Crimson Rosella juvenile & adult
Platycercus elegans elegans
-37.894, 145.311
Field Notes
Description:
The size of a small pigeon, the adults in Victoria are crimson coloured with striking blue tail feathers and cheek patches. It is difficult to tell males and females apart.
Juvenile Rosellas in this species are a beautiful olive green with blue cheeks and crimson patches on head and throat. This juvenile is about a month old.
Habitat:
open forests and gardens
Notes:
This juvenile is about a month old. It has been flying around with the adult for about two weeks with a persistant quivering call. It is almost completely green except for a few patches of blue and red but will soon become blotchy, as the green gradually disappears to be replaced with crimson feathers - very much like a ripening fruit!
It is very interesting to watch what appears to be lessons in self-feeding. I noticed the adult walking around the juvenile picking up seeds, with the juvenile watching, and then walking away as the little one approached it. The juvenile then began to pick-up seeds and now is just beginning to crack them like the adult. The bulk of the feeding is still being done by the adult. When not sitting on our hakea tree, they are both out amongst grass eating seeds..
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