Crimsom Rosella

NAME:
Eng. Crimson Rosella
Lat. Platycercus e.Elegans

Crimson Rosella parrot photo.

ORIGIN: South and south-eastern parts of Australia including Norfolk Island and New Zealand.

PHYSICAL APPEARENCE: They are of 36 cm (14 in) in length. Crimson rosellas belong to a class of middle-sized parrots. Their basic color is red. The back and the middle part of the wing are black with wide red-edged feathers. The middle-wing coverts are black. The wings including their middle and upper parts are blue with greenish edgings. The middle-wing coverts are dark blue, dark base and with lighter edging. Middle-tail feathers are blue with a bit of green color, tail feathers in edging are blue with white edgings. Their sex is distinguishable; females are something of a smaller size and have lighter colors. The tail from the under-side is blue in males, while in females it is green. The bill is greyish-white, the iris is dark brown. The feet are grey. Click here for more crimson rosella pictures.

Violet blue colors of these rosella birds are incredible beautiful.

KEEPING AND CARE OF CRIMSON ROSELLA: The intensive colors of these parrots are largely the reason why crimson rosellas are so popular as pets. The ability to imitate human speech is not one of their characteristics. They are kept separately or in pairs. Taming requires spending a lot of time with them. If one wants to have a tamed parrot, it is necessary to get a very young bird fed by hand. The chances for taming are much greater. Birds kept in pairs do not show any desire to communicate with the owner and thus their taming is usually unsuccessful. A cage of medium size will be adequate for them. It is recommended to have a larger cage in case the bird is not tamed. This provides the space for the birds to fly because such birds should not be let out to fly freely. They could easily hurt themselves or get even more scared. Their voice is pleasant and fairly quiet. One can splash their feathers with water once or twice a week to keep the feathers shiny and well-groomed. They should be kept out of draught winds or places near a heat source.

Crimson rosella as pet.

DIET: Like most of the middle-sized parrots and Crimson Rosellas the most common diet is speckled sunflower. Millet, canary grass seeds, saffron, shelled oats, buckweat, shelled oats, hemp, flax and black seed are other components included in the mixture for these birds. Minerals and vitamins have to also be included in their nutrition. Minerals such as cuttle-bone and mineral supplements, vitamins in fruits and vegetables are also necessary. Apples, carrot, chicory and blade are their favourite sweets.

BREEDING CRIMSON ROSELLA: The breeding of crimson rosellas is not so difficult and that is why they are popular in breeders' aviaries. The pairs are kept separately. The aviaries are often of 2-3 m (80-118 in) in length, 2 m (80 in) high and 0.7-1 m (28-40 in) wide, consisting of two parts.

Pair of crimson rosellas in aviary ready for breeding.

Summer and winter parts in a relative proportion of 3:1. It is possible to get the offspring in the smaller places and cages. Breeding begins in May. The nest should be put on an elevated place. The nest of 25 cm (10 in) in height and width and 60 cm (24 in) in length is characteristic of this parrot family, as they prefer to settle in longer nests. A female clutches 5 to 7 eggs and does not leave the nest at the time of incubation. At that time, the male feeds her and the female leaves a nest only in the case of danger. Incubation lasts 20 to 21 days. The younglings leave the nest after 35 days and become independent after 14 days of leaving the nest. They separate only after 4 weeks of leaving the nest. There are usually two breedings in a year.

INTERESTING FACTS: Crimson rosellas usually live up to about 30 years and even longer.
They are not so talkative, but they produce pleasant sounds.
When they adapt to their owner, taming is much easier. Their combination of intense colors makes them one of the most beautiful parrots.