Green Rosella

1. Yellow head and underparts with blue cheeks and a red band above the beak

2. Black and green back, long blue-green tail, and blue-violet panels in the wings

3. Juveniles are mostly green with duller markings and a visible underwing stripe

Green Rosellas are primarily herbivorous, feeding on seeds from grasses, trees (especially eucalypts), berries, nuts, fruit, flowers, and new buds, but they will also eat insect larvae and insects such as psyllids. They forage in the canopy, understory, and on the ground, often using their left foot to hold food while eating. Breeding occurs from September to January, usually beginning at two years of age, with nests placed in tree hollows, sometimes in unusual sites like wall cavities or pipes. Females lay four to five eggs and incubate them alone for 19–23 days; chicks fledge after four to five weeks, joining other young birds in small flocks after leaving the nest. The species is generally sedentary, with no significant migratory movements.

Green Rosellas are widespread across Tasmania and the larger Bass Strait islands, including King, Flinders, Maria, and Bruny Islands. They inhabit nearly all environments with tree cover, from rainforests and eucalypt forests to coastal heath, alpine woodlands, farmland, orchards, and even urban parks and gardens, up to 1,500 meters elevation. They are typically seen in pairs or small groups, and larger flocks may form outside the breeding season. Listen for their distinctive two-syllable contact call, often rendered as “kussik kussik” or “cossack cossack,” and their rising “kwik-kweek” when perched.