The Crimson Rosella
Scientific name: Platycercus elegans
Indigenous name: (Different in different locations) Walungarid | Warin | Coolich | Kowa .
Size: 32–36 cm
Diet: Seeds, fruit, nectar, berries, nuts, insects
Lifespan: Around 20 years in the wild
The Crimson Rosella lives along the east and southeast of Australia and through Tasmania. We see them here in Adelaide. They prefer older, wetter forests — eucalypt and rainforest at all altitudes — but they’ll happily take up residence in farms, parks, gardens, and golf courses.
Crimson Rosellas are deep red with electric blue cheeks and a black-and-blue scalloped back. Juveniles start out mostly olive-green and slowly moult into their adult colours over a couple of years, which is why you’ll sometimes see a flock that looks like two completely different species travelling together.
They were taken to Norfolk Island as caged birds during the first European settlement, escaped, and became numerous by 1900 — where they’re still known as “red parrots” to tell them apart from the native green ones.
Here’s a strange one: their biggest threat isn’t the peregrine falcon or the powerful owl. It’s other Crimson Rosellas. During breeding season, females will fly into rival nests and destroy the eggs — competition for good hollows is fierce, and a wrecked nest gets abandoned, freeing it up for next season.
Specifications
Blade Length | 75 mm
Overall Length | 182.5 mm
Folded Length | 106 mm
Blade Thickness | 2.8 mm
Weight | 113gm
Blade Steel | Rosella: Sandvik 14C28N
Blade Hardness | Lorikeet 62 HRC · Rosella 58 HRC
Blade Grind | 50/50 Double bevel Grind With Finger Grip Jimping
Scale Material | Damascus G10
Pivot | Caged ceramic ball bearing washer
Opener | Flipper tab With Grip Jimping
Lock | Button lock
Clip | CK1055 spring steel, heat-treated to 44 HRC
