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12

Crimson Rosella

(Platycercus elegans)
Alternate name(s): "Crimson Parrot", "Pennant's Parakeet", "Red Lory",
"Mountain Lory", "Red Lowry", "Blue-cheeked Rosella"
Aboriginal name(s): "yukap"/"yukip" [tjapwurrung, eastern djadjawurrung]; "warren"

Size: 32-37 cm
Weight: 100-170 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Crimson Rosella at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "elegans"

ADULT

MALE

Spectacular, close-up near-lateral portrait of a male Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2020]

Near-lateral view of a male Crimson Rosella - note the blue central uppertail
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2020]

Lateral view of a male Crimson Rosella; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 26 April 2020
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, April 2020]

Lateral view of a male Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, November 2018]

Near-doral view of a male Crimson Rosella; note the blue uppertail feathers (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, January 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male Crimson Rosella, with a clear view of its mantle, rump and uppertail
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, November 2008]

Dorsal view of a male Crimson Rosella
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, August 2015]

PAIR

Lateral view of a pair of Crimson Rosellas on the ground, male at far left; although the bird on the right does not visibly show the typical greenish uppertail, its green-suffused fringes of the wing coverts and some green on the chest indicate that it is a female (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, QLD, July 2019]

Female Crimson Rosella, right, being fed by its partner
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, November 2011]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a moulting Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Girraween NP, QLD, February 2021]

Frontal view of a moulting Crimson Rosella looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Girraween NP, QLD, February 2021]

Frontal/ventral view of a Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, QLD, June 2017]

Near-frontal view of a Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, QLD, July 2019]

Close-up lateral portrait of a Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, October 2015]

Different lateral view of a Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Near Armidale, NSW, September 2013]

Here a demonstration of how to take off towards the back...
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, October 2011]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Crimson Rosella, back, with a male in front (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, QLD, July 2019]

Frontal view of a juvenile Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Tambo River, Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2014]

Lateral view of a juvenile Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, June 2018]

Race "flaveolus"

Because of its characteristic yellow cap, race "flaveolus" of the Crimson Rosella is also called "Yellow Rosella". This race is found in the lower Murray-Darling Basin, mostly along the major rivers, in western NSW (as far north as about Menindee), south-western NSW (along the border with VIC) and eastern SA (east of the hill ranges to the East of Adelaide).

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Crimson Rosella, race "flaveolus", also called "Yellow Rosella"
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Yeerip Swamp, near Wangaratta, VIC, October 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Crimson Rosella, race "flaveolus"
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Barmah SP, Murray River, VIC, September 2018]

Lateral view of a Crimson Rosella, race "flaveolus" (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Barmah SP, Murray River, VIC, September 2018]

Lateral view of a Crimson Rosella, race "flaveolus" (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Yeerip Swamp, near Wangaratta, VIC, October 2018]

Lateral/ventral view of a preening Crimson Rosella, race "flaveolus" (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Gawler Ranges, SA, October 2018]

Race "subadelaidae"

Together with race "fleurieuensis", this race of the Crimson Rosella is also called the "Adelaide Rosella". It is found from the coastline of SA from Port Broughton to Port Wakefield and northward from there, into the Flinders and Gammon Ranges.

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Crimson Rosella, race "subadelaidae", also called "Adelaide Rosella" (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[December 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Crimson Rosella, race "subadelaidae", also called "Adelaide Rosella" (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[December 2018]

Race "melanoptera"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Karatta, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Lateral view of a Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Karatta, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Crimson Rosella (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Karatta, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Lateral view of a juvenile Crimson Rosella on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Karatta, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Crimson Rosella on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Karatta, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Crimson Rosella feeding on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Karatta, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Hybrids

Lateral view of an Eastern Rosella x Crimson Rosella hybrid (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Near Barraba, NSW, April 2014]

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)

Breeding information

Breeding season: Oct - Dec Eggs: 4 - 8 Incubation period: 20 days Fledging age: 35 days

Since many Crimson Rosellas live at relatively high altitudes, their breeding season can start later than those of other species.

Nest building: Female? Incubation: Female Dependent care: Male & female

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Tree hollow Material: Wood dust Height above ground: 2 - 15 m

There is a web page describing a community project developed by Bill Leane, Lake Eucumbene Community Association (LECA), describing how to provide and keep a Crimson Rosella Nest Box and Nesting Diary .

Crimson Rosella feeding one of its chicks at the entrance to the nest hollow (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Metung, East Gippsland, VIC, November 2019]

Entrance to the nesting hollow of a pair of Crimson Rosellas; it is not clear whether they finally got to nest there, because ownership was also contested by a pair of Australian King-Parrots
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, November 2011]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 29 x 25 mm Colour: White Shape: Rounded

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive Elementary unit: Pair/family clan

Since, as is the case for many other parrot species, female Crimson Rosellas take on the incubation duties, they rely on the males to feed them. Therefore, they perform bonding ritualwith their mates and test their abilities to provide them with food before allowing them to mate.

Male Crimson Rosella, left, feeding its partner
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, November 2011]

Food, Diet

Adults: Seeds, flowers Dependents: Regurgitated seeds Water intake: Daily

Crimson Rosella feeding on the seeds of a eucalypt
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, October 2022]

Crimson Rosella feeding on the seeds of a native shrub
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2021]

Crimson Rosella feeding on the flowers of ivy
[Near Gloucester, NSW, September 2011]

Crimson Rosella feeding on a lawn in a rural garden
[Near Dorrigo NP, NSW, August 2009]

More frontal view of the same Crimson Rosella as shown above
[Near Dorrigo NP, NSW, August 2009]

Crimson Rosella feeding on seeds (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Crimson Rosella feeding on fruit (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, October 2015]

Male Crimson Rosella drinking from a mountain creek at 1100 m altitude
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, November 2011]

Crimson Rosella, race "flaveolus", displaying two techniques of feeding on psyllids/lerps: 1. nibble them off a leaf (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Yeerip Swamp, near Wangaratta, VIC, October 2018]

Crimson Rosella, race "flaveolus", displaying two techniques of feeding on psyllids/lerps: 2. use the "stencil technique" (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Yeerip Swamp, near Wangaratta, VIC, October 2018]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

crimros_20140212.mp3 elegans
(NW NSW)
Contact calls © MD
crimros_20141218.mp3 elegans
(NW NSW)
Pair Q&A(?) © MD
crimros_20150821.m4a elegans
(NW NSW)
Arrival (pair) © MD
crimros_20140402.mp3 elegans
(NW NSW)
Pair arrival; group welcome © MD
crimros_20150124_4.mp3 elegans
(NW NSW)
Warning call (in flight) © MD
crimros_20200426.m4a elegans
(N NSW)
? (male) © ME
crimros_me_20191205_1.m4a elegans
(N NSW)
? © ME
crimros_me_20191205_2.m4a elegans
(N NSW)
? © ME
crimros_20180131.m4a elegans
(NW NSW)
? © MD
crimros_20180131_2.m4a elegans
(NW NSW)
? © MD
crimros_20210209.m4a elegans
(NW NSW)
? © MD
Click here for more recordings

We have also recorded the wing beat of Crimson Rosellas.

crimros_20160505_2.mp3 elegans
(NW NSW)
Arriving to feed
on ground
© MD

More Crimson Rosella sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.