Crimson Rosella

Crimson Rosella

Platycercus elegans

Silhouette: Farelli (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
at Wilsons Promontory National Park
803 Verified sightings at Wilsons Promontory National Park From 2019 to 2026
19,344 Verified sightings across all 13 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Crimson Rosella

The crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans) is a parrot native to eastern and south eastern Australia which has been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It is commonly found in, but not restricted to, mountain forests and gardens. The species as it now stands has subsumed two former separate species, the yellow rosella and the Adelaide rosella. Molecular studies show one of the three red-coloured races, P. e. nigrescens, is genetically more distinct.

The crimson rosella was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the parrots in the genus Psittacus and coined the binomial name Psittacus elegans. This Latin name had been used in 1605 by the Flemish botanist Carolus Clusius in his book Exoticorum libri decem for the hawk-headed parrot, however this predates the start of Linnean taxonomy.

The crimson rosella had been described and named by John Latham in 1781 as the "Beautiful Lory", from a specimen in the collection of Sir Joseph Banks, and then as the "Pennantian Parrot" in 1787 in honour of Thomas Pennant. However, Latham did not give the... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~90%
2 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~80%
3 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~80%
4 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~70%
5 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~70%
6 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~70%
7 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~60%
8 Flinders Chase 🇦🇺 Australia
~50%
9 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
10 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
11 Flinders Ranges National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
12 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
13 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Crimson Rosella in Wilsons Promontory National Park?

About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Crimson Rosella sighting in Wilsons Promontory National Park, based on 803 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Crimson Rosella in Wilsons Promontory National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Crimson Rosella in Wilsons Promontory National Park in our monthly data.

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