Is this a juv. Crimson Rosella (Platycerus Elegans), or a juv. Or adult Yellow Rosella (Platycerus flaveolus)? I am doubtful about Crimson, as there is not enough red, but is the Yellow a subspecies of the Crimson? Help! Taken at Mulwala N.S.W, Also, sorry about the pic, it was very shy and took of as soon as it saw me
short answer - yes
Yellow Rosella (Platycerus elegans flaveolus) is a sub-species of Crimson Rosella (Platycerus elegans elegans)
your bird appears to be a Yellow Rosella
I will post a pic tonight of a Yellow Rosella from Deniliquin in December
Peter
Okay, thanks Peter, is it a juv. Yellow Rosella because of the green back?
Tegan - Melbourne Vic.
yes it's a yellow
note how similar the Green Rosella is, though the ranges makes confusion unlikely (though it has happened with escapees surviving in the wild)
Thanks Peter and Zosterops
Tegan - Melbourne Vic.
pic as promised
Peter
Thanks Peter, yours looks like an adult
Tegan - Melbourne Vic.
Yep, i'd agree. Definitely not a juv. crimson, as they are a much darker green interspersed with blue, rather than pale yellow.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
As for yellow being a subspecies of Crimson, I'm not sure.
I know that some books basically group them into blue-cheeked rosellas and white-cheeked rosellas.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
an interesting comment that requires further clarification
are you advising that some books have 2 Rosella species - blue-cheeked and white-cheeked?
not sure which field guide you use but mine all say ssp flaveolus is a Crimson Rosella ssp
in the scenario that you ahve quoted I wonder which group includes the Pale-headed Rosella (Platycercus adscitus adscitus) with a blue-edged white patch found in FNQ (far north Qld); note not the ssp that you see in south-eastern Qld
Peter
Hi Peter,
I'll have to clarify when I'm at home and can look up my books.
I don't think any of the books I have suggest specifically as only 2 species, but I think it was more of a grouping including subspecies under those 2 categories, with suggestion of intergrades between the sub-species (or similar).
BUT, i'm not sure how this fits with interbreeds between Eastern and Crimson, or Eastern and PHR.
I'll look it up tonight and confirm.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
Just following up on my comments from earlier.
It may now be outdated info (being 25 years old now), but my Reader's Digest Complete Book of Aust Birds lists the rosella species as follows:
As said I think the more recent guides would be based on current thinking and science, as there have been massive changes in genetic science and DNA comparisons in the last 20 years or so.
The specific comment on the white-cheeked rosella in RDCBAB was that the interfertility and gradation of the species between regions "left little alternative but to treat all these forms as distinctive races of a single polymorphic species".
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane