Eastern Rosella

**Mad Aussie** · 10-18-2013, 03:43 PM

These are a very shy bird and notoriously difficult to photograph in the wild. My daughter had a feeder set up in her backyard and I was enough to be around when a couple came in for breakfast.

Eastern Rosella by AstroVisual, on Flickr

Eastern Rosella by AstroVisual, on Flickr

The Eastern Rosella is a rosella native to southeast of the Australian continent and to Tasmania. It has been introduced to New Zealand where feral populations are found in the North Island and in the hills around Dunedin in the South Island.

The Eastern Rosella is 30 cm (12 in) long. It has a red head and white cheeks. The beak is white and the irises are brown. The upper breast is red and the lower breast is yellow fading to pale green over the abdomen. The feathers of the back and shoulders are black, and have yellowish or greenish margins giving rise to a scalloped appearance that varies slightly between the subspecies and the sexes. The wings and lateral tail feathers are bluish while the tail is dark green. The legs are grey. The female is similar to the male though duller in colouration and has an underwing stripe, which is not present in the adult male. Juveniles are duller than females and have an underwing stripe.

The Eastern Rosella is found in lightly wooded country, open forests, woodlands, gardens, bushlands and parks. It eats grass seeds and fruits. Breeding occurs in spring and early summer and up to seven white eggs are laid in tree hollows.

The Eastern Rosella is sometimes kept as a pet. These birds are desired for their beautifully coloured plumage. They are intelligent creatures, which can be trained to whistle a wide repertoire of tunes and may even learn to speak a few words or phrases. Rosellas can make good companion parrots; however, they require a great deal of attention and many toys to satisfy their need for social interaction and mental stimulation. These birds do not always adapt to life as a family pet and even hand-raised birds may never become fully domesticated. Generally, this species does not tolerate “petting” or “cuddling” and is apt to bite in response to this type of handling. Many people believe that Rosellas are best housed in large aviaries that enable them to fly freely with minimal human socialization. Despite these difficulties, many people enjoy the Eastern Rosella as a beautiful pet with a strong, feisty personality.

**Marko** · 10-18-2013, 10:46 PM

You are lucky to have captured them MA. Thanks for the extra info as always - Really like the colours in shot 3.

**QuietOne** · 10-18-2013, 11:52 PM

OK, who poured the melted crayons all over the parakeet? Beautiful shots, MA. They don't look real.

**Mad Aussie** · 10-19-2013, 12:01 AM

Thanks Marko and Q1. We don't exactly take these for granted but we do get used to seeing them sometimes. I never stop thinking they are beautiful though.