ROSELLAS; the island state of Tasmania. In recent years, thousands of over­ AN AUSTRALIAN VIEWPOINT seas v.isitors, including many by Graeme Hyde Americans, have traveled to Australia Elliminyt, Victoria, Australia for a holiday "Down Under" where they have marvelled at the beauty of the rosellas---one of the natural won­ ders of the Australian countryside. These parakeets which are, with the tne History of odd exception, gaudily colored birds are commonly known as broadtail par­ rots and collectively as rosellas. The Rose1las scientific name for the genus, Platycercus, denotes this fact, i.e. Platys is Greek for flat and cercos is in Australian Aviculture Greek for tail. Introduction Sixty years ago Neville W. Cayley, a The Distinctive Markings noted Australian ornithologist, wrote, ofthe Rosellas s stated in the accompanying "The second illustration of an Each Australian rosella has two R. article by Dale Thompson, Australian parrot was painted .. , [by] obvious plumage characteristics: 1) A"the rosella group of parrots the artist, William Ellis, executing a well-defined cheek patches (white or originates from Australia and they are water-colour drawing of the yellow); and 2) the scalloped pattern one ofthe largest ofthe Australian par­ Tasmanian Green Rosella." This paint­ on their back whereby each feather is rot families." The fact that there are a ing, dated 1777, is in the British usually edged with the general body total of 19 species and subspecies Museum (since renamed The Natural color of the bird (i.e. red, yellow or (Hutchins & Lovell), together with their History Museum). The earliest known green). The mottled effect on the back striking colors, has combined to attract painting of an Australian parrot was a of each species or subspecies is a fea­ the attention of bird lovers, naturalists, female Red-tailed Black Cockatoo ture unique to the rosellas which are ornithologists, scientists and avicultur­ which is also in the same museum. all medium-sized birds that feature ists. I believe this reference to the long gradated tails. There is no doubt that the color, Tasmanian rosella is an interesting, variety, and individuality of the albeit different, way of introducing the Popularity as a Captive Bird Australian rosellas is the reason for the history of the rosellas to Watchbird The rosellas have always been a interest in these fascinating parrots by readers. One or more species or sub­ popular aviary bird in Australia and, in aviculturists in the United States, species of this fascinating and colorful days gone by when trapping of native Europe, the United Kingdom, New group of birds are to be found in each birds was allowed (taking native Zealand and Australia. state of mainland Australia, as well as Australian birds from the wild is now banned), it was quite common for people to take young parrots from the wing bar on the male. the dark-eyed yellow Plumhead and I nest and handrear them as pets. In the This male dark-eyed yellow Plum­ keep hearing the rumor that it may be case of the rosellas they would usually headed Parakeet was paired with a coming into the U.S. obtain the species that was common to normal female and there were three Or maybe it is in the country. Could their area. juveniles on the perch with them. The that be true? I'm sure Roger Bringas, of All the rosellas are popular as aviary dark-eyed yellow Plumhead is a reces­ North Hollywood, California would birds in Australia. I believe there are sive mutation so all of the three off­ know as he has been the person to four reasons for this popularity: spring on the perch were split to the bring in so many ofthe beautiful muta­ 1. their beautiful colors; mutation color. tions from Europe. 2. their hardy nature and longevity; The sex-linked lutino Plumhead is No matter what, I will always 3. their suitability to captivity; very similar in appearance to the dark­ remember the first time I observed this 4. their basic dietary needs are easily eyed yellow. I saw the bird that Mr. new mutation and stood there in awe met. Fitzsimmons had brought into the for several minutes. I even had to go country. If I were to acquire one of back for a second look. This was a Early History-1930s these beautiful mutations, I would mutations that was good on the eyes. I We know that the various members work on getting the dark-eyed yellow do hope to see this bird someday in of the rosella family have been kept form as it is very much stronger. I keep the aviaries ofan American aviculturist. and bred in Australian aviculture for a hearing over the years about the fur­ If you see one, please let me know. I long, long, time. It is difficult to trace ther reproduction by Mr. Postema on will be waiting by the telephone. ". the early history of captive breedings the afa WATCHBIRD 45 however, partly because the first avi­ for anyone to contribute an article on linked with each other, culturally and cultural society in Australia was not the history of the