The eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius) is a rosella native to southeast of the Australian continent and to Tasmania. Natural range is eastern Australia, down to Tasmania. The eastern rosella is found in lightly wooded country, open forests, woodlands, gardens, bushlands and parks. The Eastern Rosella is found in open woodlands, grasslands, farmlands and remnant bushland. Often found in urban habitats such as parks, gardens and golf courses.
Eastern rosella is a small parrot, the body length of which 30 cm, the half of which makes up the tail. Eastern Rosella is a very colorful bird and it has almost all the colors of the rainbow on its plumage. Eastern Rosellas are medium-sized colourful parrots with distinctive white cheek patches. It has a red head, neck and breast, with yellowish to greenish upper parts, a yellow underbody and a yellow-green to blue-green rump, with a red undertail. The shoulders are bright blue. Females are usually similar to males, but sometimes duller and young birds are even duller and can be aged by their bill colour, which is yellow or orange, changing to off-white when mature.
Eastern Rosellas mate for life. In the wild, if hollow branches and trunks of trees are in short supply, they are willing to make do with rotting telegraph poles or stumps of fence posts; once possession is claimed the cock guards the site against other nest seekers, allowing the hen to complete her work in excavating and altering the entrance and hollow to her satisfaction. Eggs are laid on a decayed wood bed and the female incubates the eggs while the male regularly feeds her. The hen lays 4-6 eggs and incubates for 24-26 day. The young fly out of the nest in 30 days but are fed by parents for a while after they fledge.
These birds are desired for their beautifully coloured plumage. They are intelligent creatures, which can be trained to whistle a wide repertoire of tunes and may even learn to speak a few words or phrases. Rosellas can make good companion parrots; however, they require a great deal of attention and many toys to satisfy their need for social interaction and mental stimulation. In case of good care the lifespan of the bird can reach up to 30 years.
