Rosellas are colorful parrots from Australia, belonging to the genus Platycercus, which includes six species and nineteen subspecies. The name Platycercus means “broad-tailed” or “flat-tailed,” a feature common among rosellas and other broad-tailed parrots. Their diet mainly consists of seeds and fruit.
Rosellas range in size from 26 to 37 cm (10 to 14.5 inches) and are medium-sized parrots with long tails. They are noted for the scalloping appearance of their back feathers, with colors varying between species. All rosellas have distinctive cheek patches. Sexual dimorphism is either absent or minimal, with males and females generally having similar plumage, except in the case of the western rosella. Juvenile rosellas of the blue-cheeked and western species have a distinctive green-based plumage, while immature plumage in the white-cheeked species is simply a duller version of the adult feathers.
In fly tying, rosella feathers are often used as substitutes for toucan feathers, especially for creating horns or cheek features on salmon flies.
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