Age-related Differences in Behaviour and Ecology of Crimson Rosellas, Platycercus elegans, during the Non-Breeding Season

Abstract

Habitat use, diet and behaviour of adult and immature crimson rosellas were compared in the non-breeding season in a wet sclerophyll forest in southern Victoria. Immature birds occurred mainly at forest edges and were more patchily distributed than adults. They also differed quantitatively in their diet, spent more time feeding and less time resting, and occurred in larger flocks than adults. It is suggested that these dietary and behavioural differences probably result from either enforced use of inferior habitats and food resources, or less efficient foraging.