Australian Ringneck Barnardius zonarius

Australian Ringneck Barnardius zonarius
(aka Eastern Ringneck, Mallee Ringneck, Western Ringneck, Port Lincoln Ringneck)

Australian Ringneck, Wyperfield, Victoria, Australia, February 2006 - click for larger image

Australia
February / March 2006

There have been several different taxonomic treatments of this species in the past, most commonly the separation into two species: the Eastern or Mallee Ringneck Barnardius barnardi and the Western or Port Lincoln Ringneck B. zonarius.

Following Schodde & Mason (1997) these species have been treated as one: Australian Ringneck Barnardius zonarius with 4 sub-species: the nominate in the western part of Australia; B. z. semitorquatus in south-western WA; B. z. barnardi in eastern Australia and B. z. macgillivrayi in NT and Queensland.

Photos 1 and 2 show B. z. barnardi (the Mallee Ringneck) which has a dark red forehead, the yellow rear collar and a smallish yellow breast patch. Unfortunately these photos don't show the dark blue back which is a feature of this race.

Photos 3 and 4 were taken at Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia. These show hybrids of the races B. z. barnardi and the nominate B. z. zonarius. These have a larger yellow patch on the breast, a greyish-brown crown and a green back.

Australian Ringneck, Wilpena Pound, SA, Australia, March 2006 - click for larger image

There is a page on this species at Wikipedia.

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