Hi
Have been photographing a lot of young crimson rosellas this last couple of weeks. During the winter they were in quite a large number in our neighbourhood and then they seemed to decline. Now they seem to be back with their young. I have noticed that the male seems to do most of the feeding of the young, the other evening I photographed a male feeding 3 young birds. I would post but the photograph is very grainy as it was just after sunset.
Does anyone know what is the norm with these birds. I have attached a couple of shots of the parent bird and the young. They seem to congregate the young in a central position, where they can cavort amongst the trees and nibble on the wattle seed pods, this morning I counted up to about 8 young birds with no adult in attendance.
Cheers Diane - Canberra
Hi there Diane. I'm not sure what you mean by "what is the norm with these birds" but I understand that after they're made independent by their parents, the young crimson (as well as Adelaide & yellow) rosellas form parties that roam around as young ones do. I've certainly noticed this where I live (s.e. slopes of Mt Lofty Ranges SA).
Do you have any thoughts on why numbers of crimson rosellas in your neighbourhood were relatively high in winter, then declined & now have increased?
All I can add to this would be, the juvenile King Parrots hang out together just as the Rosellas do. I know that the parents start to breed again very soon after the young should be feeding themselves. My "friend Frank" and his wife are sitting on brood No2 right now. If conditions permit, they keep on breeding, last season they had 4 lots of young, by the end they looked skinny and tired.
Today I observed some Gang Gang juveniles in my trees, they were no parents anywhere, then I noticed them in an old tree checking out some hollows.The young have to takle care of themselves, the old breed the next generation.
M-L
Hi Diane
As Woko noted : all Blue cheeked rosella parrots form large flocks of immatures, once there abandoned. As to time of the year, on the east coast the numbers start forming around now, and they migrate towards the coast.
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW
Hi Diane
As Woko noted : all Blue cheeked rosella parrots form large flocks of immatures, once there abandoned. As to time of the year, on the east coast the numbers start forming around now, and they migrate towards the coast.
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW
All your comments sound plausable but I have seen the juveniles still being fed by the parent bird as late as today. I think the reason they seem to disappear during the spring was that they possibly go into the mountains to breed and then come back to Canberra with their young - just a guess, the pardalotes seem to do that, they made the nest in our compost, then disappeared for a number of weeks then came back and a few weeks later their 2 young flew out of the nest and then the next day the 4 of them disappeared! At least now we can access our compost again.!
Diane
Today ...... Some kids don't leave home untill their early thirty , but you are on the right track in what you say . Each area has its own time , when to Move on ! What kind of pardalote are they?
Just got home so maybe my words are not to clear . Ha ha
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW
More updates on the juvenile crimson rosellas - I observed this morning and have noticed looking back on my photos that there does seem to be one parent/mentor bird - he is easy to pick as he is completely crimson - so maybe he is the "leader of the pack" - Diane