This gorgeous bird, sporting feathers of bright crimson and deep blue, is a frequent visitor to our yard and adores camellia blossoms.
A rosella is a type of parrot, and Robin Hill speculates in his book Australian Birds that the name derived from “Rose Hill,” because the parrots were first sighted in the Rose Hill district of Sydney. There are eight types of rosellas in Australia. They vary in appearance, but the crimson rosella that lives in Eastern Australia is among the most vibrant.
In contrast to the the rest of its plumage, the back of the crimson rosella has a striking pattern, as Genevieve Osborne noted in her poem “Crimson Rosella.”
A rosella is a type of parrot, and Robin Hill speculates in his book Australian Birds that the name derived from “Rose Hill,” because the parrots were first sighted in the Rose Hill district of Sydney. There are eight types of rosellas in Australia. They vary in appearance, but the crimson rosella that lives in Eastern Australia is among the most vibrant.
In contrast to the the rest of its plumage, the back of the crimson rosella has a striking pattern, as Genevieve Osborne noted in her poem “Crimson Rosella.”
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A breeding pair nests high in a tree, in a natural cavity lined with wood chips and dust. The female crimson rosella lays five to eight eggs and incubates them. Both parents feed the nestlings after they have hatched. The young birds stay with the parents for around 35 days.
Juvenile crimson rosellas have green feathers that they keep until they’re more than a year old. They almost look like a different bird.
I generally see crimson rosellas in groups of two or three, foraging on the ground or in trees. They eat seeds from gum trees, grasses, and shrubs. They also eat insects and some tree blossoms and drink nectar from some flowers. They are drawn to backyards with native plants and trees.
Happy to visit our feeder, they eat parrot seed mix, peanut pieces, and fruit like blueberries, grapes, and pieces of apple, melon, and pear. I have read that crimson rosellas can even be fed by hand, but I haven’t tried that yet.
This video has a closer look at this lovely bird in action.
Crimson rosellas are good neighbors, and I’m always happy when they visit because they eat insects and pollinate blossoms.
Crimson rosellas are good neighbors, and I’m always happy when they visit because they eat insects and pollinate blossoms.
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