; AN AUSTRALIAN VIEWPOINT

by Chris Hunt, Morwell, Victoria, Australia the tanley 0 ella rest of the family, as can be Platycercus icterotz's (Kuhf) seen in distribution map - Figure 1. The Platycercus icterotis xanthogenys is commonly known as the Red-backed Stanley Rosella and, occasionally as Salvadori's Rosella, so Introduction named by Count A. T. Salvadori, an his species, the smallest of the The Stanley Rosella Platycercus Italian ornithologist, in 1891. In the Australian rosellas, is the only icterotis icterotis is the nominate race of wild this subspecies, which is a paler rosella found in southwestern the two [Stanley Rosella] species and is form, is found further inland (but still . In Australia it is usu­ the one most commonly kept by avi­ only in the southwestern part of the ally known by its most popular com­ culturists in Australia. In the wild the state) through the greater part of the mon name - . It is nominate species exists only in the wheatbelt, which is a much drier area sometimes referred to as the Yellow­ extreme southwestern corner of than the wetter habitat inhabited by P. cheeked Rosella or Stanley Parakeet. Western Australia, well away from the i. icterotis.

Stanley Rosella male ofthe Red-backed race Stanley Rosella male ofthe nominate race Platycercus icterotis xanthogenys. Platycercus icterotis icterotis. the afa WATCHBIRD 47 Identification Adelaide Rosella is found around the Nominate Race: P i. icterotis city of Adelaide and, in particular, the MALE: Head and underparts scar­ nearby Adelaide Hills (Le. Mount Lofty let red; mantle, upperparts and feath­ HINGED LID -----r-.. Ranges); The Yellow Rosella inhabits a ers black, edged with green although small area - along the Murray-Darling some have a mixture of dark and Murrumbidgee River systems - that green and red; cheek patches bright is many hundreds of miles long, result­ yellow the same as the chin; rump ing in it occurring in three states: South green; central tail feathers green Australia, Victoria, and New South washed with blue. Wales. The , which is distributed throughout Tasmania and

FEMALE: The female is markedly SL IDE OUT BASE some ofthe islands ofBass Strait, is not different fro~ the male. Head feathers, - Smm FIBREBOARD found on mainland Australia. face and breast light green with faint I hope the above information con­ red and yellow markings; lower breast, veys to Watchbird readers by how far LO mm PINE CONSTRUCTION abdomen and vent duller red, suffused 20)( 20 BASE ANGLE SL IDE 1 the two Stanley Rosella species are with green; cheek patches duller yel­ separated from all the other members low compared with male. Chris Hunt's special Stanley Rosella nestbox. of the Platycercus genus.

