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Eastern Rosella  

Also Known As: Rosella, Rosella Parrot or Parakeet, Red Rosella, Common Rosella, White-cheeked Rosella, Red-headed Rosella, Golden-mantled Rosella or Parakeet, (P.e. elecica)
 
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Wild Eastern Rosella, Australia

Credit: © Mehd Halaouate | http://www.indonesien.nu/indonesieneng/index.shtml
 
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Did You Know?
Rosellas are unique in the parrot world because of the black scalloping on the feathers of the mantle and back, and a prominent patch of colour on the cheeks, extending to the throat.

Species Profile
Genus:
Platycercus

Species:
eximius

Size: Adult Weight:
30cm (11.7 in) 95-120g (3.3-4.2 oz)

Races including nominate:
three: P.e. eximius, P.e. elecica, P.e. diemenensis

Colourization Adult:
P.e. eximius: male-red head and breast; white cheeks; yellow lower breast; pale green abdomen; red undertail 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 colour; underwing stripe pale coloured. P.e. elecica: both adults green/blue rump and uppertail coverts; gold spotting on back in male, green/yellow in female. P.e. diemenensis: both adults as in eximius, but with larger white cheeks patches; darker red head.

Colourization Juvenile:
P.e. eximius: as in female but duller with pale underwing stripe.

Call: Call in flight sharp; while perched a three syllable whistle on an ascending scale. Also metallic and piping notes at rest. Shrill screech when startled. Soft chattering or babbling while feeding.

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Recent Academic Research: Google Scholar - search results

 

Content Sources:

Pet Place http://www.petplace.com/birds/choosing-an-eastern-rosella/page1.aspx

Lexicon of Parrots http://www.arndt-verlag.com/projekt/birds_3.cgi?Desc=E127.htm&Pic=127_1.JPG

CITES http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html

BirdLife International http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=1467&m=0

Internet Bird Collection http://ibc.lynxeds.com/

xeno-canto Australasia http://www.xeno-canto.org/

Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998.

Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977.

Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.

Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.

Parrots: Their Care and Breeding, Low, 1986.