Crimson Rosellas also called the Pennant's Rosella
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The Crimson Rosella, Platycercus elegans, is native to east and south east Australia. It has also been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. Its preferred habitat includes mountain forests and gardens.
They make strikingly beautiful and quiet aviary occupants, and are popular as pets as well.
Description:
Generally red; cheeks violet-blue; nape, back and parts of secondaries black with broad red edging; inner median wing-coverts black; bend of wing, outer median wing-coverts and secondary coverts blue; secondaries, outer webs of base of primaries and under wing-coverts blue; upperside of middle tail feathers dark blue with black base, outer tail feathers dark blue with lighter edging and pale tips; tail underside pale bluish; bill horn-grey; skin to narrow periophthalmic ring grey, iris dark brown; feet grey.
Female on average smaller and with greenish tinge to upperside of middle tail-feathers; smaller and narrower bill. Red plumage olive-green in immatures except for forehead, crown, upper cheek area,throat, parts of upper breast, thighs and under tail-coverts; inner median wing-coverts and outer secondary-coverts dull olive-green; under wing-coverts dull blue; upperside of middle tail-feathers dark olive-green with blue-black tips; tail underside 
pale grey-blue; pale under-wing stripe present; attains adult plumage by 16 months.
Length: 36 cm (14 ins), wing length 164 - 188 mm (6.5 - 7.5 ins)
Adults and juveniles show strikingly different coloration in south-eastern populations, with predominantly golden-olive body plumage on the juvenile.
Breeding:
Rosellas are easy to breed; they are robust, do not fear cold but need a dry shelter. The breeding season usually starts in March or April (in Australia from September through January). During the incubation period she is fed by her mate. They nest in a wooden nest, high above the ground, filled with chips or turf.
The female lays 5 to 6 eggs that she incubates alone for about 21 days. During the incubation period she is fed by her mate.
It is recommended that couples are kept alone in an aviary, and to even avoid keeping two couples in two contiguous aviaries - as they may be aggressive. (Adapted from Source: Wikipedia.org)
Photos and below information are courtesy of Mandy & Paul - Breeder of Canaries & Other Exotic Birds - Singing Wings Aviary - www.singing-wings-aviary.com (A great source for these colorful parrots)
Crimson Rosella Mutations / Sub-species:
The Crimsons have a few mutation color mutation such as Blue, Yellow, Lutino and Silver.
Sexing:
Sexing young birds can prove difficult and DNA sexing may be the only way to know for sure at a young age. However birds at least 9 months old can be visualy sexed. There is a noticable difference in the Crimsons as the mature male has a much broader head and bigger beak.
Diet:
A good Rosella diet should consist of canary seed, a mixture of millets, sunflower and safflower. Most people will use a Cockatiel seed mix with added Canary seed. They also enjoy fresh fruits & veggies such as apples, blackberries, oranges, cucumbers, sweet potato and mango. Sprouted seeds, kale, boiled egg can also be offered. I find that our Crimson Rosellas tend to totaly devour the fresh foods while the Golden Mantles will take bits and pieces leaving leftovers.
General Care:
These birds love to bathe and should be provided fresh water to do so.
Compatibility:
Males are very much aggressive towards other males exspecialy in the presence of a hen. Young birds should be seperated from the parents as soon weaned to prevent parental aggression. If you house pairs seperatly in side-by-side flights you may want to place solid dividers between the flights as this will help a great deal with aggression. It is not wise to house this spieces with others.
Housing:
Rosellas do best in an aviary setting or long flight cages as they are avid flyers. Single pets can be housed in med. size parrot cages as long as they are allocted time each day out of the cage.
Song:
Though they do not have a true song they do have several melodious calls. Similar to a louder Red Rump it is much more pleasent then the shrill & harsh sound of Conures, Cockatoos or Macaws. Rosellas are not known for much talking ability but they can mimic whistles and songs.
Species:
Scientific: Platycercus elegans elegans ... English: Crimson Rosella, Pennant's Parakeet ... Dutch: Pennant Rosella ... German: Pennantsittich, Büschwaldsittich ... French: Rosella de Pennant
Sub-Species: nigrescens, elegans, melanoptera, fleurieuensis
Sub-species:
Kangaroo Island Crimson Rosellas: Please scroll up for additional information.
Species: Scientific: Platycercus elegans melanoptera ... English: Kangaroo Island Crimson Rosella ... Dutch: Kangaroo Island Pennant Rosella ... German: Kangaroo Island Pennantsittich ... French: Rosella d'ile Kangoeroe
Description: As elegans (photos above), but red edging to back narrower. Female with same distinguishing features as nominate type. Immatures as elegans. 
Length: 36 cm (14 ins), wing length 168 - 182 mm (6.5 - 7 ins)
Distribution: Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Scroll down to no. 3 - click on link to view photo)
Northern Crimson Rosellas: Please scroll up for additional information.
Species: Scientific: Platycercus elegans nigrescens ... English: Campbell Parakeet, Northern Crimson Rosella ... Dutch: Noordelijke Pennant Rosella ... German: Nördlicher Pennantsittich, Campbelsittich ... French: Rosella de Queensland - Note: the two sub-species, the elegans and nigrescens, are regularly hybridised in aviculture so that there are now very few pure specimens.
Description: As elegans, but red much darker; red edging to back more narrow; smaller. Female with same distinguishing features as nominate type. Immatures virtually same as adults, red plumage being slightly darker; occasionally with some green to shoulder feathers and secondary-coverts; immature seen once with brownish-red feathers. Length: 34 cm (13.5 ins), wing length 146 - 168 mm (5.5 - 6.5 ins)
Distribution: North-eastern Queensland, Australia
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo)
Yellow Rosellas: The Yellow Rosella, which lives along the Murray River, was recently discovered to be a subspecies, P. elegans flaveolus, of the Crimson, and the main difference between the two is that those parts of the Crimson which are red are on the Yellow bright yellow.
Species: Scientific: Platycercus flaveolus ... English: Yellow Rosella, Yellow-rumped Rosella ... Dutch: Strogele Rosella ... German: Strohsittich ... French: Rosella à couleur de paille
Description: Male: Generally pale yellow. Forehead orange-red; deep blue patch on cheek. Nape, back and wing feathers black with broad pale yellow edging. In many birds, the upper breast and throat are tinged with red. Median wing-coverts black; under wing-coverts and outer webs of flight feathers blue; upper tail-coverts and lower back dull yellow; upperside of middle tail-feathers blue tinged with green, outers pale blue lightly tipped; tail underside grey with pale bluish tips. White stripe to grey undersides of wing absent; bill whitish-grey; skin to narrow periophthalmic ring grey; iris dark brown; feet grey. Female with more pronounced red tinge to throat and upper breast; white wing-stripe often present; smaller and narrower bill. Immatures duller; back olive-green; breast and abdomen pale yellow-green; pale wing-stripe present; adult plumage attained by 16 months. Length: 33 cm (13 ins)
Distribution: South-eastern Australia
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
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