Red-backedRace: P. i. xanthogenys Purchasing Stock MALE: Head and underparts scarlet You should never be in a hurry to red; mantle, upperparts and feathers buy the first pair of birds you see. This black edged with crimson red; cheek applies to the Stanley Rosella as well as patches paler yellow with white chin, 230 2]0 the other . There are birds and ~---1 r...l------j blending into the yellow cheek patch­ o IIRDWIRE - -- :--. birds. ([;;;]J __ lADDER es; rump greyish-olive, central tail blue ------Look at them and make sure they with no green. ENTRANCE are good sized specimens. Make sure -- -- HOlE FEMALE: Much paler in color than they are healthy and in good feather the male Red-backed form but is con- I .- ·-l.AHOtNG condition. Obtain as much information 6 .lOCK ~ as you can about the birds. Ask the fol­ siderably paler again than the female 0=__~. IT: I ...... lowing questions: of the nominate race. ,---I...SPECTION 600 IMMATIJRES: Young birds resemble. ~ HOlE COVER - .. - - • How old are they? the adult female in both species, but ~_ -~~J ~ • Have they ever bred? they lack the yellow cheek patches. lOOSE -1ft tttt • Are they related? n Although immature young Red-backed "';'ro: -."" • What do they eat? Stanley Rosellas resemble the female l-. ---L • Under what conditions have they of the subspecies, young males do \ ------i been kept? r--·- r seem to be brighter in color than SLIDE OUT BASE young females. Such information will be extremely t-HUNJ As nestlings both sexes carry two CUTAWAY important once you have your first underwing stripes, however cocks lose Chris Hunt's special Stanley Rosella nestbox. pair(s) ofStanley Rosellas at home and their wing stripes at maturity, whereas settled into their aviary. I prefer to buy hens retain both stripes. young birds and pair them up, waiting two or three years for them to breed. Rosella Distribution Distribution ofthe Rosellas My reason for this is that once the Figure 1 If you study the accompanying map birds have acquired their adult ofAustralia (Figure 1) it is clear that the plumage it is impossible to tell occurs in Arnhem whether the birds are two years old or Land in the Northern Territory, from 20 years old, and you could be buying Victoria River eastwards to the Gulf of somebody else's problems, e.g. non­ Carpentaria; the Blue Rosellas (i.e, the breeders past their breeding age, muti­ Crimson Blue-cheeked and Pale-headed lators, or several other reasons why the Yellow ~~~Rosella Rosella Rosellas) are distributed from Cape owner wants to part with them. Adelaide Rosella j York Peninsula down to northeastern It is always wise to purchase unre­ New South Wales; the Crimson and lated pairs for breeding. If you visit an Eastern Rosellas range throughout aviculturist to buy birds and are told Stanley southeastern South Australia, through the ones you are interested in are Rosella southeastern Queensland, eastern unrelated, and there appears to be WGreen New South Wales and Victoria. The only one breeding pair in his/her Rosella 48 September/October 1998 have no problem escaping between releasing them into their new aviary. A you and an open aviary door. close watch on your birds during this Another reason why the aviaries time is vital as signs of stress, worms, housing my Westerns are only 10 feet and other diseases can be detected long is that this species is a fast flyer and treated quickly. and has less chance of injuring or . On the day the new birds are to be killing itself if it takes fright than it released into their breeding aviary it is would in a longer aviary. In my opin­ advisable to do it early in the morning ion the smallest enclosure for housing as this allows the birds all day to a pair of Western Rosellas would be 6 explore their new home, fmding seed feet 7 inches long x 2 feet 7 inches and water, and roosting places etc. Try wide x 6 feet 7 inches high. not to spend time near the aviary on The wire mesh I use in the con­ the first day, allowing them time to set­ struction ofthese aviaries is 1/2 X 1 inch. tle in. If you must watch, do so from a The floors are concrete which I con­ distance. sider healthier for the birds and, as this Most importantly, make sure the rosella likes to spend a lot of time for­ day you release them is a warm sunny aging on the floor, it assists in control­ day, because they may have been ling the problem of intestinal worms. quarantined inside, away from the ele­ Also vermin find it difficult to dig ments, for quite some time. through a concrete floor and it is much I believe observation is one of the easier to sweep or hose down. A two­ most important rules of . inch layer of clean washed river sand Today most aviaries are set up to sup­ may be laid out on the top of the con­ ply enough food and water to last a crete to allow the birds to scratch and week or more, however, it is a wise forage on the aviary floor. practice to observe your birds at least Because Stanley Rosellas spend a twice a day, early in the morning and lot of time on the ground, I don't rec­ once again before dark. This will alert Interior ofStanley Rosella aviaryfacing ommend suspended aviaries, howev­ you before it is too late to any that the front. er, this doesn't mean they cannot be may have a problem. aviaries, think twice before purchasing kept or bred in this type of aviary. Cleanliness plays a big part in man­ them as being "unrelated" birds. aging aviary birds and keeping them Management disease-free. I clean my aviaries on a Housing Once you have purchased your regular basis, disinfecting seed and Ofthe eight races in the rosella fam­ Western Rosellas they should not be water containers, and removing old ily, the Western Rosella is the smallest released straight into their (permanent) seed regularly. Soaked seed and water and definitely the least aggressive. It aviary as all new arrivals should be are changed daily. During the breed­ can be housed with other birds in a quarantined. Most aviculturists quaran­ ing season these practices are contin­ mixed collection, however, I don't rec­ tine their birds for 45 days before ued on an even more regular basis. ommend this, preferring to house my pairs separately as individual pairs in aviaries measuring 10 feet long x 4 feet wide x 6 feet 7 inches high. My aviaries are constructed of steel and because I live in southern Victoria, where our weather is often unpre­ dictable, they are fully roofed except for two feet of open wire at the front, which allows the birds some access to sunshine and rain. I believe this access to the elements is essential for both the feather condition and health of my parrots. Young Solid partitions between aviaries Stanley Rosel/as offer more privacy and less distractions in the nest. for my breeding pairs of rosellas. I believe walkways are a must for aviaries housing the Western Rosella as they are very rapid flyers and would

