ROSELLAS; AN AUSTRALIAN VIEWPOINT: Aviculture of the Crimson Rosella

Abstract

Preamble

This striking rosella, Platycercus elegans elegans, although widely known outside of Australia by the alternative common name - Pennant's Rosella - is (almost) universally known as the Crimson Rosella in Australian aviculture. As mentioned in my opening article in this "Rosella Series" ("The History of Rosellas in Australian A viculture") "it has never been widely kept as an aviary bird in Australia due, no doubt, to it being such a common species in the wild."

Introduction

In the Avicultural Society of Australia's informative book, Australian Parrots: A Field and Aviary Study, the authors Barry Hutchins and Bob Lovell, discuss six species and 13 subspecies of the rosella genus Platycercus. Parrots belonging to the genus Platycercus are commonly referred to as broadtail parrots and collectively as rosellas. Hutchins and Lovell comment, "Generally all species and subspecies make good aviary birds once acclimatized, being long livers and reasonably

g00e1 breeders."

Modern avicultural literature clearly indicates that the Crimson Rosella (perhaps the most strikingly beautiful of all the rosellas) continues to be a favorite parakeet, particularly in America, Europe, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and, to a lesser degree, in its home country Australia. For example, in his excellent book Australian Parakeets and Their Mutations, Herman Kremer the noted Dutch aviculturist comments, "Pennant's [Crimson] parakeets are relatively easy to breed ... They are hardy birds which can withstand low temperatures."

Subspecies of the Crimson Rosella

Although some authorities claim that there are several subspecies of the Crimson Rosella I am, for the purpose of this article, concentrating on the nominate race Platycercus elegans elegans and its northern form, P. e. nigrescens, which is found only in the wild in isolated areas of Queensland. The nominate race, sometimes known as Mountain Lowry or Red Lowry, is the form kept in aviculture around the world. The northern race, nigrescens, although commonly known as the Crimson Rosella (in Australia), is "the smallest in stature of all races of elegans" (Hutchins & Lovell), being approximately 12 inches in length. This race (i.e., subspecies) seems to follow Gloger's Rule of clinal variation whereby "a bird of a single species which inhabits warm and humid parts of their range tends to become darker in color" (Hutchins & Lovell).

Description Adult Mak

The nominate race of the Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans elegans is approximately 14 inches long. The male is predominantly crimson-red in color, with violet-blue cheek patches and black-edged-with-crimson feathers on the mantle and back. It usually has a larger, flatter head than the female. AdultFemak

The adult female is similar in color to the adult male but usually has a smaller head and upper mandible. Immatures

In the nominate race (elegans) juvenile Crimson Rosellas have green plumage with some patches of red and the violet-blue cheek patches whereas

the northern race (nigrescens) are almost red in contrast to the overall green coloration of elegans.

Distribution

The distribution map clearly shows the distribution of the Crimson Rosella - from far north Queensland - down the eastern seaboard into southeastern South Australia. In a large part of its range (as Hutchins & Lovell state]) "this rosella can be found at a fairly high altitude throughout a large area of the Great Dividing Range, sometimes as high as 2,000 meters [6,560 feet) above sea level." As readers of Watchbird who have visited Australia may know, the Great Dividing Range is a mountain range which extends along the whole of the eastern seaboard of Australia from Cape York Peninsula in the north to central-southern Victoria.