Rosellas!

Rosellas are one of my all time favorite birds! Native to the forest lands of Australia and surrounding islands, they are not loud and squawky like most parrots. In fact, they have a very pleasant voice. They are inquisitive, playful, and are usually quite tame when raised in captivity. And WOW! What colors! There are 8 main varieties in the wild. Not everyone agrees where to draw the line between the species. If you ask me, if chihuahuas and St Bernards are the same species, then rosellas must be all one species too! But hey, what do I know?
Anywho, I will tell a bit about the 8 main colors found in the wild. Numbers refer to the picture below, left to right. Click on the picture to see it full size.

1. Green Rosella- or Tasmanian Rosella- Platycercus caledonicus- 37 cm- from Tasmania and the larger islands in Bass Strait
2. Crimson Rosella- or Pennant Rosella- Platycercus elegans- 36 cm- east and south east Australia. It has also been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island
3. Adelaide Rosella- Platycercus adelaidae- 35 cm- Southern Australia
4. Yellow Rosella- Platycercus flaveolus- 33 cm- lives along the Murray River
5. Northern Rosella- or Brown's Rosella- Platycercus venustus- 28 cm- northern and northwestern Australia
   
6. Mealy Rosella- or Blue Rosella, includes Blue-Cheeked, and Pale-Headed Rosella (white cheeks)- Platycercus adscitus- 30 cm- Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia
7. Eastern Rosella- or Common Rosella, includes the Golden Mantled Rosella- Platycercus eximius- 30 cm- South-eastern New South Wales and South-eastern South Australia
8. Stanley Rosella- or Western Rosella- Platycercus icterotis- 26 cm- Coastral Areas of South-western Australia