Eastern Rosellas in the gully

Some of you may have seen the Eastern Rosellas in Mangaiti Gully from time to time. These high quality photos were taken by Wippy Photography when walking on the boardwalk that runs up from Hukanui Road. They are a native to south-eastern Australia and were introduced to Dunedin in 1910 and later to Auckland in 1920. They are now common throughout many parts of the North Island, in particular Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Wairarapa and Wellington. They could potentially compete with native species for food and/or tree cavities, which they nest in, although eastern rosellas are mainly seen in open, partially wooded landscapes in New Zealand, including urban parks, gardens, golf courses, farmland, wetlands, and stands of exotic and native trees. They use the edges of extensive native forest areas more than the interior (Reference: https://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/eastern-rosella).