the afa WATCHBIRD 49 Feeding enable tree branches or bushes to be Stanleys take about 14 months to attain I provide a dry seed mix consisting hung as I believe these plants provide their adult plumage and, although I of 50°16 Budgie mix and 500/0 grey sun­ many natural vitamins and minerals have known of Western Rosellas to flower in metal seed hoppers with essential to the health and feathering breed at 12 months of age, older birds catching trays to eliminate spillage and of my Western Rosellas. generally are more successful the first waste. In Australia we generally buy The rosellas also receive cooked time they have youngsters. our Budgerigar seed pre-mixed. This chop or chicken bones, dog biscuits, The breeding season for this species comprises 33.50/0 Japanese Millet, 100/0 and egg and biscuit mix, which pro­ in Australia commences around Canary, 100/0 Panicum, 32.5% White vide extra protein to their diet. Grit is September, going through to January Millet, 150/0 Hulled Oats. Once all these also essential to their diet and well (spring to mid-summer). I am sure this seeds are mixed thoroughly together, being. I make this up for all my birds varies from state to state in Australia we usually coat the mixture with a rich by using a medium medicated grit mix, and breeding this in America vitamin A and E oil (not cod liver oil). adding charcoal, cuttlefish bone, and could also have an impact on the A soaked seed mix consisting of fine washed river sand. All these ingre­ month they begin to breed. equal parts of mung bean, wheat, bar­ dients are re-ground and mixed thor­ They will also double brood in most ley and grey sunflower is given daily oughly together using an old meat cases, however, a check should be throughout the year - this mixture mincer which can usually be pur­ kept on previous young fledglings and being allowed to sprout during the chased at a very reasonable price from if any aggressiveness is shown by the breeding season. a Sunday market or garage sale. parents towards the youngsters the These soaked or sprouted seeds are young birds should be removed from fed to my birds in stainless steel bowls Captive Breeding the aviary immediately. which are easily cleaned and disinfect­ The first official breeding in captivi­ A clutch normally consists of 3-7 ed daily to eliminate bacteria-related ty of the Stanley Rosella in Australia eggs. Incubation lasts approximately disease. was in South Australia during 1936. 21 days with the female only brooding A frozen vegetable mix containing There may have, however, been earli­ the eggs. peas, carrots, com and beans is also er unrecorded captive breedings ofthe The male will feed the female in the mixed with the soaked or sprouted Stanley Rosella in Australia. As Graeme log or nest box and will usually stay in seed, however, it should be stressed Hyde mentioned in his introductory 'close proximity to the brooding hen. that any fruit, sprouted or soaked seed article to this rosella series "The History He will also feed her outside in the given to your birds should not be left of Rosellas in Australian Aviculture" aviary on the odd occasions she leaves for long periods in the aviary as bacte­ (Watchbird, ]an./Feb. 1998, pp. 45-49) the nest. The young usually stay in the ria from contamination may occur. I earlier records unfortunately do not nest for approximately 27-30 days after have a "green feeding tray" in my exist in the Australian aviculturallitera­ hatching, becoming independent of aviaries in which I place apple, com, ture. the parents and ready for removal grain bread, carrots, endive, silverbeet Identification between the sexes of from the aviary about 21-28 days later. (or spinach), milk thistle, seeding' both races of the Western Rosella Both parents will feed the young after grasses, or any other such tidbits I can show (di = two, they have fledged. offer the birds. Nuts and flowers from morphic = form or type) so there native trees or bushes are also given. should be no confusion about your Nest Boxes or Natural Logs I fix PVC pipes to the aviary wall to birds being a true pair. Immature This rosella will breed in either a nest box or a natural log. However, I prefer to use a specially designed nest box because they are not as heavy as logs, easier to manage, and much eas­ ier to clean after the breeding season. My nest boxes are made from pine and measure 2 feet deep x 9 inches x 9 inches with a 2.5 inch diameter entrance hole, plus a 4 inch inspection hole. These nests also have a false bot­ tom and a slide to allow cleaning dur­ ing the non-breeding season. At the end of each breeding season I remove the slide and false bottom allowing the old nesting material to empty onto the ground. A gas blow­ torch is then lit and placed under the open bottom of the nest box, burning Soaked seed and vegetables (le.(O and dry seed mixture. out and killing any bugs, mites, lice, or

50 September/October 1998 c ::) Hybrids :I: (/) ~ The Stanley Rosella will hybridize o >­ with other rosellas, also with the Red­ ..0 o (5 capped Parrot Purpureicephalus .J:: a.. spurius and the Psephotus varius. Such breedings should be discouraged at all times.

