Northern Rosella
Platycercus venustus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPsittaciformes (Parrots)
- FamilyPsittacidae (New World and African Parrots)
- GenusPlatycercus (Rosellas)
- SpeciesPlatycercus venustus (Northern Rosella)
The northern rosella (Platycercus venustus), formerly known as Brown's rosella or the smutty rosella, is a species of parrot native to northern Australia, ranging from the Gulf of Carpentaria and Arnhem Land to the Kimberley. It was described by Heinrich Kuhl in 1820, and two subspecies are recognised. The species is unusually coloured for a rosella, with a dark head and neck with pale cheeks—predominantly white in the subspecies from the Northern Territory and blue in the Western Australian subspecies hillii. The northern rosella's mantle and scapulars are black with fine yellow scallops, while its back, rump and underparts are pale yellow with fine black scallops. The long tail is blue-green, and the wings are black and blue-violet. The sexes have similar plumage, while females and younger birds are generally duller with occasional spots of red. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Rosella sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 129 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Kakadu National Park
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita
Little Corella
Cacatua sanguinea
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus banksii
Red-collared Lorikeet
Trichoglossus rubritorquis
Red-winged Parrot
Aprosmictus erythropterus
Varied Lorikeet
Psitteuteles versicolor
Galah
Eolophus roseicapilla
Cockatiel
Nymphicus hollandicus
Budgerigar
Melopsittacus undulatus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Rosella in Kakadu National Park?
About 9% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Rosella sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 129 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northern Rosella in Kakadu National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Northern Rosella in Kakadu National Park in our monthly data.