Macaws in the Adelaide Zoo
Macaws in the Adelaide Zoo
My home zoo is Adelaide Zoo, along with Monarto Zoo which is a ten minute drive from home. One of the strengths of Adelaide Zoo is its bird collection, mostly of Australian birds.
The zoo also boasts a good collection of non-Australian birds, including several macaw species such as those shown in the photo above. The bird on the left is a Blue and Gold Macaw, while the other is an Hyacinth Macaw. Both of these spectacular parrots are native to South America.
Flock Bronzewing Pigeon, Adelaide Zoo
Flock Bronzewing Pigeon, Adelaide Zoo
The Flock Bronzewing pigeon is a bird of the arid grass zones of northern and central Australia. It can sometimes form large flocks, especially when coming in to watering points. It is one species I would really like to see in its natural habitat. This bird, a male, was in an aviary in the Adelaide Zoo.
Flock Bronzewing Pigeon, Adelaide Zoo
Budgerigar, Adelaide Zoo
Budgerigar, Adelaide Zoo
The small Australian parrot known as the Budgerigar would have to be one of the most popular pet birds in the world. They are easy to keep and are delightful companions, ideal for even small apartments, but equally at home in a large aviary.
This small parrot, however, is a native of the drier inland parts of Australia where it can sometimes form spectacular flock in the thousands. Only on one occasion have I seen this species in large numbers. This was on a visit to a remote farming area in north western Victoria. It was a memorable sight.
I am quite pleased with the photo above because it was taken through the wire netting of one of the aviaries in the Adelaide Zoo.
Rose-crowned Fruit-dove
Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, Adelaide Zoo
On a recent visit to Adelaide Zoo, I focussed particularly on bird species. This zoo has an excellent collection of Australian birds plus a few exotics.
I managed this one photo of a Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, a species I have yet to see in the natural state. Sorry that the photo is slightly blurred – it was taken through the wire netting of the aviary.
Australia has six species in the family known as fruit-doves. Their diet is predominantly fruit, of course. This colourful species can be found in the northern extremes of Western Australia and the Northern Territory and from Cape York in Queensland down the eastern coast to about the Sydney region, sometimes even further south.
Budgerigar, Adelaide Zoo
Budgerigar, Adelaide Zoo
After a recent medical appointment in Adelaide my wife and I spent a few hours at the Adelaide Zoo. Apart from being the only zoo in Australia to have Giant Pandas exhibited, our local zoo has an excellent collection of birds, especially Australian species. Some of these are in walk-through aviaries, making photography easy.
Some, however, are seen through wire mesh. I am quite pleased with the photo above because I managed to focus on the bird without too much blur from the netting. Budgerigars are one of Australia’s favourite birds being kept as a pet by many people. It is also a popular cage bird worldwide.