The eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius) was named by English botanist George Shaw (1751-1813) in 1792. It is thought that the birds were first encountered at Rose Hill, New South Wales, now Parramatta, and so they called it the Rosehill parakeet which became Rosehiller, and eventually rosella. It has a red head, upper breast and under tail-coverts. Females are usually similar to males, but sometimes duller. Native to southeast of the Australian continent and introduced into New Zealand, the Eastern Rosella uses one of its feet to hold food when eating on the ground or perched on a tree.
