergradation between icterotis and part of the Great Victoria Desert. xanthogenys appears to be stepped. In order Faulkner Hill, Great Victoria Desert. One to explain the narrow zone of intergradation, flew along a mulga-fringed watercourse on Cain (1955) suggested that while there is May 23, 1966. considerable gene flow within the range of Watt Creek, Great Victoria Desert. Two xanthogenys, nominate icterotis is partially in mulga on May 13, 1968. isolated by mountain barriers and dense Miss Gibson Hill, Great Victoria Desert. forest. However, since there are no moun Three pairs in mulga scrub on May 14, 1968. tain barriers and the species occurs conti Warburton Mission. Several pairs seen nuously and plentifully from the lower south and apparently common in mulga, 20 miles west forested corner to the more open east, on May 25, 1966. eucalypt woodland formations, this sugges Gahnda Rock Hole, Great Victoria tion is untenable. Other factors must be Desert. Two came in to drink during the operating to reduce gene flow between the middle of the day when the weather was two forms. Possibly there is very little dis fairly warm on May 25, 1966. persal of birds. The colour variation is Beegull (Pikal) Rock Hole, Great Victoria apparently due to a simple genetic difference Desert. Two in mulga, 17 miles east on (cf. Condon, 1959) and, therefore, the va September 2, 1965. About 20 in mulga on riation gradient is possibly maintained by stony hills on May 12, 1968. selection arising from climatic factors. Garden Mill, 3 miles east of Laverton. However, is it possible that the difference Several came in to the mill in the morning developed while the two colour forms were of May 16, 1966. in isolation and now selection against gene Carnegie Homestead. One flock flew over introgression, because of partial genetic open mulga, 21 miles east, on September 5, incompatability, is maintaining a narrow 1966. zone of intergradation? If the colour dif Mt, Nossiter, Gibson Desert. A flock in ferences between nominate icterotis and mulga country, 19 miles west, on September xanthogenys have an ecotypic basis and 5, 1966. evolved without the intervention of geo Mt. William Lambert, Gibson Desert. A graphic discontinuities, then no subspecies flock in mulga country on September 5, should be recognised. 1966. Platycercus icterotis is one of several Mungilli Claypan, Gibson Desert. Two species in the South-West which require col birds, 3 miles east on September 6, 1966. lecting along radial transects outwards from Well 48, Canning Stock Route. K. G. the south-west corner (d. Serventy, 1953). Buller saw a flock of 28 fly over on July Such collecting will provide important in 9, 1943. formation on the situation at the zone of Granite Peaks. Two in mulga, 27 miles contact between nominate icterotis and south, on August 25, 1962. According to xanthogenys. Mrs. C. Smith of Granite Peaks, it is com mon in the area. NEOPHEMA BOURKII. Bourke Parrot. Glenayle Station. Two on August 26, 1962. According to Mr. A. Ward of Distribution Glenayle, it is plentiful in the area. In a previous contribution (Ford, 1961), Windich Spring, Canning Stock Route. observations were presented which showed Small flocks came in to drink at dawn on that the Bourke Parrot is abundant in the August 30 and September 1, 1962, until mulga vegetation zone of mid-Western Aus they numbered a few hundred. None came tralia. Further observations (by me except in at dusk possibly because the weather where indicated) now show that it is distri was cool. buted from the west coast right through Lake Nabberu. Four in mulga on south the mulga country to Central Australia and side on April 17, 1964. South Australia, the main distribution limits New Springs. Two, 15 miles north, and being the mulga-eucalypt line in the south one, 2 miles north, on April 17, 1964. and the mulga-spinifex line in the north. Davyhurst and Callion. Common accord- THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST 101 ing to a station-hand at Credo interviewed PSEPHOTUS HAEMATOGASTER. on May 12, 1964. Blue Bonnet. Jeedamya Station. Small flocks in mulga Distribution on January 16, 1965. Apart from Cain (1955), recent authors Nichol Springs, Ethel River. Numerous (Serventy and Whittell, 1962; Forshaw, 1963) give the range of the Little Blue in early morning of August 26, 1964. Bonnet, P.h. nareihae, as the country on the Yilbrinna Gorge, Tunnel Creek. Small western and north-western edge of the Nul flocks came in to drink at dawn on August larbor Plain and have ignored McColl's 31, 1964. record (1929) of its occurrence in numbers Lyons Soak, Ashburton River. Small above the Hampton Scarp, between Madura flocks at dawn on May 14, 1965. and Eucla, Its presence on the southern Old Ullawarra. Two birds in mulga edge of the Nullarbor Plain has been con minnieritchie scrub, 7 miles north, on May firmed personally. 17, 1965. In January, 1966, while travelling through the myall, Acacia sotodenii, and bluebush, Billabalong. Several in mulga, 12 miles Kockia spp., savannah between Euda and north on May 20, 1965. Mundrabilla, north of the Hampton Scarp, Overlander, Hamelin Pool Station. Small I saw at least three pairs of Naretha Parrots. flocks started to arrive at a nearby mill at According to Mr. R. Langford, the manager 5.50 a.m, on April 22, 1962, until they of Mundrabilla Station, it is quite common. numbered about 100 birds, and disappeared Further confirmation of its presence in the well before sunrise which was at about 6.50 myall woodland on the southern edge of the a.m. Nullarbor Plain comes from Mr. A. M. Warroora Station. G. M. Storr found Douglas who recorded it north of Madura, the species to be common in mulga near the and Mr. 1. C. Carnaby who saw it north coast. east of Eucla just east of the Western Aus tralian-South Australian border on Sep Generic Status tember 5, 1965. I also saw several pairs in Immelmann (1964) places the Bourke myall between Rawlinna and Cocklebiddy Parrot in a monotypic genus Neopsephotus in May, 1968. Mathews, a course which has been followed There is no doubt that narethae diverged by Serventy and Whittell (1967). The from the main haematogaster population reasons listed for this action are the bourkii while isolated and that it is still isolated from differs from all the other species of nominate haematogaster of the drier mallee Neophema in its coloration, way of life, areas of Eyre Peninsula and the myall body build and in not producing aviary country to the north of the Gawler Range. hybrids with the other six species. Though myall is more or less continuous I prefer to follow Cain (1955) and other from Eucla to Koonalda, narethae probably recent reviewers of the Platycercine parrots does not range much eastwards beyond Eucla by treating bourkii as constituting one of because of the lack of trees with suitable three species groups in Neophema, the others nesting hollows. At Mundrabilla and doubt being the pulchella and chrysogaster species less elsewhere on the southern edge of the groups, the latter with two subgroups (Cain, Nullarbor Plain, narethae nests in mallee loco cit; McGill, 1960). It is agreed that gums, Eucalyptus oleosa, and not in the bourkii is the most distinctive species but myall, trees since these do not have suitable more evidence should be gathered before a hollows. The mallee vegetation peters out definite decision is made on the species' just east of Euda and does not reappear generic position. The morphological and until near the Head of the Bight. The break ecological adaptations of bou'rkii indicate in the myall belt on the southern edge of that it has been a desert species for a much the plain between Koonalda and the Head longer period than N. splendida. The cre of the Bight operates as an additional distri puscular habit of visiting watering places bution barrier. On the northern edge of the and the somewhat drab plumage coloration plain, the eastern range limit of narethae is due to loss of yellow carotenoid are two probably where the mallee vegetated desert peculiar adaptations of bourkii.