#polytelis

Regent Parrot or Rock Pebbler (Polytelis anthopeplus), family Psittaculidae, order Psittaciformes, found across southern Australia

Regent Parrot or Rock Pebbler (Polytelis anthopeplus), family Psittaculidae, order Psittaciformes, SW Australia

Superb Parrot (Polytelis swainsonii), male, family Psittaculidae, ACT, Australia

Superb Parrot (Polytelis swainsonii), male, family Psittaculidae, Canberra, ACT, Australia

AKA, here in the SW, as Waukanga and Wouk-un-ga, and Walkinger, yalop and wookonga. Common names in English include rock pebbler, rock peplar (probably onomatopoeic) , Murray smoker, Marlock parakeet, yellow king-parrot and regent parakeet.

Originally described and illustrated in 1831 by Edward Lear - the same Lear that wrote The Owl and the Pussycat and other nonsense verse - but he named the male and female as different species. Unhelpfully, it didn't include location info for the parrots, nor type specimen information, so for the next 189 years there was considerable confusion as to where he got them from, which subspecies was which, and where they lived. As of 2010, the western subspecies is P. a. anthopeplus and the Eastern P. anthopeplus monarchoides.

Common in eucalyptus woodlands in Southern Australia, although the eastern subspecies is considered vulnerable. Here in Western Australia, they're considered an agricultural pest, since the diet is mostly grass seed.

SO JEAL

:')