Eastern Rosella

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Eastern Rosella
Male Eastern Rosella in New South Wales
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae Subfamily: Platycercinae Tribe: Platycercini Genus: Platycercus Species: P. eximius
Binomial name
Platycercus eximius (Shaw, 1792)

The Eastern Rosella, Platycercus eximius, is a parrot native to southeast Australia and Tasmania. It has been introduced to New Zealand. The rosella pictured to the right is a male. The female rosellas have lighter colours than the males.

The bird is around 30 cm long, with a red head and upper breast and white cheeks. The rest of the breast is yellow becoming more greenish toward the abdomen. The feathers of the back and shoulders are black with yellowish margins, giving rise to a scalloped appearance. The wings and lateral tail feathers are bluish while the rest of the tail is dark green. The female is similar to the male though duller in colouration.

The Eastern Rosella is found in lightly wooded country. It eats grass seeds and fruits. Breeding occurs in spring and early summer and up to seven eggs are laid in tree hollows.

[edit] Races

Three subspecies are recognised, diemenensis (eastern Tasmania), eximius (Victoria, southern New South Wales), and cecilae (northern New South Wales). Sometimes, this species is considered as a subspecies of the Pale-headed Rosella. Feral populations are found in the North Island in New Zealand.^[1]

[edit] See also

• List of Australian birds
• List of New Zealand birds
• Birds of Australia

[edit] References

• BirdLife International (2004). Platycercus eximius. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Simpson, K and Day, N,. Field Guide to Australian Birds 7th edition, 2004 ISBN 0-670-04180-7
• Forshaw, Joseph M. & Cooper, William T. (1978): Parrots of the World (2nd ed). Landsdowne Editions, Melbourne Australia ISBN 0-7018-0690-7