Stanley’s, Yellow-Cheeked, or Western Rosella
Characteristics
Length: 26-28 cm (about 10-11 inches). Crown, throat, breast, and belly bright red; flanks with a sprinkling of yellow feathers. Yellow cheeks. Back and rump green with black-scalloped coloring. Flight feathers blue-black; tail green and blue towards the tip; underside sky-blue. The female is smaller, and her coloring is less vivid; many have some green feathers on the belly and head and smaller cheek markings. After 60-65 days the young will begin to molt. Eyes brown, beak gray-white, legs black-brown. Their song is quite pleasant. It is preferable to take them indoors for the winter to avoid frozen toes.
Social Behavior
Prefers to be kept in pairs or colonies. Outside the breeding period they are very tolerant of fellow species and exotic birds.
Diet
All parakeets and parrots, including rosella, need a large variety of fresh, healthy foods, whether on a pellet or a seed diet. Beneficial foods include dark green, leafy vegetables like kale, broccoli, dandelions, and chard, as well as carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash. Healthy table foods like cooked eggs, corn, beans, pasta, and rice can also be offered. Remove perishable foods after a few hours and at bedtime. Grit, gravel, and oyster shells should never be given. A seed-only diet will result in malnutrition. Eventually, a rosella should become acclimated to a diet containing specially formulated pellets. An AVIAN vet can help with more information.
Cleaning
Tray liners should be replaced every day and the cage bottom, fittings and dishes regularly washed with hot water and soap. Once a month, disinfect the cage with diluted bleach and rinse thoroughly. Line the tray with black and white newspaper or paper towels. It is unsafe to use pine/cedar shavings, corn cob or walnut bedding.
Fertility
Place moist sawdust and mulched wood inside the nest box. Once the female has laid eggs, remove any extra nest boxes. She lays 4-6 eggs, which hatch after about 19 days. Young leave the nest after a month. Couples prefer to have an aviary to themselves (like all rosella).
Health
All parakeets and parrots, including rosella, should be examined by a qualified AVIAN vet at least once a year or ASAP if any bleeding, injuries, or other signs are noted. It can be hard to tell when a bird is ill, and by the time you notice a problem, the sickness is usually well-advanced. Delaying a visit with an AVIAN vet or using over-the-counter or human medicines may be fatal.
Warnings
All parrakeets and parrots, including rosella, have very sensitive respiratory systems and should not be exposed to cigarette smoke, aerosols, harsh cleaning products, or other toxic fumes.
