Crimson Rosellas are not only red, but can be yellow or orange. Yellow and red birds produce orange offspring.

Identification

There are several colour forms of the Crimson Rosella. The form it is named for has mostly crimson (red and bright blue cheeks. The back and wing coverts are black broadly edged with red. The flight feathers of the wings have broad blue edges and the tail is blue above and pale blue below and on the outerirds from northern Queensland are generally smaller and darker than southern birds. The ‘Yellow Rosella’ has the crimson areas replaced with light yellow and the tail more greenish. The ‘Adelaide Rosella’ is intermediate in colour, ranging from yellow with a reddish wash to dark orange. Otherwise, all the forms are similar in pattern. Young Crimson Rosellas have the characteristic blue cheeks, but the remainder of the body iu

Habitat

Throughout its range, the Crimson Rosella is commonly associated with tall eucalypt and wetter forests.

Distribution

There are several populations of the Crimson Rosella. Red (crimson) birds occur in northern Queensland, in southern Queensland to south-eastern South Australia and on Kangaroo Island. Orange birds are restricted to the Flinders Ranges region of South Australia, while yellow ones are found along the Murray, Murrumbidgee and neighbouring rivers (where yellow birds meet red birds they hybridise, producing orange offspring). Red birds have been introduced to Norfolk Island and New Zealand.

Feeding and diet

Crimson Rosellas are normally encountered in small flocks and are easily attracted to garden seed trays. Once familiar with humans, they will accept hand held food. Natural foods include seeds of eucalypts, grasses and shrubs, as well as insects and some tree blossoms.

Communication

The Crimson Rosella has a range of calls, the commonest being a two-syllabled ‘cussik-cussik’. It also has a range of harsh screeches and metallic whistles.