Lets try this again
The black rosella finds our backyard feeding station and the locals are not impressed. Please feel free to browse the other feeding videos. Any and all feedback/questions welcome I'm here to learn and share if I can. ad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E11SwtwplQ
Is there a trick to adding a video?
Hi Shirley, unlikely to be a Green Rosella, as they are endemic to Tasmania, unless someone has released or an escapee. Possibly they are extending thier range, but with decreasing habitat in most areas, and that large piece of water between Tassie and Victoria, I find this unlikely.
Aussiedavid has had other posts of this or one much like it, and the opinion seems to be that the bird is Melanistic, which is basically the oposite of Albanism (white or pale animals) or Leucism (a reduction in pigmentation).
Another good video aussiedavid, thanks for sharing.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Shirley
Thank you for your comments, they are much appreciated. I tried to capture as much image wise, both still & video as I possiblly could. They never made a call in the time I saw them. As to predator no a gentle bird from what I saw. Some (normal ones) can be very agressive most are gentle when visting us. That said we witness the odd fight & some are very possesive of the food dish!! Have not seen either of them for weeks now, looks like they have moved on...unfortunately.
Dale
I believe them to be green. I have seen green rosellas in tassie (have couple of very poor photos). Know they are considered endemic BUT what we have here are yellow ones & green ones to my observations. I'm no expert & could be wrong. You & at least two other Tasmanians have seen the videos & have all asked where in tassie they were filmed!! I will dig though some photos & see if some can make a positive ID of them. It is my belief that we are seeing yellow X green birds in town...& the green number is expanding at a faster rate then yellow. Cheers ad
Shirley
Thank you for your comments, they are much appreciated. I tried to capture as much image wise, both still & video as I possiblly could. They never made a call in the time I saw them. As to predator no a gentle bird from what I saw. Some (normal ones) can be very agressive most are gentle when visting us. That said we witness the odd fight & some are very possesive of the food dish!! Have not seen either of them for weeks now, looks like they have moved on...unfortunately.
Dale
I believe them to be green. I have seen green rosellas in tassie (have couple of very poor photos). Know they are considered endemic BUT what we have here are yellow ones & green ones to my observations. I'm no expert & could be wrong. You & at least two other Tasmanians have seen the videos & have all asked where in tassie they were filmed!! I will dig though some photos & see if some one can make a positive ID of them. It is my belief that we are seeing yellow X green birds in town...& the green number is expanding at a faster rate then yellow. Cheers ad
Hi aussiedavid, possibly blue winged parrot, they have obviously blue on the wings, and can have or be yellowish colouring. I am no Rosella vs Parrot expert, could also be one of the other Rosellas, or for that matter another Parrot. Both Green Rosellas and Blue Winged Parrots can appear yellow. Have not heard of Green Rosella outside of Tasmania, other than in captivity, but happy to be proven wrong.
Difference (obvious anyway) between a Green Rosella, and a Blue Winged Parrot is the colouring above the beak, GR has red, BWP has blue, but both have blue on the wings - maybe that helps??
Need someone with more expertise, and some photos of your normal, non melanistc birds to ID.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Thanks Dale, they are red above beak & all the characteristics of a rosella including scales & call. Looking at photos of the BWP they are NOT BW. Most sources indicate some greens fly to southern victoria in winter & have been observed in vic. Have another look at the Green Rosella video it shows three different birds...all have green markings. Will find some photos to help with +ve ID ad
No problems, keep us posted, as I said happy to be wrong!
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Dale thanks for your help will try to post some thing tomorrow. BTW Have you seen the orange ones? Would love to get back down that way & go across to see them before they are too rare to be found. Also love to see some photos in the wild. ad
No, had a boat trip planned to go to Melalueca a couple of weeks ago, but unfortunately cancelled beyond my control. Adults have possibly already left for winter grounds, juveniles late March, early April. As you are possibly aware, there is a viewing hide which is open from October til the end of March I beleive, with a flights from Hobart daily (subject to weather).
There are some great sites about OBP, just google (if you havn't already), a couple of Captive breeding Programs, both in Tassie and Victoria, with controlled release of captive birds to meet each years specific needs. Can't confirm numbers, but I was told something like 200 birds in captivity, obviously to release most or all at once would be a potential disaster.
Sorry you have started me on one of my passions, and I tend to ramble when that happens.
One site below is worth a look.
http://bird.net.au/bird/index.php?title=Orange-bellied_Parrot
Did have a look at I think some of your videos on Youtube (can't confirm they are yours though), and they certainly look like Green Rosellas to me, can I ask where you are located?
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Nice video David
Thanks for all the comments. To Dale you have a right to be passionate about this bird. The numbers are a probem unlike many that are not endangered and receive far too much attention and then create problems for inocent entities. The captive breeding will help, remember Lord Howe Island!! Then how about Thylacine, it could still exist!! ad
Thanks for posting the video - certainly not an everyday backyard visitor you have there! Sorry if I've missed some of the comments and am repeating things others have said.
Tasmania's Green Rosella: adult males are yellow, females and juveniles are a dull olive yellow to green colour. Only found in Tas.
NSW / Vic border area gets the Yellow Rosella - adults are yellow, juveniles can be green'ish yellow. You made comments about the 'greens' increasing - can I suggest that this may just be juveniles present at the moment which will become more yellow with age..?
I disagree with Shirley that this is evidence for a possible new species (sorry!). I don't think that happens as much as you're making it sound... I think as said above this a genetic mutation in this individual. Granted, if there were several birds like this in an area and an event (eg bushfire) gave black colouration an evolutionary advantage, then perhaps that colouration may increase in prevalence (Google the Peppered Moth story). As is, I see no reason not to think this a just an individual Yellow Rosella born with a genetic mutation. It may in fact be less likely to survive or reproduce than the 'normal' coloured birds.
Either way, it's certainly very cool and please do keep us updated about his / her progress :)
Cheers,
Scott.
PS - Shirley: there has been some discussions about just calling all of these rosellas (Adelaide, Yellow, Green, Crimson) one species - Blue cheeked Rosellas, particularly because where their ranges overlap they are known to interbreed. (and then the White - cheeked Rosella, which is currently split into Northern / Eastern / Pale-headed). Not sure where that discussion is up to...
Hi Scott Thanks for you comments, much appreciated. ad