Species Psephotellus varius Clark, 1910

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CAVS: 0296

Species Psephotellus varius Clark, 1910

Mulga Parrot

Psephotus varius Clark, A.H. 1910. A new name for Psephotus multicolor. Auk 27: 80 [80] [nom. nov. for Psittacus multicolor Kuhl, 1820 and Psittacus multicolor Temminck, 1821, preoccupied].
Psittacus multicolor Kuhl, H. 1820. Conspectus Psittacorum. Cum specierum definitionibus, novarum descriptionibus, synonymis et circa patriam singularum naturalem adversariis, adjecto indice museorum, ubi earum artificiosae exuviae servantur. Nova Acta Physico-Medica Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae 10: 1-104 pls I-III [55] [ex R. Brown ms, junior homonym of Psittacus multicolor Gmelin, 1788 (=Trichoglossus haematodus moluccanus (Gmelin, 1788))].
Type data:
Holotype BMNH 1863.7.6.7 ♂ adult (ex Linnean Society of London coll.), Bay xii near Mt Brown, head of Spencer Gulf, SA (as Nova Hollandia)
Comment: for identification of holotype, see Salvadori, T. 1891. Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum. Catalogue of the Psittaci, or Parrots. London : British Museum Vol. 20 xvii 658 pp. XVIII pls (567); Warren, R.L.M. 1966. Type-specimens of Birds in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. 1 Non-Passerines. London : British Museum ix 320 pp.
Type locality references:
Mathews, G.M. 1917. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 6 pt 5 pp. 373-444 pls 308-316. [Date published 11 Sept. 1917: volume dated as 1916-1917 Mathews, G.M. 1919. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 7 pt 5 pp. 385–499 + xii pls 363–370 Appendixes A & B [publication dated as from preface, 12 June 1919 given in Appendix B] (Appendix B)] [408] (Whittell, H.M. 1954. The Literature of Australian Birds: a History and Bibliography of Australian Ornithology. Perth : Paterson Brokensha xi 116 788 pp. [51]; cf. Warren, R.L.M. 1966. Type-specimens of Birds in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. 1 Non-Passerines. London : British Museum ix 320 pp.).
Psittacus multicolor Temminck, C.J. 1821. Account of some new species of birds of the genera Psittacus and Columba, in the Museum of the Linnean Society. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 13: 107-130 [publication dated as 1822] [119] [junior homonym of Psittacus multicolor Gmelin, 1788 (=Trichoglossus haematodus moluccanus (Gmelin, 1788)); junior primary homonym and junior objective synonym of Psittacus multicolor Kuhl, 1820 (q.v.), based on same specimen and submitted independently for publication, see entries under H. Kuhl and C.J. Temminck in Mathews, G.M. 1925. The Birds of Australia. Supplements 4 & 5. Bibliography of the Birds of Australia Pts 1 & 2. London : H.F. & G. Witherby viii 149 pp.; and Whittell, H.M. 1954. The Literature of Australian Birds: a History and Bibliography of Australian Ornithology. Perth : Paterson Brokensha xi 116 788 pp. (51)].
Type data:
Holotype BMNH 1863.7.6.7 ♂ adult (ex Linnean Society of London coll.), Bay xii near Mt Brown, head of Spencer Gulf, SA (as Spencer's Gulf à la côte sud de la Nouvelle Hollande).
Type locality references:
Mathews, G.M. 1917. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 6 pt 5 pp. 373-444 pls 308-316. [Date published 11 Sept. 1917: volume dated as 1916-1917 Mathews, G.M. 1919. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 7 pt 5 pp. 385–499 + xii pls 363–370 Appendixes A & B [publication dated as from preface, 12 June 1919 given in Appendix B] (Appendix B)] [408] (Whittell, H.M. 1954. The Literature of Australian Birds: a History and Bibliography of Australian Ornithology. Perth : Paterson Brokensha xi 116 788 pp. [51]; cf. Warren, R.L.M. 1966. Type-specimens of Birds in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. 1 Non-Passerines. London : British Museum ix 320 pp.).
Psephotus dulciei Mathews, G.M. 1911. On some necessary alterations in the nomenclature of birds. Pt II. Novitates Zoologicae 18: 1-22 [For publication date Mathews, G.M. 1913. New generic names, with some notes on others. Austral Avian Records 2: 55–62] [14] [nom. nov. for Psittacus multicolor Kuhl, 1820 (and Psittacus multicolor Temminck, 1821), preoccupied].
Psephotus varius rosinae Mathews, G.M. 1912. A Reference-List to the Birds of Australia. Novitates Zoologicae 18: 171-455 [Date published 31 Jan 1912] [277].
Type data:
Holotype AMNH 623408 ♂ (G.M. Mathews' coll. no. 9293), Stansbury, Yorke Peninsula, SA (as Yorke's Peninsula, South Australia)
Comment: for identification and locality of holotype, see Greenway, J.C. 1978. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Pt 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 161: 1–306.
Psephotus varius exsul Mathews, G.M. 1912. A Reference-List to the Birds of Australia. Novitates Zoologicae 18: 171-455 [Date published 31 Jan 1912] [277].
Type data:
Holotype AMNH 623348 ♂ (G.M. Mathews' coll. no. 5162), Mt Magnet road, WA (as West Australia (Mt Magnet))
Comment: for identification and locality of holotype, see Greenway, J.C. 1978. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Pt 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 161: 1–306.
Psephotus varius ethelae Mathews, G.M. 1917. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 6 pts 2 pp.105-516 pls 283-324. [Date published Sept. 1917: publication dated as 1916–1917] [408] [also as an alternative name, Clarkona varia ethelae Mathews, 1917 in protologue].
Type data:
Holotype AMNH 623355 ♂ (G.M. Mathews' coll. no. unspecified), Macdonnell Ranges, NT
Comment: for identification of holotype, see Greenway, J.C. 1978. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Pt 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 161: 1–306.
Psephotus varius orientalis Mathews, G.M. 1917. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 6 pt 5 pp. 373-444 pls 308-316. [Date published 11 Sept. 1917: volume dated as 1916-1917 Mathews, G.M. 1919. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 7 pt 5 pp. 385–499 + xii pls 363–370 Appendixes A & B [publication dated as from preface, 12 June 1919 given in Appendix B] (Appendix B)] [408] [also as an alternative name, Clarkona varia orientalis Mathews, 1917 in protologue; holotype illustrated on pl. 311 (top) and described in detail on p. 402].
Type data:
Holotype AMNH 623375 ♂ (G.M. coll. no. 6268), Underbool, VIC
Comment: for identification of holotype, see Greenway, J.C. 1978. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Pt 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 161: 1–306.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

