Gang-gang Cockatoo
Gang-gang Cockatoo
2007 Australian Capital Territory Trip report #8
During our visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra earlier this year I was delighted to see several Gang-gang Cockatoos. This is a species I do not see all that often because its range is nowhere near where I live.
Gang-gang Cockatoos are found in south eastern New South Wales, southern Victoria and occasionally in the extreme south east of South Australia. While not an abundant species like the Galah, for example, they are moderately common in suitable habitat.
The Gang-gang Cockatoo prefers forests and woodlands where there is more rainfall than on the plains. In the Great Dividing Range, they can be found from sea level through to about 2000 metres altitude. They also prefer timbered watercourses and valleys and can sometimes be found on farmlands and even in suburban gardens.
I’ve only see this species on a handful of occasions over the years. Many years ago when camping in the Snowy Mountains south-west of Canberra I remember an individual sitting in a pine tree eating seeds from the cones. All the parts of the cone he didn’t like were dropped like hail stones on to the top of our car. It is a wonder they didn’t leave any dents as some pieces were quite large.
On this occasion I had the frustration of trying to photograph these beautiful parrots. They seem to like sitting high in the canopy of the trees and not show themselves sufficiently for a good shot. Of the dozen or so photos I managed to get, only the one above was reasonable to show here. It shows a male; the female lacks the red feathers.
A King amongst Parrots
King Parrot, male and female, Floriade 2007, Canberra
2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report #6
The King Parrot would have to be one of Australia’s most beautiful birds. It is a bird of the eastern states of Australia, so I do not get to see it all that often.
The pair shown in the photo above was taken on the lawns during our visit to Floriade 2007 in Canberra. They patiently kept on eating while I took several photos.
Floriade 2007, Canberra
Further reading:
Yellow Rosella
17 Comments »20th August, 2007; Category: Parrots and Lorikeets
Yellow Rosella
On my recent visit to Loxton in the Riverland region of South Australia I saw several Yellow Rosellas. This is a species I have not observed very often. This photos on this post are not brilliant but they are the first and only shots I have of this beautiful species.
The Yellow Rosella is a race of the Crimson Rosella. The Crimson Rosella is a bright red in colour. Similarly, the orange coloured Adelaide Rosella found in the Mt. Lofty Ranges of the Adelaide area in South Australia, is also a race of the Crimson Rosella. The Yellow Rosella and the Adelaide Rosella are known to interbreed in the Mannum-Morgan region where their ranges overlap.
Yellow Rosella
Yellow Rosellas are found primarily along the Murray-Darling River systems. Their preferred habitat includes eucalyptus woodlands and nearby grasslands but usually near water. I have once recorded this species here in Murray Bridge, well downstream than any other known record.
Click on the photos to enlarge the image. Further Reading:
- Birding on a trip to Loxton
- Blue Bonnet Parrots
- Adelaide Rosella – with photos
- Eastern Rosella – another colourful parrot
UPDATE: Below is a better photo taken a few months later in New South Wales.
Yellow Rosella
Blue Bonnet Parrots
3 Comments »17th August, 2007; Category: Parrots and Lorikeets
Earlier this week I drove to Loxton in the Riverland region of South Australia to attend a funeral. Loxton is almost exactly 2 hours drive from here in Murray Bridge. It was like going home because I grew up on a farm in the Loxton district and went to high school there.
The road to Loxton traverses a large portion of the farming area known as the Murray Mallee. This name is derived from the Murray River meandering along to the north and the predominant plant species of the area, the various forms of shrubby eucalypt trees known as mallee trees. Many mallee trees line the roadside verges, along with melaleuca bushes and a wide variety of smaller shrubs and bushes.
At one point alone the road I was delighted to see a pair of Blue Bonnet Parrots fly across the road in front of the car. As I was travelling at about 100kph at the time I couldn’t stop to get a photo. I fact, I do not have a photo of this species in my collection.
Blue Bonnet Parrots
This colourful parrot species has a wide distribution in the drier regions of northern Victoria, western New South Wales and the mallee areas of South Australia and Western Australia. It is common in some areas within its range but in my experience it is uncommon but widespread in most of its range.
Habitat:
The preferred habitat of this species includes open woodland, open mallee, native cypress pines, mulga, acacia and open grasslands.
The bird in captivity:
The Blue Bonnet is a popular cage bird and three subspecies are kept in captivity. The most common is the Yellow Vented Blue Bonnet. Both the Red Vented Blue Bonnet and the Narethra Blue Bonnet are rare in captivity.
Links:
- The see several beautiful photos of this lovely species click here.
- Mallee trees – for more information about mallee trees read this article.
Adelaide Rosella
Adelaide Rosella
Last Sunday we were delighted to observe two Adelaide Rosellas in our garden. It has been several years since our last sighting of this species so close to home. They are infrequent visitors, coming here every few years, sometimes staying around for a few weeks before leaving again.
The Adelaide Rosella is a common parrot of the Mt Lofty Ranges and Adelaide Plains in South Australia. They are common about 30 to 40 kilometres to the west of here in Murray Bridge. In my encounters with this species, the River Murray is about the furthest east that they venture.
This species is actually a hybrid of the Yellow Rosella found further upstream along the River Murray and the Crimson Rosella of eastern Australia and the south east part of South Australia. The feathers can vary from a rich orange through to a quite pale washed out colour.
The photos shown above and below were taken at Gawler, north of Adelaide.
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Adelaide Rosella