BLUE-CHEEKED PARROT. 
North Queensland. One pair seen. This is not an east coast bird ; only a 
casual visitor to the Cardwell district. Common at Chinchilla and on some of 
the western rivers — namely, the Alice, near Barcaldine, and at Springsure, 
Central District.” 
Campbell (same volume, p. 339), observed : “ Platycercus amafbusia . 
Amongst the collection of Cape York skins made by Mr. Barnard, and kindly 
loaned by Mr. White, is a series of this beautiful yellow-headed Parrot. As 
Gould states, it is nearly allied to the paler-headed P. 'pallidiceps, but differs 
in “ the greener tone of the colouring of the body, and in the rich blue cheeks.” 
However, the blue upon the cheeks is variable in the specimens under notice, 
there being more or less white on the upper part of the cheek. This variableness 
is apparently due to age, because in two specimens (<J and $), evidently 
immature, the cheeks are almost wholly blue, while there are patches of red 
feathers upon the head.” 
Barnard’s field notes (Emu, Vol. XI., p. 23, 1911) read: “Pound in 
forest country, mostly on the west coast of Cape York Peninsula, feeding 
usually on the seeds of the black tea tree. When first noticed these birds were 
in small flocks of 4 or 5, and, from the state of the plumage, there were old 
birds and young. A bird shot on 15th October, 1910, proved to be a young 
male, which had evidently been hatched about April, and was in a very 
immature state of plumage. Specimens obtained in January, 1911, were in 
full breeding plumage, and I noticed birds examining nesting hollows. From 
this it is evident that the breeding season is from February to June, or 
thereabouts.” 
Macgillivray wrote (Emu, Vol. XIII., p. 157, 1914) : “ Mr. M‘Lennan 
made his first acquaintance with this species at Lockerbie, Cape York, when 
in company with Mr. Barnard, in January, 1911. He afterwards found them 
more plentiful on the Jardine River, where several specimens were obtained. 
One nest, found in May, contained newly hatched young birds. Front 
anatomical appearances of specimens obtained in March, this would be the 
usual nesting season for this bird. Like the other broad-tail Parrakeets, it is a 
seed-eater, and its habits are much the same as those of the more southern 
members of the genus. The colouring of the soft parts is as follows : — Irides 
brown, bill bluish white, legs dark grey.” 
D. Le Souef wrote in the Emu , Vol. III., p. 55, 1903 : “ This bird ranges 
over Northern Australia, and is very similar to the Pale-headed Parrakeet. 
It was nesting in the Port Darwin district in July.” Such an entrance as this 
is valueless and moreover perplexing. No indication is given as to whether 
skins were obtained or the species only guessed at. If the former it would be 
a valuable record as the species has not otherwise been recorded from that 
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