Yellow-cheeked Rosella

Yellow-cheeked Rosella (Platycercus icterotis)

APPEARANCE

Medium-sized parakeet with body length up to 26 cm and weight up to 80 g. The color is quite bright, the main color is blood red, the cheeks are yellow, the wings are black with yellow and green bordering. The shoulders, feathers and tail are blue. The female has some differences in coloration - she is paler, her body color is red-brown, her cheeks are gray-yellow.

There are 2 subspecies of the yolk rosella, which differ from each other in coloring elements.

Life expectancy with proper care up to 25 years.

Habitat and Life in Nature

The species lives in the south, east and west of Australia, as well as on adjacent islands. Prefer eucalyptus forests, thickets along the banks of the rivers. It gravitates to agrolandscapes - agricultural land, parks, gardens, sometimes cities. Usually held in pairs or in small groups. The view is quite quiet and not shy. If there is a large amount of food, they can gather in numerous flocks.

They feed on grass seeds, herbs, berries, fruits, buds, flowers and non-carot. Sometimes insects and their larvae are included in the diet.

Propagation

The nesting season falls on August - December. Birds prefer to nest in tree trunks; they can breed chicks in crevices of rocks and other suitable places. There are usually 5-8 eggs in the clutch, only the female incubates them for about 19 days. The male all this time guards her from competitors and feeds her. Chicks leave the nest at the age of about 5 weeks. And they keep around their parents for a couple of weeks, and they feed them.

Watch the video: Eastern Rosella feeding (March 2021).