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Red Lory parrots, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Red Lory, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The Red Lory shown in these photos is part of the collection of exotic birds kept in Taronga Zoo in Sydney. I’ve never seen this species in its natural habitat because they are endemic to the Indonesian islands of the Moluccas and nearby islands. It certainly would be a stunning bird to see in it natural environment. The Wikipedia article says it is a popular aviary bird and I can well imagine that its bright colours being very attractive to collectors and bird admirers.
The bird shown here was photographed in a walk through aviary at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.
Red Lory, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Rainbow Lorikeets, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Rainbow Lorikeet, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
During our visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney we found a quiet picnic area so we could eat our lunch. Most visitors to the zoo take advantage of the various restaurants and other food outlets, but we would rather bring our own picnic lunch. We found a lovely grassed area with a few picnic tables and enjoyed a pleasant lunch.
At a table nearby some overseas visitors were enjoying the company of two Rainbow Lorikeets. They had provided some food for the birds who were happily devouring the free meal. While this provided me with a great photo opportunity, I can’t condone the action of these visitors. Human food is never good for our native birds so I would discourage all of my readers to refrain from feeding our birds.
Rainbow Lorikeet, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Rainbow Lorikeet, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Polly wants a penny – or a dollar
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The Free Flight Bird Show at Taronga Zoo in Sydney has been my topic here for quite a few days now. Whenever we visit the zoo we make sure we schedule one of the shows into our schedule. It is also a great opportunity to get some good photos of the birds.
At the end of each show the keepers invite audience members to come forward and give some of the parrots a donation of a coin. The birds accept the coin in their beak and immediately drop it into the donation box. In this way over $75,000 has been raised for bird conservation in recent years. Today’s photo features one of those birds, a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo which is a common bird in the Sydney region. It is also common in other parts of Australia too.
Long-billed Black-cockatoo, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Long-billed Black-cockatoo, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The Long-billed Black-cockatoo is also known as Baudin’s Cockatoo. In its natural habitat it is confined to the south western corner of Western Australia. I have seen this species on only a handful of occasions on my last visit to that state. Sadly, this was in 1978, so we are well overdue for a return visit to the beautiful state of Western Australia.
The next best thing is to view these beautiful birds in a zoo – surely a very poor second, but still good. On our visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney last year we eagerly watched the Free Flight Bird Show, a twice daily introduction by the keepers to the birds of Australia. These cockatoos were on display after the show so that visitors could get a good, close up view of them. It also provided me with an excellent photo opportunity.
Long-billed Black-cockatoo, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Long-billed Black-cockatoo, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Long-billed Black-cockatoo, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos, Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Australia has a number of Black-cockatoo species, including the Red-tailed Black-cockatoo shown in today’s post. These impressive large parrots are not easy to approach in the wild, so when we went to Taronga Zoo in Sydney last year I was pleased to get these close up shots.
These birds are a part of the Free Flight Bird Show which is a feature of the programme at the zoo every day at noon and at 3pm. It is a great opportunity for zoo visitors to see some of our wonderful birds up close – and sometimes quite personal.
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos are found in their natural state in much of Queensland, the Northern Territory, parts of Western Australia and there is a small isolated population in western Victoria and SE South Australia. Seeing a flock flying overhead is an awesome sight, but seeing them up close like this at the zoo gave me a new appreciation of the delicate beauty of this stunning parrot.
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos, Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos, Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos, Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney