other names
White-Cheek Rosella, Pale-Headed Rosella, Mealy Rosella
or Golden-mantled Rosella (subspecies elecica only)

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DESCRIPTION

Sexes are similar, female duller in head colour and on breast. 280 to 320mm in length, including long, rounded tail. Head is scarlet red with white cheeks. Mantle is black, the feathers broadly edged with golden-yellow, lemon or cream. Mid back to upper tail coverts are lettuce green, pale blue or cream according to subspecies. Shoulders of wing are black, grading to mid-blue on bend of wing and primary coverts, then to dusky washed deep blue on flight feathers. Underwing covers are deep blue. Upper breast is scarlet red, lower breast and belly is yellow-green in the red-headed subspecies, throat to belly is pale blue or cream in the pale headed subspecies. Crisum is scarlet red in all subspecies. Tail is uniformly dusky blue-green and the outer feathers are dusky blue. The eyes are dark brown. The beak is bone coloured. Feet, toes and claws are dark grey.

Juvenile: Like female but even duller in colour. Young moult gradually into adult plumage, finishing early in their second year.

Voice: In flight the voice is brisk, sharp, clear, rapid "quink-quink" and an even more rapid "whit-whit-whit-whit". There is a slower "pee-pt-eee". When perching Eastern Rosella's chatters musically and rapidly to each other. Calls are similar to the Crimson Rosella but higher in pitch.

The Eastern Rosella has seven subspecies with three well known - Platycerus eximius elecica can be found in the south eastern corner of Queensland, Platycerus eximius eximius is found west of the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales, Victoria and the south eastern corner of South Australia, Platycerus eximius diemenensis is located in Tasmania. There is a subspecies in the Kimberley region and into northern Western Australia, another in Arnhem Land and another south of Cape York and down to the New South Wales border - these subspecies are known as the Pale-Headed Rosella, and the head and chest colour is yellow to cream instead of scarlet red. Eastern Rosella's are generally found below 1200 metre altitude. The habitat for the rosella is wooded areas, preferably scattered trees in large grassy areas such as farmlands, water courses and parks. The Eastern Rosella predominantly feeds on the ground on fallen seeds of all kinds, including grass seed, and are often seed feeding beside the road. They sometimes feed in tree foliage and eat fruit, blossoms, nectar and the odd insect larvae. Breeding is from June to February (earlier in northern Australia) and the nest is deep, often in tree hollows. Usually one, but sometimes two broods may be raised each year. Between four to five eggs are laid, sometimes up to eight. Incubation is by the female and is for 19 to 20 days. The male feeds the female while she is nesting and then helps to feed young once the female has ceased continuous brooding. Young leave the nest at around five weeks. The Eastern Rosella is abundant through out its range.