Mallee Ringneck Parrots / Barnard's Parakeets
Ringneck / Long-tailed Parakeets ... Ringneck Photo Gallery
Ringnecks as Pets
Understanding & Training Your Ringneck
Breeding
Distribution:
The Mallee Ringnecks - also known as the Mallee Parrots -- are native to south-eastern Australia. They are common in mallee scrub, open woodlands. These parrots blend extremely well with their surroundings. They are often seen in pairs or family groups feeding in branches or shrubs.
Their natural diet includes seeds of grasses, herbs, fruit, blossoms, leaf buds and insects and larvae.
Breeding:
These parrots spend considerable time preparing the choosing and preparing the nesting site. They line the bottom of the tree hollow with decaying wood dust and make a shallow depression for the eggs.
The courting male chatters constantly while crouching in front of the female, with his tail fanned and moving quickly from side to side. During this mating display, he squares his shoulders and wings and vibrates them slightly,
The hen lays usually four to six white eggs, which she incubates for 20-21 days. The young fledge when the are about 30 days old.
Description:
This parrot averages 13.75 ins. (35 cm) in length.
Overall plumage is green; crown and sides to head bright green, cheeks with slight bluish tinge; red band to forehead; nape olive-brown with adjoining yellow collar on back of neck; lower back blue-black; breast and abdomen turquoise with a variable orange-yellow band; bend of wing blue becoming blue-green on lesser wing-coverts; greater wing-coverts yellowish-green; secondaries dull green; primaries and primary-coverts dark blue; under wing-coverts blue; middle tail-feathers dark green with blue tips, outer feathers blue with pale tips; bill grey-whitish; narrow periophthalmic ring grey; iris dark brown; feet grey.
Females with paler plumage; back and lower back dark grey-green; under wing-coverts greyish; pale under-wing stripe usually visible.
Immatures with duller plumage than female; nape and back of crown brownish; blue to cheeks usually more extensive; back and lower back grey-green; under-wing stripe usually present.
Training and Behavioral Guidance:
Pet parrots generally present challenges, such as excessive chewing - especially at certain stages in their life. They do discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined parrots will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. They regard anything in your home as a "toy" that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation.
- Web Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training.
- If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
- Stop Biting
- Perform Tricks &
- Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
Taxonomy:
Species: Scientific: Platycercus barnardi barnardi aka Barnardius barnardi barnardi ... English: Mallee Ringneck Parrot, Barnard's Parakeet ... Dutch: Barnards Parkiet, Barnards Rosella ... German: Barnardsittich, Gelbnackensittich ... French: Rosella de Barnard
Sub-Species: macgillivrayi, whitei, barnardi
CITES II - Endangered Species
Sub-species:
Paler Mallee Ringneck Parrots:
Distribution: South Australia
Description: As Mallee Ringneck Parrots (Barnard's Parakeets, barnadi) top photo to the right, but with variable plumage as this sub-species hybridises with B.b. barnardi as well as with the Port Lincoln Parrot (Barnardius zonarius) in Flinders Ranges; however, generally with duller plumage, especially to breast and abdomen where turquoise absent; back and lower back grey-green to dark green, sometimes with dark blue tinge. Female with paler plumage as female of B. b barnardi. 
Length: 35 cm (13.75 ins)
Species: Scientific: Platycercus barnardi whitei aka Barnardius barnardi whitei ... English: Paler Mallee Ringneck Parrot ... Dutch: Barnards Parkiet van Lake Eyre ... German: Blasser Barnardsittich, Lake Eyre Barnardsittich ... French: Rosella de White
CITES II - Endangered Species
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with web visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the webmaster.
Photo contributions are welcome!