rosellas in Australian aviculturally. formed until 1928--150 years after the aviculture. Even though I have been a European settlement of Australia. member of the Melbourne-based Fauna Regulations The oldest society, the Avicultural Avicultural Society of Australia (found­ Australia is similar to the United Society of South Australia (ASSA) was ed in October 1940) for 44 years, a States of America in that the country is founded in Adelaide, South Australia, member of the committee (board of divided into states (two are known as in 1928. This progressive society is still management) for 28 years, and editor territories) which are governed by a as active as ever. Although the ASSA of its monthly journal for the past 22 State/Territory Government, as well as had a "South Australian Section" in years (as at December 1997), it is still having a federal government e.g. Australian Aviculture, the monthly difficult-despite my ongoing interest Commonwealth Government of journal of the Avicultural Society of in the Australian rosellas, both in the Australia. All native fauna and flora Australia, for almost nine years (April wild and in captivity-to write a his­ "belongs" to the nation and is fully 1949 - December 1957) it was not until torically definitive article on the sub­ protected. For example, it is illegal to February 1958, 30 years later after its ject. remove any native Australian bird from formation, that the Avicultural Society Because ofthe difficulty in historical the wild. This heritage is fully policed. of South Australia began publishing its accuracy I have decided to discuss the Each state or territory has its own own magazine-Bird Keeping in first breeding of each species in the fauna regulations under which citizens Australia. following way: can keep native Australian animals, I've included this "club" information • Give the "first official breeding for birds, and reptiles in captivity. to assist readers of Watchbird to more South Australia" as the earliest known Common birds such as the Budgerigar, easily understand why, prior to 1928, date of the particular species being Cockatiel, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo there was no publication available for "officially" bred in Australia. and Rose-breasted Cockatoo (Galah) the recording the avicultural pursuits • Placing in brackets the date ofthe can be kept without the requirement of the day, let alone the breeding first known captive breeding in the of a wildlife license. records of the Australian rosellas. United Kingdom. Note: There are plentiful stocks of Australia suffered from the same This will give a particular type of aviary-bred native Australian birds problem experienced in other coun­ historical perspective to the subject always available from private avicultur­ tries-bird keeping magazines were and, at the same time, will acknowl­ ists and bird dealers to meet the occasionally launched, but eventually edge that following colonization of demands ofthe hobby. Sometimes it is ceased publication. For example, a Australia by England in 1788 many hard to sell surplus parrots. One avi­ short-lived but informative weekly species of Australian birds were culturist I know has 30 Golden-shoul­ magazine, Australian Cage Birds trapped and sent to England by boat dered Parrots that he is unable to sell, Weekry, was published for several for the cage bird trade in the u.K. The because there is no demand for them, months (maybe longer?) in 1936-1937. early records for breeding Australian even at $120 Australian a pair. In format this publication was based birds in Britain, despite the long three Records of the species which are on the English weekly Cage & Aviary months sea voyage, is an historical kept by an individual and held under Birds newspaper. Perhaps the impact acknowledgement that such birds license (e.g. in my state, the State of of World War II caused its early were adaptable to captive breeding­ Victoria, all the rosellas and other pop­ demise. especially in aviaries. It also recognizes ular species such as the Splendid Likewise, the Victorian Avicultural that despite being 12,000 miles apart, Parakeet and the Princess of Wales Society existed in 1932. This was Australia and England are intrinsically Parakeet) must be kept in a Protected Melbourne-based but, for some Wildlife Record Book. Let me illustrate: Twice a year in unknown reason disappeared without Distribution of Rosellas leaving any record of its aims and in Australia Victoria the license holder must send achievements. A similar thing occurred in a return on a form provided by the in Western Australia in the 1930s when fauna department (Department of the "original"(?) Perth-based Avicultural Natural Resources & Environment) Society of Western Australia came and which shows numbers held of each went without leaving any information species, plus the acquisitions, breed­ behind about its existence or achieve­ ings, sales and deaths that have taken ments.