The rock parrot (Neophema petrophila) is a species of grass parrot native to Australia. Described by John Gould in 1841, it is a small parrot .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0 ;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub }.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip- path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hi dden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}22 to 24 cm (8+3⁄4 to 9+1⁄2 in) long and weighing 50 to 60 g (1+3⁄4 to 2 oz) with predominantly olive-brown upperparts and more yellowish underparts. Its head is olive with light blue forecheeks and lores, and a dark blue frontal band line across the crown with lighter blue above and below. The sexes are similar in appearance, although the female tends to have a duller frontal band and less blue on the face. The preferred habitats are rocky islands and coastal dune areas from Lake Alexandrina in southeastern South Australia westwards across coastal South and Western Australia to Shark Bay. Unlike other grass parrots, it nests in burrows or rocky crevices mostly on offshore islands such as Rottnest Island. Seeds of grasses and succulent plants form the bulk of its diet. The species is not threatened, but it has suffered in the face of feral mammals.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_parrot
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1693:
The most powerful earthquake recorded in Italy, registering 7.4 Mw, struck the island of Sicily. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1693_Sicily_earthquake
1914:
The Karluk, the flagship of the Canadian Arctic Expedition, sank after being crushed by ice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_voyage_of_the_Karluk
1964:
In a landmark report (cover pictured), U.S. surgeon general Luther Terry issued a warning that tobacco smoking may be hazardous to health, concluding that it has a causative role in lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and other illnesses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_and_Health
2003:
After Chicago police detective Jon Burge was discovered to have forced confessions from more than 200 suspects, the governor of Illinois commuted the death sentences of 167 prisoners and pardoned four others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Burge
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
ornery: 1. (originally and chiefly US, especially Appalachia, informal) Disagreeable, stubborn, and troublesome to deal with; cantankerous. 2. (Southern US, humorous, informal) Troublesome to deal with in a good way; mischievous, prankish, teasing. 3. (obsolete) Ordinary, commonplace; hence, inferior, plain-looking, unpleasant. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ornery
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Faith is something that comes out of the soul. It is not an information that is absorbed but an attitude, existing prior to the formulation of any creed. --Abraham Joshua Heschel https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Abraham_Joshua_Heschel