People versus Parrots: Endangered Carnaby’s Cockatoos and Urban Renewal

Residents of southwestern Australia, specifically Perth and there about, love the beautiful, funny, inquisitive, and iconic Carnaby’s black cockatoo. Nonetheless, it has been on the endangered species lists for decades now. That has not stopped the decline of the bird, dropping at an alarming rate of 15% per year. Loss of habitat for breeding, loss of food sources, and illegal wildlife trade all contribute to this sad situation.

Afraid of the Beak

Non-bird people and the occasional small bird person have said they would love to have a large, colorful parrot but the size of the beak on those guys is too scary. I guess I am unusual in that I look past that and first look into the eyes of the bird. Big parrots will “pin” their eyes, in other words, make their pupils into little pin holes, when they are interested in something. They also do this when they are afraid or mad and may bite. The eyes are the key to the bird’s behavior.

Jessie’s Story

My goal in downsizing my flock continues to be undermined by birds in need and my love of hatching out some eggs. I have a female Princess of Wales parakeet because she and her two clutch mates needed hand-feeding. I have a cockatiel because he needed a good home. I have Irish Fancy canary chicks because I wanted to hatch some canaries. And I have a perfectly sound African Gray Parrot now. Here’s that story.

Potpourri for June 2019

Oh, my birds! They can be so entertaining and so much fun. These little things they do don’t add up to a full blog’s worth, so I throw them together in a potpourri post every so often. Trying to remember all the things can be difficult but sometimes I am smart enough to make notes. Here we go.

Spend Time in Nature

Forest Bathing is a thing. When my family took any kind of vacations, we would pack up the army surplus tent Mom bought and drive the short way to the Sunshine Highway, to the mountain campsites there. I have no memory of what we brought along for food, but I do remember seeing deer, hearing coyotes, and scaring rabbits in the meadows. Birds were everywhere and the jays were my favorites. The experience was relaxing and a treasured memory.