Beautiful Budgerigars
No Comments »23rd August, 2013; Category: Adelaide Zoo, Aviaries, Birds, Parrots and Lorikeets, Zoos
Budgerigars, Adelaide Zoo
I am quite pleased with this photo of two budgerigars. It was taken through the wire netting of one of the aviaries in the Adelaide Zoo here in south Australia. The viewer is not even aware of the netting between my camera lens and the birds.
Budgerigars, probably the most kept pet bird in the world, is truly magnificent in its natural colours and in its natural environment. I know breeders of this species have developed all sorts of amazing colour variations: yellow, blue, purple, white, speckled and even red – though I suspect the photo of a red one I found online was actually of a bird dyed that colour.
My question is: WHY?
Why mess with beauty and perfection. The natural colours are just perfect.
Rant over.
Up close and personal with a king
Male King Parrot Adelaide Zoo
We have many colourful parrots in Australia. In fact, our land is aptly called “The Land of Parrots”. One of the more colourful parrots native to Australia is the King Parrot. Sadly, I’ve only seen this species on a handful of occasions. I should spend more time visiting my grandchildren in Sydney because my son tells me that they often fly through or spend time in their garden in Artarmon. I’ve missed them every time I’ve been there!
The bird shown in today’s photo is up close and personal. It was easy to get this photo because it was taken in a walk through aviary in the Adelaide Zoo. Moreover, the keeper had just fed the birds and it was more interested in eating than what I was doing. Added to that was the zoom facility on my camera.
Nice shot, I reckon. What do you think? Leave a comment or two, please.
Feeding time at the zoo
No Comments »15th August, 2013; Category: Adelaide Zoo, Aviaries, Garden birds, Parrots and Lorikeets, Zoos
Red-collared Lorikeets at Adelaide Zoo
I am quite familiar with the Rainbow Lorikeets we have here in South Australia. They are also found in many parts of the eastern states. For example, the noise of roosting flocks of lorikeets in the trees in the street where my son lives in Artarmon on the North Shore of Sydney can be quite deafening at dusk. From time to time we have small flocks settle in the trees on our five acre block, but more often we see and hear them darting across the house at speed. In my experience, numbers can vary from a few – perhaps two or three – through to many dozens – or more.
A distinct race of the Rainbow Lorikeet is the Red-collared Lorikeet which I have featured in today’s photos. They are just as colourful and just as gregarious; their noise when feeding can be deafening. On a recent visit to Adelaide Zoo I timed my visit to the walk through aviary perfectly, more by accident than design, I might add. The keeper had just fed the birds in this aviary and the lorikeets were having a feast – and letting everyone know about it. Their feeding frenzy made it easy to get some great photos.
Red-collared Lorikeets are found across the northern parts of Australia.
Further reading:
Red-collared Lorikeet at Adelaide Zoo
Red-collared Lorikeets at Adelaide Zoo
Red-collared Lorikeet at Adelaide Zoo
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos
No Comments »13th August, 2013; Category: Adelaide Zoo, Aviaries, Cockatoos and Corellas, Parrots and Lorikeets, Zoos
Red-tailed Black-cockatoo, Adelaide Zoo
The Red-tailed Black-cockatoo is an impressive bird. Not only is it a spectacular bird when seen flying overhead in a large flock, its colours are intense. When seen up close like this one in a walk through aviary at the Adelaide Zoo, one gets a new appreciation of the size of this species. I was certainly careful to keep my fingers away from that enormous beak – see the photo below to see what I mean!
This is but one of a number of black cockatoos found in various parts of Australia. This one has several races spread over a wide range. Large numbers can be found in central, western and northern parts of Australia, while smaller numbers are found in an isolated and endangered population in south eastern South Australia and western Victoria.
Red-tailed Black-cockatoo, Adelaide Zoo
Red-tailed Black-cockatoo, Adelaide Zoo
Mallee Ringneck parrots feeding young
No Comments »10th August, 2013; Category: Baby birds, Flowers, Garden birds, Murray Bridge, Parrots and Lorikeets
Mallee Ringneck Parrot
We have a family of 6 to 8 Mallee Ringneck parrots resident in our garden. We see them every day and they love feeding on the flowers of plants like the Eremophila shown in the photo above. They are also partial to our pears – before they are fully ripe. (Last summer we managed to foil them by draping bird netting over the trees. Yes!)
Quite often we have seen several of the parrots sitting at the entrance of a large hollow in one of our trees. We also see them entering and leaving this hollow. We’ve suspected that they have been nesting in this hollow, but we lacked definite proof until earlier this week.
My wife, who runs a small nursery growing Australian native plants (click to visit), was working in the nursery when she noticed a ringneck feeding a young one in the tree near her. So we can only assume that they have recently used the hollow (or another one nearby) to raise a family.
The Mallee Ringneck is a race of the Australian Ringneck.