Summary Both races of the Stanley Rosella are attractively colored and are defmitely the less aggressive members of the Australian rosellas. They can be kept in a mixed collection, however, for best breeding results they should be housed on their own. Ifthere is no other option Three young (on the le.fO tlJith the breeding pair, male on the extreme right. but to house Stanley Rosellas with other species, I suggest keeping them with birds such as doves or finches other diseases that may be lurking or valid reason for hand-raising this and, even then, would recommend breeding in the nest box. A mixture of species in Australia for the pet market that they be strictly observed - espe­ 500/0 sawdust and 500/0 peatmoss is which in any case is minuscule when cially during the breeding season. used for nesting material and is laid 2­ compared with the American pet bird They are easily housed and man­ 3 inches deep in the bottom of the market. aged and breed readily, making them box. I hang the nest boxes in a vertical • Hand-reared Stanley Rosellas tend an ideal small parrot for the beginner. position under cover but in the bright to become too humanized after hand­ I think this is probably why the Stanley sunny part of the aviary. rai ing and don't settle with any Ro ella has been very popular, certain­ From experience I believe inspec­ species (including their own) after­ ly within Australian aviculture, over the tion openings in nest boxes are most wards. They become pugnacious years. important, as breeding hens and towards their owner and other pet Of all the Rosella species the two young should be inspected daily. birds, sometimes injuring or killing the forms of the Stanley Rosella are the Chicks may also need to have leg rings other bird. only ones that are sexually dimorphic. placed on them and such openings Size-wise they are also the smallest of make access much easier. Being an extremely active bird they the Rosella family. It should be do need the freedom ofa large cage or stressed that the nominate form and Hand-reared versus Parent-reared flight and unless they are allowed such the Red-backed subspecies should Australian aviculturists who keep freedom they could be prone to injur­ never be housed or bred together the Stanley Rosella in their collections ing or killing themselves. because they would inter-breed. normally house them as breeding As they enjoy bathing it is advisable pairs, selling the young for the same Unsuitable as a Pet to supply a large water bowl in their purpose. The only time that I would If hand-rearing is necessary it is not aviary, making sure it is cleaned and handrear a Stanley Rosella is in an as difficult as it used to be, although it refilled daily. emergency such as young abandoned does demand a great deal of time and In Australia the nominate form, in the nest. My reasons for not hand­ commitment. The commercially made icterotis, is inexpensive at approxi­ rearing this parrot are: hand-rearing mixes now available are, mately $US80 a pair, whereas, the Red­ • In most states of Australia there is a without doubt, the best we can obtain backed race, xanthogenys, commands licensing system which in the State of for our parrots because veterinarians, a much higher price of approximately Victoria, for example, meant for the chemists, and nutritionists have com­ $US350 a pair. past 20 years we had to pay a license bined their respective knowledge and Both races ofthe Stanley Rosella are fee to keep most of our native birds. skills to produce these important prod­ beautiful birds and are not difficult Although the annual fee of approxi­ ucts for the avicultural market - thus keep or breed. I thoroughly recom­ mately $US20 has now been removed providing hand-reared young birds mend them to any aviculturist, either for 15 ofthe more commonly available with the best possible start in life. novice or experienced, as a delightful Australian species (e.g. Splendid aviary bird. Parakeet and Stanley Rosella) it was in Mutations the past too expensive for the average I have seen a blue mutation of the Acknowledgement person, other than bird breeders, to Stanley Rosella, and have heard of a Drawing of map and nest boxes: John keep the Stanley Rosella as a single yellow or lutino, these being the only Buchan, Glen Waverley, Victoria, Australia. pet. Therefore, there had been no mutations I know of in this species. Copyright Remains with Author. ~

the afa WA TCHBIRD 51