12 |
|
Eastern RosellaAlternative names: "White-cheeked Rosella", "Rosehill Parakeet", "Nonpareil Parrot" Size: 29-33 cm Weight: 100 g (average) |
 |
Similar species |
|
SUBSECTIONS:
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
|
|
|
Taxonomy, classification |
See Eastern Rosella
at Wikipedia 
.
|
|
Range, habitat, finding this species |
(for details refer to a field guide) |
Click here to display information on habitat,
range and finding this species
|
|
Sightings |
Eastern Rosellas, race "elecica", can be seen in the Narrabri area on a regular basis. However, they are more common in the hill ranges east of Narrabri than out in the plains.
Click here to display more sighting
information
|
|
Photos |
Race "elecica"
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here 
.
Male Eastern Rosella looking at the observer; one can see
clearly its white cheeks, which gave the species its alternative name
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2012]
Near-frontal view of a male Eastern Rosella
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2006]
Lateral view of a male Eastern Rosella
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2007]
The same Eastern Rosella as above, now with its head turned
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2007]
Male Eastern Rosella taking a bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2008]
Frontal view from below of a female Eastern Rosella with its tail fanned
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2012]
Dorsal view of a female Eastern Rosella
[Narrabri, NSW, November 2010]
Lateral view of an immature Eastern Rosella
[Near Narrabri, NSW, January 2006]
Here an immature bird feasting on the seeds of a weed growing
in our lawn
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2012]
|
|
Breeding information |
| Breeding season: Sep - Dec | Eggs: 4 - 5 | Incubation period: 19 - 20 days | Fledging age: ca. 35 days |
In some cases a brood can be up to 8 eggs. In November 2012 we found the first chick of a clutch of four hatched after 19 days.
| Nest building: ? | Incubation: Female | Dependent care: Female & male |
The male feeds the female near the nest during the time she is incubating the eggs.
|
|
Nest |
"bungobittah", "malunna" = Nest [Aboriginal] |
| Type: Tree hollow | Material: Wood | Height above ground: 3 - 10(?) m |
Female Eastern Rosella in the entrance of a nesting box in our garden
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]
Female Eastern Rosella entering a nesting box in our garden
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]
Female Eastern Rosella re-entering the nest after a short absence
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]
|
|
Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "nooluk" "pateena" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
| Size: 27 x 22 mm | Colour: White | Shape: Rounded |
Four Eastern Rosella eggs in a nesting box in our garden
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]
The first tiny Eastern Rosella chick has hatched, three eggs are still
intact; the female has not removed all fragments of the first broken
eggshell yet
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2012]
Hybrids
Eastern Rosellas are known to hybridise with Pale-headed Rosellas and with Crimson Rosellas.
Pale-headed Rosella hybrids
Almost frontal view of a hybrid Eastern/Pale-headed Rosella
(click on image to see the bird with its head turned the other way)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2011]
Lateral view of a hybrid Pale-headed Rosella
checking whether all is clear before approaching a waterhole
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
View from behind of a hybrid Eastern/Pale-headed Rosella
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2007]
Slightly different posture
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2007]
Here a very young Rosella of mixed parentage, 25 km west of
Narrabri, NSW. It is a mix between an Eastern Rosella and a
Pale-headed Rosella
[Near Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
A portrait of the little chick is available here.
Crimson Rosella hybrids
Although not 100% sure, because unable to obtain a photo for identification at the time, we think that we have also spotted a hybrid between a Crimson Rosella and an Eastern Rosella at Girraween NP (southern QLD) in July 2009.
P. & M. Juers report spotting a hybrid between a Crimson Rosella and an Eastern Rosella at Drouin, VIC (see photo below).
Male hybrid Crimson Rosella/Eastern Rosella with a female Eastern Rosella (photo courtesy of P. & M. Juers)
|
|
Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive | Elementary unit: Pair |
In the region where their habitats overlap, i.e. northern NSW and southern QLD, Eastern Rosellas and Pale-headed Rosellas can interbreed (see above). The hybrids have intermediate colours (the size and colour of the yellow and red patches on their heads and breasts vary).
Pair of Eastern Rosella (bottom) and Pale-headed Rosella
(top) in a White Cedar tree, 20 km south of Narrabri, NSW
[20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, 2005]
The photos below show that Eastern Rosellas can become very tame.
This is "Christmas", a female Eastern Rosella who decided, on
Christmas Day 2009, to live with a human - by landing on his
head at 4 am in complete darkness (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, Feburary 2010]
"Christmas" in the bathtub (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, October 2010]
|
|
Food, Diet |
Like many parrots, Eastern Rosellas are seed-eaters; primarily they feed on grass seeds. Like many other birds Eastern Rosellas are opportunistic. Some of the photos below show a bird feeding on the seeds of a decorative tree. We have also observed Eastern Rosellas feeding on the seeds of Wilga trees.
Eastern Rosellas feeding on seeds on the ground (photo courtesy of
R. Druce)
Eastern Rosella reaching for seeds
[Gunnedah, NSW, August 2011]
This explains why there were hardly any seeds left on the tree...
[Gunnedah, NSW, August 2011]
Eastern Rosellas have also been found to be taking nectar from the flowers of Emu bushes and we have seen them nibble on flowers of various types of eucalypt, including e.g. lemon-scented gumtrees.
This Eastern Rosella was observed by us in an eucalypt infested with
psyllids
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2012]
Eastern Rosella seen taking a
lerp
from the underside of an eucalypt leaf
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2012]
