Kay D's Place Is For The Birds

EASTERN ROSELLA

EASTERN ROSELLA
Size: 12 in length
Adult Weight: 95-120g (3.3-4.2 oz)

Also Known As: Rosella, Rosella Parrot or Parakeet, Red Rosella, Common Rosella, White-cheeked Rosella, Red-headed Rosella, Golden-mantled Rosella or Parakeet,

ORIGIN: Central and the southern parts of New South Wales across Victoria and to the southeast of southern Australia including North Island and New Zealand.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: male-red head and breast; white cheeks; yellow lower breast; pale green abdomen; red under tail coverts; black back with green spotting; blue outer wing coverts; pale green rump. Bill white. Eye brown. Female-as in male but head and breast paler in color; under wing stripe pale colored. both adults green/blue rump and upper tail coverts; gold spotting on back in male, green/yellow in female. Eastern Rosella sex is barely distinguishable. Females are usually smaller and of darker color.

Colorization Juvenile: as in female but duller with pale under wing stripe.

Rosella's are considered to be neither talkers nor parrots that can be easily tamed. They belong to a middle-sized, decorative parrots that are famous for their great diversity in color. As pets they can be kept separately or in pairs.They do need a big cage. The recommended cage is of a minimal 60 cm (24 in) in height and length and 40 cm (16 in) in width so as to provide enough space for the birds to perform different movements. It is advisable to purchase a young bird that has been fed by hand, so one can have a tamed and socialized parrot. In order to tame these parrots, one has to devote more time and attention to them. They rarely produce sounds like whistling except when courting or when disturbed. They enjoy bathing and thus must be provided with these facilities.

Breeding season begins in April. During breeding season, the male is prone to be aggressive towards the female. If the male is too aggressive he should be withheld from breeding as he may even kill a female during breeding season. The nest for these parrots is unusual. Its dimensions are 25 cm (10 in) in height and width and the length is 60 cm (24 in). Females clutch 4-8 eggs and incubation time is 20-21 days. During that time the male feeds the female in a nest and she leaves it only in the case of danger. The young stay in the nest 35 days and start to be independent after 14 days of leaving the nest. There are two clutches in one year.

INTERESTING FACTS: Eastern Rosella's live span in average is between 15 and 20 years, but there have been examples where Rosella's have been known to live 30 years or more.
It is difficult for them to imitate human speech, but they are excellent imitators of whistling.
They are the most colorful species of parrot.

Lays 4 to 8 white eggs, incubation 20 to 22 days by female, male feeds young, fledging 33 to 35 days. Once independent, young should be separated from parents. Breeding possible after pair a year old.

I adore my Rosella. With lots of love and patience they make wonderful pets. Not played with often they will get aggressive quickly again. They are more of a pet to be adored from cage. My rosellas tend to switch from affectionate to aggressive. It's easy to tell when they are feisty, they fluff up and make high pitched noises sometimes accompanied by clicking. They LOVE to bathe. I give them a large fresh bowl of water twice daily. Although they give me kisses they never allow me give them head scratches.

DIET: They love seeds, fruits, vegetables, pasta, grass, and popcorn.

1-. Parrot mixture, canary seeds, sprouted seeds
2-. Fruits (apple, pear, banana, peach, cherry, nectarine)
3-. Vegetables (carrots, spinach, lettuce, capsicum, corn)
4-. Hard boiled eggs, pine nuts, berries, oats)
5-. Nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts)
6-. Egg food, soaked bread (during reproduction)

REPRODUCTION: Breeding season for the Eastern Rosellas occurs between August and February. Nest are built primarily in fallen logs or stumps. The clutch size is 4 to 9 eggs. Incubation takes approximately 19 days and the female does this solely. She will leave the nest 2 to 3 times a day to feed or be fed by the male. Females feeds the chicks exclusively for the first 10 days, after which the male may enter the nest and both parents will feed the young.