Northern Yellow-banded Parrot & Dundas Yellow-collared Parrot (*Barnardius occidentalis / Barnardius dundasi*) – Original lithog

Yellow-Banded Parrots: Clean Harmony in Emerald and Gold

This original early twentieth-century hand-colored lithograph depicts Barnardius occidentalis (Northern Yellow-banded Parrot) and Barnardius dundasi (Dundas Yellow-collared Parrot), as titled on the plate. The sheet belongs to Gregory M. Mathews’ monumental publication The Birds of Australia, illustrated by Roland Green and issued by Witherby & Co.

Presented as a poised pair, the two parrots are arranged in quiet parallel, their long tails falling in elegant vertical lines. The composition is deliberately uncluttered, allowing the refined colour structure—emerald greens, deep blue head tones, and clear yellow banding—to read with exceptional clarity.

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Visual and Aesthetic Analysis

This plate is distinguished by its calm, almost architectural balance. Roland Green builds the image around two near-symmetrical silhouettes: the nearer bird slightly forward, the second set back in softer tonality, producing depth without theatrical gesture. The long tapering tails act as compositional anchors, emphasizing vertical elegance and giving the sheet a strong decorative presence.

The palette is controlled and luminous. The cool greens are layered through subtle feather modelling, while the yellow breast band provides a crisp focal rhythm across both birds. Darker wing shading and the blue-toned facial area introduce contrast, keeping the image vivid without becoming overpowering.

Minimal background foliage ensures a clean field of white space—an aspect that makes this print particularly versatile for modern interiors, where clarity and tonal harmony often outperform visual density.

About the Species

Yellow-banded and yellow-collared parrots are associated with Australia’s more arid woodland environments, where strong light and open habitat favour plumage patterns that read clearly at distance. Their long tails and upright posture place them among the most visually “graphic” of Australian parrots.

Mathews’ presentation of closely related forms within one plate reflects his broader taxonomic ambition: to document variation with precision while preserving the aesthetic authority of natural history illustration at its highest level.

Condition Report

Very good antique condition. Fresh original hand-coloring with strong lithographic impression. Printed on fine early twentieth-century wove paper. Minor age toning slightly more visible along the outer margins, consistent with age.

Details

• Author: Gregory M. Mathews
• Illustrator: Roland Green (“Green del.”)
• Work: The Birds of Australia
• Species: Northern Yellow-banded Parrot (Barnardius occidentalis) & Dundas Yellow-collared Parrot (Barnardius dundasi)
• Period: circa 1910
• Technique: Original hand-colored lithograph
• Paper: Fine original wove paper
• Publisher: Witherby & Co.

For further insight into Roland Green’s contribution to ornithological illustration: Roland Green – Dynamic Vision and Field-Born Precision in Bird Art