Chukar Partridge, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Chukar Partridge, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The attractive Chukar Partridge is a bird found across Asia and parts of Europe. It is considered a good game bird and belongs to the pheasant family. There are feral introduced populations in North America and New Zealand, being released as game birds for shooting. A small population also existed for a while in New South Wales though the latest edition of the Simpson and Day Field Guide suggests that this population is now extinct. It is the national bird of Pakistan.
The bird in the photo above was taken in a walk through aviary at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Much closer to home, however, my cousin recently had one in his garden here in Murray Bridge in South Australia. He sent a photo of it for identification wondering what it was. I guess someone is missing a beautiful bird from their aviary here in my home town.
Nicobar Pigeon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Nicobar Pigeon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The Nicobar Pigeon is named after the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean SE of India. Although they are named after these islands, their distribution is much broader, stretching to the east through the Malay Peninsula and the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
I’ve never visited or been birding in this part of the world so I’ve not seen the Nicobar Pigeon in its natural environment. The iridescent colours of its plumage makes this a stunning bird. The birds shown in this photo was seen in a walk through aviary at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.
Nicobar Pigeon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
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
Baby elephant, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Elephants, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The elephants on display at Taronga Zoo in Sydney are a major attraction, especially with the birth of the baby shown in these photos. The elephants are enjoying their new quarters opened only a year or so ago. This enclosure is much more spacious and elephant friendly than the old quarters and they obviously enjoy showing off to their admiring audience. One of the benefits of this new enclosure is the excellent viewing areas for the public. Large numbers of people can all view the animals simultaneously.
I remember fondly my earliest encounter with an elephant was in my home state capital city of Adelaide. When I was a child the Adelaide Zoo had several elephants and children were able to ride on them around the zoo. This no longer happens today, so I had to travel to Thailand and Nepal to have a ride on one of these wonderful creatures.
Further reading:
- Adelaide Zoo – archived articles of visits to Adelaide Zoo, South Australia
- Taronga Zoo – articles about my visits to Taronga Zoo, Sydney
- My travels in Nepal
- My travels in Thailand
- Elephants
Elephants, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Elephants, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Gorillas at Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Gorillas, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
One day I would really like to see Gorillas in their natural environment. I’m not sure how this is going to happen, and with the years galloping by I may no have the fitness to undertake the rigorous trek to see a gorilla in its natural habitat. In the meantime, I have to be content with glimpses like this in zoos. Not entirely satisfactory, I know, but better than not seeing them at all.
Gorilla, Taronga Zoo, Sydney