Eastern Rosellas occasionally visit my property, they used to nest in the hollows of the huge old Mahogany Gums (Eucalyptus botryoides) but I haven’t noticed nests there for a few years.
Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius)
Eastern Rosellas’ colours are exquisite. The more I look at this image the more I appreciate its beauty. Its head, neck, upper breast and undertail are a rich red, set off by bright white cheek patches. Its underparts go from clear, bright yellow into a soft, pastel green before turning blue-green at the tail – I keep looking at that transition and wish I was an artist with the skills to recreate the colours on paper. Their shoulders are bright blue and their upper parts are a yellowish green with black patches. Young Eastern Rosellas have yellowish-orange bills rather than the off-white of the adult bird in the photograph.
Crimson Rosellas are daily visitors here, they visit more often than the Easterns, in fact they’re calling now and four have just landed in the tree above the birdbaths. I must remind myself never to take their beauty for granted.
Happy birding
Kim
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Hi Kimberley,
One of my favourite birds and I must admit that I prefer them to the Crimson Rosella. When I was a child, growing up only a kilometre or so from where I live now, the numbers of Eastern Rosellas far outweighed those of the Crimson, in fact, across the paddock from my childhood home was the Ballarat factory of Rosella foods.
Still living in the area, I have seen a huge urban sprawl and the severe depletion of Eastern Rosella numbers and the huge rise in their cousin the Crimson? I can only surmise that the Crimson is a better urban dweller than the Eastern which is a pity, because all birds should be allowed to prosper in their own environment, , ,
Bruce
It’s such a shame when we see negative changes to the birdlife, there has been a huge change here. I wonder if crimsons are more numerous than easterns or whether it just seems that way. I’ve got the Atlas of Australian Birds to see what it used to be like, and could maybe check BirdData for current estimates. How funny about Rosella foods!
Come Springtime and their colours just pop ! We have several pairs breeding in old Grey Box hollows , Eucalyptus microcarpa. I put some nest boxes up years ago, made to BirdLife plans , to increase the availability of nesting sites but every bird species has ignored them so far . Plenty of hollows I suppose .
It’s great if there are plenty of hollows around your place Paul, and awesome that you’ve given them options should they need them. I wonder if anything else is calling the nesting boxes home; I found a Marbled Gecko in a pardalote box
Yes all the colours of the rainbow (r,o,y,g,b,i,v) plus black and white.Beautiful
I’ve just taught a child the word mnemonic and gave roygbiv as an example, what a neat coincidence that you shared it here, I’ll have to show her.
We have a pair who visit regularly, and are always more than welcome.
They are truly exquisite aren’t they? And very partial to green apple, which we hang from trees for them and other birds. The crimson rosellas like them too.
Your garden sounds magical