Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) lives in eastern Australian forests across Eastern and south eastern Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Hear the Crimson Rosella
A real field recording of the Crimson Rosella, made in the wild.
At just 36 cm (14 in) long, the crimson rosella packs most of its length into a long tail, making it a medium-sized Australian parrot. Males tip the size scale by up to 15 % and sport a broader beak, a subtle but measurable sexual dimorphism. Among its three crimson races, P. e. nigrescens is the smallest while P. e. melanoptera is the largest, each a shade darker than the nominate form.
The crimson rosella's breeding calendar stretches from September to February, but rain can push the season earlier and longer. Eggs are laid mid- to late October, with clutches of 3-8 eggs spaced about 2.1 days apart. Each egg measures 28 × 23 mm and incubates for an average of 19.7 days before hatching around mid-December. On average 3.6 chicks survive, with a skewed sex ratio, only 41.8 % are male. Young leave the nest in February and only reach full adult plumage after 16 months, timing their life-cycle to seasonal food peaks.
When it comes to nesting, crimson rosellas are picky architects. They choose tree hollows deeper than 1 metre (3.3 ft) and can nest as high as 30 metres (98 ft) above ground, carving out a lining from the wood of the hollow itself. Only one pair occupies a tree, and they fiercely defend a buffer zone of several trees around the site, keeping rivals at bay.
Juvenile crimson rosellas love company, forming flocks of up to 20 youngsters that chatter loudly while foraging together. Beyond noisy gatherings, they have a surprisingly refined sense of smell: a recent study showed they can sniff out members of their own subspecies, distinguishing scent cues.
Hybrid rosellas turn out to be hardier than their pure-bred cousins. Researchers at Deakin University found that when the two subspecies, P. e. flaveolus and P. e. elegans, interbreed, their offspring cope better with a potentially deadly beak-and-feather virus. This heterosis effect means hybrid birds are more likely to fend off disease.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
RangeEastern and south eastern Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island
HabitatEastern Australian forests
DietSeeds and fruits
About the Crimson Rosella
In the lush eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia, the Crimson Rosella flashes like a fleck of ruby, its vibrant plumage a beacon of life amidst the verdant canopy. With a swift, agile flight, it darts between the trees, its long tail streaming behind like a banner, as it forages for seeds and fruits with an irrepressible energy. As it alights upon a branch, its bright, inquisitive eyes shine like jewels, illuminating the secrets of this resplendent parrot's enchanting world.
Advertisement
Hear the Crimson Rosella, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
