Northern Rosella vs Pale-headed Rosella

Northern Rosella

Platycercus venustus

Medium89 gWoodland

Smaller than all rosella species except the western rosella, the adult northern rosella weighs 90 to 110 g (3.2 to 3.9 oz) and is 29 to 32 cm (11 to 13 in) long. It has broad wings with a wingspan of around 44 cm (17 in), and a long tail with twelve feathers. The sexes are almost indistinguishable, though some adult females have duller plumage and are more likely to have some red feathers on the head and breast.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Thomas Mesaglio · CC BY 4.0

Pale-headed Rosella

Platycercus adscitus

Medium111 gWoodland

The pale-headed rosella is 33 cm (13 in) long, which includes the 15 cm length of its tail. Its underparts are pale blue, and upper breast and head are pale cream-yellow, the tail which is blue-black and green and the vent which is blood red. The feathers of the nape, scapulars and back are black edged with bright yellow, giving rise to a scalloped appearance. In these margins of the northern race, the yellow is paler with a pale blue tinge. The cheeks are wholly white in the southern subspecies, and partly flushed with blue in the lowerparts in the northern subspecies.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Martin Hannan-Jones · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Northern Rosella and Pale-headed Rosella.