English Name

Eastern Rosella

Spanish Name

Rosella Multicolor

Latin Name

Platycercus eximius eximius

Origins

Sexing

The males head shape is usually broader, flatter and larger in shape. The appearance of males is usually much brighter than females. While the white cheek patches in males are more whiter than females which is more whitish grey. When determining the sex of these birds, is fairly easy by looking at the strength of colours on the individual bird. If your still not sure then it may be easier if you examine the head size. Other areas that may have sizable difference are beak sizes, with the females being more narrower.

Males

Females

Size

Females 30 cm.

Weight

Males 120 g.

Females 100 g.

Rings

Character

They are easy to breed and not very shy.

Do not place two couples in a single aviary, on in two contiguous aviaries, nor with other rosellas for they may be aggressive.

The song of the male is a kind of melodious whistle. The female shouts rather briefly.

Feeding

-. The Eastern Rosella will eagerly consume a mix of lovebird mix and Medium size parrot seed mixes, along with fresh fruit and vegetables in there diet. They will also readily learn to eat pelleted foods if introduced. Other additions to the diet that may also be considered are, Eucalyptus tree buds, nuts and berries since in the wild they love to feed on these

-. Parrot mixture, canary seeds, sprouted seeds

-. Fruits (apple, pear, banana, peach, cherry, nectarine)

-. Vegetables (carrots, spinach, lettuce, capsicum, corn)

-. Hard boiled eggs, pine nuts, berries, oats)

-. Nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts)

-. Egg food, soaked bread (during reproduction)

Breeding Cages

Nest

Width

22 cm. 50 cm. 20 cm.

Depth

22 cm. 50 cm. 20 cm.

Height

40 cm. 60 cm. 50 cm.

Hole Diameter

Nesting Material

They nest in a wooden nest, high above the ground. Fill it with chips or turf. A soil type base will be needed to place in the bottom of the breeding box, approx. 2.5 cm deep at least.

Breeding Period

August – January in the wild.

Eggs

5-6 / 5-7

Incubating

Only the female.

Female is fed by male during this time; only leaves nest box to defecate.

Incubation

21 days

Fledging

35 days.

Batches

Remove young at latest 4 weeks after fledging as occasionally two batches in a year.

Lifespan

Breeding Life

Sexual Maturity

Aviaries

1,5 m wide x 2 m. height x 3,5 m diameter.

3 m x 1m x 2m

Temperatures

They are robust; do not fear cold but need a dry shelter.

Health Problems

They are showered everyday and have automatically renewed baths, which they use a lot. They like water, for me it is a sign of good health. It is a pleasure to watch them in their bath.  

Crimson Rosellas spend part of their feeding time on the ground and hence are therefore susceptible to intestinal worms and fungal infections. These are relatively easily dealt with however simply by maintaining a high standard of hygiene.

Observations

You can provide them with willow or fruit tree branches for they like chewing.

This Rosella may feed another parrot chick, if the young(s) put in their nest is of the same size as their own.

The Rosella can become quite noisy at times, especially when other wild Rosella's are near by. Other times of noise are commonly early mornings and late afternoons. The whistle is not a high pitch squeal as the Rainbow Lorikeets, although if you have neighbours that are intolerant of noise, perhaps you should look at smaller bird types.

Colour Mutations

Mutations : pastel (recessive mutation), Australian cinnamon (sex-linked mutation), silver, cinnamon (sex-linked mutation) , rubino (opaline ino), rubino-cinnamon,  lutino (sex-linked mutation, eyes are red), white wings (dominant mutation), yellow back, red, also called opaline (sex-linked mutation, eyes are b lack) . Opaline can be combined with cinnamon, lutino, black, pastel and blue. opaline-cinnamon white wings,  opaline cinnamon pastel, red- Australian cinnamon (combination of red and isabelle). And mutations : black (melanin mutation), blue (very rare recessive mutation, bred in South New Wales(Australia), pied (dominant mutation) ; golden : for the sub species eximus ceciliae whose back and abdomen are intensive yellow; black cinnamon appeared in Australia in 2002, combination of cinnamon and black ;  cremino combination of ino and blue, yellow head lutino : those mutations are very rare, there are only a few birds, and a breeding program has started to fix them and make sound flock of them.