Батыс Аустралияның қызыл басқақ тұқилығы

Species of bird endemic to Western Australia
the South American parrot of the same name

The red capped parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius) is a species of broad tailed parrot native to southwestern Australia. It was described by Heinrich Kuhl in 1820, with no subspecies recognised. It has long been classified in its own genus owing to its distinctive elongated beak, though genetic analysis shows that it lies within the lineage of the Psephotellus parrots and that its closest relative is the mulga parrot (Psephotellus varius). Not easily confused with other parrot species, it has a bright crimson crown, green yellow cheeks, and a distinctive long bill. The wings, back, and long tail are dark green, and the underparts are purple blue. The adult female is very similar though sometimes slightly duller than the male; her key distinguishing feature is a white stripe on the wing under surface. Juveniles are predominantly green. Found in woodland and open savanna country, the red capped parrot is predominantly herbivorous, consuming seeds, particularly of eucalypts, as well as flowers and berries, but insects are occasionally eaten. Nesting takes place in tree hollows, generally of older large trees. Although the red capped parrot has been shot as a pest and has been affected by land clearing, the population is growing and the species is considered of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It has a reputation of being anxious and difficult to breed in captivity.

The species was described in 1820 by Heinrich Kuhl, as Psittacus spurius, from an immature specimen collected at Albany, Western Australia by the Baudin expedition (1801–1803) and deposited at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. The specific epithet spurius is the Latin adjective meaning "illegitimate", and refers to the markedly different adult and immature plumages (hence appearing unrelated). Irish naturalist Nicholas Aylward Vigors named the species Platycercus pileatus in 1830 from an adult male specimen that had been acquired by the Zoological Society of London. It was placed in the monotypic genus Purpureicephalus—as P. pileatus—by French biologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854. The generic name is an amalgam of the Latin purpureus "purple", and the Ancient Greek kephalé "head". In this generic combination, the current name is translated as "bastard red head". The red capped parrot's elongated bill and its unusual coloration—lack of cheek patches compared with Platycercus—are the main reasons for its placement in its own genus. No subspecies are recognised currently. There is no known geographical variation; five birds from Esperance had smaller bills and tarsi than individuals from elsewhere in its range, but the sample was too small to draw any conclusions. The red capped parrot is related to other broad tailed parrots, but relationships within the group had been unclear. In 1938, Australian ornithologist Dominic Serventy proposed that it was the sole survivor of a lineage of eastern Australian origin, with no close living relatives. In 1955, British evolutionary biologist Arthur Cain proposed that the eastern lineage had vanished after being outcompeted by the crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans), and that its closest relative was the horned parakeet (Eunymphicus cornutus) of New Caledonia, which he concluded had adopted a much greener plumage of a wetter climate. "Red capped parrot" has been designated the official name by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC). English ornithologist John Gould used the name "red capped parakeet" in 1848 based on Vigors' scientific name, which also inspired the old avicultural term "pileated parrot". It has also been called "western king parrot" to distinguish it from the Australian king parrot (Alisterus scapularis) occurring in the east, "purple crowned parrot", "grey parrot", or "hookbill" for the distinctive upper mandible. The name "pileated parakeet" potentially causes confusion among aviarists with the South American pileated parrot (Pionopsitta pileata).

The red capped parrot has a long bill and bright, clear patterned plumage, variously described as magnificent, gaudy, or clownishly coloured.

The parrots are found in pairs or small groups of 4 to 6 individuals, or occasionally in larger flocks of 20–30 birds. Rarely a flock of up to 100 birds may be encountered; these are generally composed of juveniles. Birds may associate with Australian ringneck parrots (Barnardius zonarius) or western rosellas (Platycercus icterotis). The red capped parrot is shy, and often retreats to the upper canopy of trees if disturbed, which has made study of its breeding and social behaviour difficult. Hence many aspects of these are poorly known. The red capped parrot is thought to be monogamous, pairs forming long term bonds generally from around 20 months of age. Younger females have been recorded pairing with older males at 8 or 9 months old, but do not appear able to breed at this age. The male initiates courtship by following the female and making a contact call, as well as performing a courtship display. This involves it raising its crown feathers, ruffling its crown and rump feathers, lowering its wings to display its rump, and raising and flaring its tail feathers. The female often stoops low and gives out a food begging call. These displays begin before a nest site is chosen and continue through the breeding season until around two weeks after the young have fledged.

The breeding season is August to December. The red capped parrot needs mature trees large enough to have hollows in the trunk or branches. These trees can be on road verges, along water courses, or in paddocks, as well as forest or woodland. Nests are generally apart, and pairs defend them vigorously from other birds, particularly other red capped parrots, for the duration of nesting. The nest site is a tree hollow generally in an older large tree, such as a marri, jarrah, tuart, flooded gum (Eucalyptus rudis) or paperbark (Melaleuca spp. ), at a height between , averaging around above the ground and often north or east facing. A lower entrance, narrow with a larger hollow, recorded at was considered exceptional. There are often chew marks at the entrance, which is wide. The hollow is deep and is lined with wood dust at the bottom. Any viable seed that is consumed may be undigested and dispersed. Although the red capped parrot eats fewer introduced plant species than other parrots, it does eat the seeds of slender thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus), sheep thistle (C. tenuiflorus), and variegated thistle (Silybum marianum). The species has also adapted to exploit the introduction of orchard fruit such as apples and pears and the gardens of suburban areas. The fruit of other cultivated introductions are also selected, including almond, nectarine, olive, peaches, plums, pomegranates, and white cedar (Melia azedarach). Insects such as psyllids also form part of their diet. The red capped parrot primarily feeds on the ground, clasping the capsule of eucalypts or cones of sheoak with one foot and extracting the seed with their slender hooked beak. Both species prise marri seeds out of their woody capsule by manipulating it with the foot and lower mandible, and inserting the point of the upper mandible at openings in the seed dispersing valve. The red capped parrot leaves shallow marks around the opening of the capsule, with little damage to the husk. The species mainly feeds and manipulates objects with its left foot; limited sampling of Australian parrot species indicates that laterality is associated with larger size, and many of these are left footed, though two other broad tailed parrot species (crimson rosella and Australian ringneck) are right footed, and smaller species show no preference.

A parasitic protozoan, Eimeria purpureicephali, was isolated and described from a diseased bird in 2016. It is an intracellular parasite that lives in the host's gastrointestinal system. Species of bird louse recorded on the red capped parrot include Forficuloecus palmai, Heteromenopon kalamundae and a member of the genus Neopsittaconirmus. Psittacine beak and feather disease virus was isolated and sequenced from a fledgling in 2016.

Its attractive colours make the red capped parrot a desirable species to keep, although it has a reputation for being anxious in captivity and difficult to breed. This may be because of historically high proportion of wild caught birds entering aviculture. The first record of successful reproduction in captivity was in England, almost simultaneously by two aviculturalists in 1909, the slightly earlier hatching of one brood saw Mr. Astley awarded a medal by the nation's Avicultural Society.