Schodde, R. in Schodde, R. & Mason, I.J. 1997. Aves (Columbidae to Coraciidae). In, Houston, W.W.K. & Wells, A. (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia Vol. 37.2 xiii 440 pp. [192] (based on Lendon, A.H. 1973. Australian Parrots in Field and Aviary. The comprehensive revised edition of Neville Cayley's standard work. Sydney : Angus & Robertson xxx 342 pp. XIII pls)

Introduction

McElroy et al. (2018) presented evidence that this species consists of two subspecies, distributed on either side of the "Eyrean Barrier" ca. 137°45'S (see Schodde & Mason, 1999); the western subspecies extending to southwest WA, and the eastern population to central NSW. They declined to name the subspecies pending further research on specimens from the Flinders Ranges.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

All inland southern Australia, south-west to Moora-Quairading-Lake Grace-Dundas, WA—west to west coast between Eneabba and Minilya River, Pilbara—north to about Nullagine, upper Oakover River and southern fringe of Great Sandy Desert, WA, the central Tanami Desert and Elkedra River-Tarlton Range, NT, and, absent from the Simpson-Strzelecki Deserts and Lake Eyre depression to the Grey Range at Quilpie, Charleville and lower Condamine River, QLD—east to far western outliers of Great Dividing Range on Moonie River, QLD, and Garah-Gulargambone-Peak Hill-Weddin Mts-Rand, NSW—south to Murray Mallee and Big Desert, VIC, and Ninety-mile Desert, Lake Alexandrina, N Adelaide Plains (avoiding Mt Lofty Range), and Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas, SA, patchily along coast west to about Esperance, WA.

Note that conversion of the original AFD map of states, drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones to IBRA and IMCRA regions may have produced errors. The new maps will be reviewed and corrected as updates occur. The maps may not indicate the entire distribution. See further details below.

IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones (map not available)

IBRA

NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Burt Plain (BRT), Carnarvon (CAR), Channel Country (CHC), Coolgardie (COO), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Central Ranges (CR), Dampierland (DL), Davenport Murchison Ranges (DMR), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Finke (FIN), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Gascoyne (GAS), Gawler (GAW), Gibson Desert (GD), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Great Sandy Desert (GSD), Great Victoria Desert (GVD), Hampton (HAM), Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), Little Sandy Desert (LSD), Mallee (MAL), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Mulga Lands (ML), Murchison (MUR), Nandewar (NAN), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Nullarbor (NUL), Pilbara (PIL), Riverina (RIV), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields (SSD), Stony Plains (STP), Sturt Plateau (STU), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tanami (TAN), Victorian Midlands (VM), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

Australia
- New South Wales: Bulloo River basin, Lake Eyre basin, Murray-Darling basin
- Northern Territory: W plateau
- Queensland: Bulloo River basin, Lake Eyre basin, Murray-Darling basin
- South Australia: Lake Eyre basin, Murray-Darling basin, S Gulfs, W plateau
- Victoria: Murray-Darling basin
- Western Australia: NW coastal, SW coastal, W plateau

Ecological Descriptors

Arboreal, diurnal, folivore, granivore, gregarious, low open woodland, low woodland, nomadic, resident, terrestrial, volant, woodland.

Extra Ecological Information

Seasonal breeder, sexually dimorphic, in low mallee and mulga (Acacia aneura) woodlands, feeds mainly on seeds on ground and low shrubs, flocks in small groups or pairs, flies low in shallow undulations bringing wings in to side of body, nests on bed of wood dust/debris in tree hollows, incubation by female, both sexes rear pale grey-downed, yellowish-billed chicks, wanders locally or regionally to seasonal food sources.