Where would I find Crimson Rosellas?

General birdwatching discussion, help with bird identification, and all other things relating to wild birds and birding in NZ that don't fit in one of the other forums.
Finn Davey
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Where would I find Crimson Rosellas?

Postby Finn Davey » Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:50 pm

I'm just curious as to where I might be able to find a Crimson Rosella.
I live in Wellington and the hand guide book I have says they can be found in "Parks in gardens, mainly in central Wellington".
How true is this statement? Because I've only ever seen Eastern Rosellas.

Thanks
SomesBirder
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Re: Where would I find Crimson Rosellas?

Postby SomesBirder » Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:39 pm

They no longer exist in the wild anywhere in New Zealand. One book that I have says that the last time any wild crimson rosellas were seen in Wellington was in 1995.
Finn Davey
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Re: Where would I find Crimson Rosellas?

Postby Finn Davey » Tue Mar 17, 2020 12:50 pm

Interesting. It does seem that way.

However there is this observation from 2017 of one.
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/8484033
SomesBirder
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Re: Where would I find Crimson Rosellas?

Postby SomesBirder » Tue Mar 17, 2020 12:59 pm

Crimson rosellas are still common in captivity, so it is inevitable that the odd one will escape and subsequently be seen in the wild. The MPI and DOC take reports of non-native non-established parrot species very seriously, so it is unlikely that a new population of feral crimson rosellas will form in the future.
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Re: Where would I find Crimson Rosellas?

Postby Finn Davey » Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:49 pm

They were never a good population to start out with anyway, so no surprises I guess.

Thanks for the info though
SomesBirder
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Re: Where would I find Crimson Rosellas?

Postby SomesBirder » Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:16 pm

You're welcome. It just goes to show you that even comprehensive-looking books can get it wrong.
Even in the 2015 edition of the Robertson & Heather bird guide, only the handbook section says that the Wellington crimson rosella population no longer exists (the ID section still labels the species as being 'very rare').
Finn Davey
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Re: Where would I find Crimson Rosellas?

Postby Finn Davey » Tue Mar 17, 2020 10:13 pm

I'm using the 2017 version of Robertson & Heather bird guide. Very confusing.
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Neil Fitzgerald
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Re: Where would I find Crimson Rosellas?

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Sat Jan 15, 2022 6:03 pm

SomesBirder wrote:The MPI and DOC take reports of non-native non-established parrot species very seriously..

Last time I reported a couple of rose-ringed parakeets the response was "we can't go chasing every escaped parrot". Not as serious as I expected.
SomesBirder
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Re: Where would I find Crimson Rosellas?

Postby SomesBirder » Sat Jan 15, 2022 6:37 pm

That's unusual. Perhaps they feel that their work is done, after their heroism during the great fruit dove incursion of 2019.
fras444
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Re: Where would I find Crimson Rosellas?

Postby fras444 » Sun Jan 16, 2022 2:11 am

SomesBirder wrote:Crimson rosellas are still common in captivity, so it is inevitable that the odd one will escape and subsequently be seen in the wild. The MPI and DOC take reports of non-native non-established parrot species very seriously, so it is unlikely that a new population of feral crimson rosellas will form in the future.


I've always looked at that very small script in that bird book with interest and it was a bird that I wanted to see here in the wild, I always wondered if it was still around.. Has anyone here have any memories of seeing these birds or any NZ photographs of the Crimson in the wild here

Regarding DOC and MPI... It is a very good point and one other thought that I have had for a while now...

With our current wild breeding parrots species recorded in NZ, our nine endemics, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galahs, the Eastern Rosellas and along with a number of current Australian parrot species held in captivity.

Regarding New Zealand's constantly evolving avifauna through windblown vagrants and the smallest of percentage of those species becoming established as a native species then through change and adapting, becoming an endemic species...

Would the likelihood of any potential wind blown parrots from Australia, almost certainly be deemed by DOC or MAF/MPI as a potential cage escape, thus detrimental to either our native species or to our agricultural economy.
Thus to be eradicated effective immediately?

Would it be fair to say, parrot wise.
The Psittaciformes family as a whole could quite easily become basically a 'stunted/status quo' group in NZ and we could quite possibly never see any new 'native' parrot species become established and breed here.

With New Zealand being extensively modified, a number of our birds on the brink and with a handful of Australian species introduced here and a number in captivity. I wonder if any new bird arrivals that then become established would be treated with a new sense of suspicion. Be it agricultural or ecological
Some could argue that Pied Stilts (some records suggest that they have been a more recent arrival) have a negative impact being that they interbreed with possibly our most critical bird species
If a flock of Rainbow Lorikeets with Australian marked rings on their feet was discovered in the forest of Westland... That would definitely throw a spanner in the works... (Anything that arrives here naturally be it Migrant, Straggler or vagrant is classified as native/protected species by law)

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