| Length |
30 cm. |
 |
Extremely colourful : head and upperbreast
bright-scarlet, cheeks white ; black mottled above, with blue shoulders, mostly yellow
below, under tail-coverts red. Female : slightly duller, patchy green on rear crown.
Immature : nape and crown more patchy green ; pale wingstripe in flight. Without question the most popular and well-known member of the Rosella
family.
Pairs, parties and small flocks in autumn, winter. Often on
roadsides or perched on fences ; raids fruit and nuts, in orchards and gardens.Feeds
generally on the ground, but retreats noisily to trees if disturbed.
Flight is strongly undulating with alternating bursts of
wingbeats and dips. |
| Sub Species |
Platycercus eximius diemensis, also known as
the Tasmanian Eastern Rosella (North 1911)
Larger and with more brilliant plumage, and larger white cheek patches.Platycercus eximius cecilae, aka the Golden-mantled
Rosella (Mathews 1911).
As the name suggests, has a far more vivid yellow mantle. The rump is bluish green and the
head is richer red.
The most popular of the Eastern Rosellas.
|
| Voice |
Flight-call, brisk high-pitched 'pink-pink' ;
Contact-call, slow ringing 'pee-ppeeee', usually from a leafy tree : also makes soft
chatterings. Calls are higher pitched than the Crimson Rosella. |
| Habitat |
Open forests and woodlands with adjacent grasslands :
timbered watercourses ; paddocks and grain-crops ; roadsides, parks and gardens. |
| Range |
Southeast Australia and Tasmania : from about Gympie
Queensland, through eastern NSW inland to Moree, Parkes and Griffith ; most of Victoria,
to southeast South Australia. In Tasmania, widespread mostly from north-central coast
through midlands to the southeast. |
| Status |
Common : sedentary. |
| Aviculture |
In pairs in outside aviary at least 4 x 2 x 1.5
m with adjoining shelter.
Medium-noisy parakeet, soon becoming confiding; active; good flier;
hardy; enjoys chewing fruit tree and willow branches; also enjoys bathing; incompatible
with other birds; can only be kept in groups outside breeding season; enjoys being on
ground and scratching in sand; regular worming required. |
| Breeding |
Regularly achieved and not difficult; avoid housing
other Platycercus species in neighbouring aviaries; courtship display March/April;
breeding begins in April; male often aggressive; chases female; if too agressive do not
use for breeding; prefers breeding stump with 25 cm diameter and at least 60 cm deep;
position diagonally; usual clutch 5 to 7 eggs; incubation 20 to 21 days; female fed by
male during this time; only leaves nestbox to defecate; fledging period 35 days; young
independent after 14 days; remove young at latest 4 weeks after fledging as occasionally
two breedings in a year. |
| Threats |
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