The eastern rosella is a common and instantly recognisable parrot for many people living on the East Coast of Australia.
They’re an almost painfully colourful bird. When paint swatches were being passed around the Eastern Rosella couldn’t decide what colour to use, so it got one of everything. Red head, white cheek, yellow breast, green abdomen, blue wings, black shoulders. If you can name a colour it’s got it.
Purple? Well, it had to draw the line somewhere. Pink? Orange? Magenta? Okay, I guess it’s colour pallet is more limited than I let on.
These birds are often found feeding on grass seed. They usually come in pairs, but will also pall around in larger groups. In rangers where their territory crosses over with other Rosellas, they can form mixed flocks, as they do with the Crimson Rosella in the Canberra region.
The question of just how many distinct species of Rosella there are has been an ever-changing debate over the years, with some authorities claiming birds that looked unique were either different plumed subspecies, or hybrids of two other species. But there are probably around six species.
They can be grouped into three categories, you’ve got the blue cheeked, the yellow cheeked and the white cheeked varieties. Our eastern rosella is a white cheeked one … as you can probably see.
But where did the word Rosella come from? Well it turns out European settlers first observed the Eastern Rosella at a place called Rose Hill, near Paramatta in Sydney. Originally they were called the Rosehill Parakeet. Over time that evolved into the Rosehiller, and then finally Rosella.
Rose Hill, Rosehiller, Rosella. Yeah, that works.
And from there the name stuck and became official. So now when you see a Rosella, you will know they are named for a hill out in the western suburbs of Sydney were Europeans first sighed them some 200 years ago.
08/01/2023
Photo credit:
1: “Eastern Rosella – Deniliquin – Victoria_S4E3501” by fveronesi1
2: Eastern Rosella by zosterops
3: Eastern Rosella fast food snack by I Am birdsaspoetry.com
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