Crimson Rosella: how to recognise it
A bird of Europe and Oceania. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © David Cook · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Platycercus elegans
- Family
- Old World Parrots
- Size
- About 36 cm
- Habitat
- Eucalypt forest, parks and gardens
- Found in
- Europe and Oceania
The key marks
Deep crimson head, breast and belly with bright blue cheeks and wings, black feathers edged in red on the back, and a long blue tail. Eastern Rosella has a red head with white cheeks, a yellow breast and a scalloped back.
Voice
Bright, ringing whistled calls, often in flight.
Good to know
Young birds are mostly green and slowly turn crimson as they mature.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Eastern Rosella. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in eucalypt forest, parks and gardens. It is especially common in Australia. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.