Northern Rosellas aka Brown's Rosellas or Smutty Parrots
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The Northern Rosella (Platycercus venustus), also known as Brown's Parakeet or Smutty Rosella, is found in Western, North-western and Northern Australia. Its range include the Gulf of Carpentaria, through Arnhem Land to the Kimberleys in open savannah country. A subspecies, var. hilli, was described by Mathews in 1910, however is not felt to be valid.
It is not a gregarious bird, found solitarily or in pairs. Nesting occurs in tree hollows in winter, with two to four eggs laid.
In captivity, they are said to continue with their early mating habit, which is not a problem in Australia but more so in other countries.
Description:
It is unusually colored for a rosella, with a dark crown and white cheeks similar to its relatives the Pale-headed Rosella and the Eastern Rosella.
At 11 ins or 28 cm long it is smaller than all bar the Western Rosella. The forehead, crown and nape are black in colour with white-on-blue cheek-patches. The back and wing feathers are blackish with yellow borders, while the feathers of the belly, chest and rump are pale yellow with black borders giving rise to a scalloped appearance. The long tail is bluish green. The bill is pale grey and the iris dark. Immature plumage is similar to adult but duller.
Diet:
Rosellas are customarily fed seeds, fruits, vegetables, eggfood, greens, mealworms, nuts, dog chow, bread, and minerals.
Breeding:
Rosellas are easy to breed; they are robust, do not fear cold but need a dry shelter. The breeding season usually starts in March or April (in Australia from September through January). During the incubation period she is fed by her mate. They nest in a wooden nest, high above the ground, filled with chips or turf.
The female lays 5 to 6 eggs that she incubates alone for about 21 days. During the incubation period she is fed by her mate.
Housing:
It is recommended that couples are kept alone in an aviary, and to even avoid keeping two couples in two contiguous aviaries - as they may be aggressive and get distracted from breeding. If this separation is not possible given the space and resources that you have, it is recommended to have the walls double wired with a separation of about 3 inches (75mm) or even place a solid wall between the neighbors. You also need to have available aviary space for the young birds as they should be separated as soon as they are fully independent of their parents.
Rosellas like to chew on wood therefore metal frames with strong wire / mesh is recommended.
Minimum aviary size should be about:
Width: 40 inches (1000mm) - 47 inches (1200 mm)
Length: 16 feet (5000 mm)
Height: 7 feet (2100 mm
high. (3' - 4' X 16' x 7' high).
The roof should be covered with transparent or opaque corrugated roofing material. For easy maintenance and sanitation, a concrete floor that can be hosed down daily is recommended. The nest log or box should be placed at the rear of the aviar in a sheltered location.
Taxonomy:
Species: Scientific: Platycercus venustus ... English: Northern Rosella, Brown's Rosella, Smutty Parrot ... Dutch: Zwartkoprosella, Browns Rosella ... German: Brownssittich, Schwarzkopfrosella ... French: Rosella Browns du Nord
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots
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