Eastern Rosella

Eastern rosellas are strikingly colored parrots found in eastern Australia down to Tasmania and its naturalized range in New Zealand.

Eastern Rosella

Scientific Classification
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Psittaciformes
Superfamily	Psittacoidea
Family	Psittaculidae
Subfamily	Platycercinae
Tribe	Platycercini
Genus	Platycercus
Scientific Name	Platycercus eximius

Quick Information
Also known as	Common rosella
Size	12 inches in length
Weight	3.5 oz
Color	Head, upper breast and tail coverts are red, white cheeks and beak; lower breast is yellow that fades into dull green near the abdomen, feathers of the shoulders and back are black with yellowish and greenish margins, bluish wings and lateral tail feathers and a dark green tail, grey legs. Sexual dimorphism includes duller coloration for the females with an underwing stripe. Juveniles are duller even than females.
Distribution & Subspecies	Platycercus eximius eximius is found in New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. P. e. elecica or golden-mantled rosella can be found in Southeast Queensland and Northeast New South Wales. P. e. diemenensis has its range in Tasmania. The bird has also become naturalized in New Zealand.
Habitat	Open forests, lightly wooded areas, gardens, woodlands, parks and bushy areas.
Sounds & Calls	Noisy bird other than during feeding, in roosts a ‘pi-pi-pi’ can be heard, while during flight they go ‘kwik kwik kwik’. Alarm calls screechy and shrill.
Clutch	2-9 eggs
Incubation period	22 days
Fledging	6 weeks
Breeding age	Females: 1.5 years, Males: 2-3 years
Breeding season	August to February
Lifespan	15+ years
Diet	Flowers, seeds, fruits, and insects
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

Eastern Rosella Bird

Eastern Rosella Parrot

Eastern rosella mutations

Black
Cinnamon
Lutino
Dilute
Opaline
Rubino
Rubino #2

As pets

Although sometimes difficult to tame as a pet, hand-reared individuals have been known to become fine companion birds, and as such are much sought after, especially because of their attractive plumage. Let’s read a bit more into the nuances of having one as a pet:

Housing

Eastern rosellas love to flap their wings, thus necessitating a roomy cage, more wide than long. Ideal dimensions are 18’’X18’’X22’’. They are best kept in an open flight aviary with dimensions of 5 feet (wide) by 12 feet (long) by 6 feet (high) with plenty of wooden toys for their enrichment.

They do not mingle well with other birds and should be housed alone.

Eastern Rosella Nesting Box

Eastern Rosella Juvenile

Temperature

They are a hardy bird and do not fuss much over varying temperatures.

Temperament

The eastern rosella does not enjoy being cuddled with and can get nippy when it is handled with in the wrong way. If you want it to be completely tame, you must interact with your pet as much as possible. Some individuals can never be fully tamed and turn out to still have the wild streak in them after years of being domesticated.

Feeding

Your pet eastern rosella can be given a small seed mix, in addition to being given a pelleted diet. Vegetables, fruits, cooked egg and fresh foods can be offered to the bird as well.

Eastern Rosella Baby

Eastern Rosella Chicks

Care

Clean the food and water dishes every day, and provide fresh drinking water. Clean the perches and toys regularly. They like bathing, so you can use a mist-spray on your bird on a daily basis. Clip the nails every alternate month.