Style cut and blow dry or.....
great nesting material.
Earlier in the year, we were given tickets to the Maleny Botanic Gardens and Birdworld in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. With various issues disrupting life it took us until recently for our friend May (Maybe) and us to visit the park. Now May has already posted a couple of delightful shots and Jenny agreed reluctantly for this one to be made public. But before we get into that, I would like to borrow May's eloquent statement about the park (I am sure she won't mind) with which we agree explains the great work they do. We love birds to be free but sometimes, humans have to step in to help the animal kingdom. The birds, often not native species (like those shown here) live in very large aviaries that are made to feel as comfortable as possible in well constructed environments. They are well fed with food specific to their needs, allowed to develop social and family links with other birds in their species and in particular, are free to engage in social activity or not as they please with visitors who fund the park and their well being. I can say for sure there is a lot of love here as birds and humans elect, if they wish to cross the divide and interact.
Here is May's statement.
"I I know some of you will be unhappy with me for posting images of birds in captivity, but before you do so, 70%+ of these birds have been rescued from the illegal bird trade or have been donated to the park once their owners have died and other family members couldn't or wouldn't look after them. Many of you will know that our parrot friends are greatly prized on the Black Market and many do not make it out alive from their first harrowing journey. Those that do are often deeply traumatised by the experience and find themselves in less than suitable surrounds for their physical and intellectual needs."
Jenny and I absolutely adore interacting with birds on their terms. We had a wonderful Sulphur-Created Cockatoo for many years who was the love of our lives (apart from my human family of course) and we have a variety of birds drop by for some food on a daily basis on their terms. The other thing is that yes, we would prefer these birds to be free. As May states, there are good reasons why this cannot be so for those at the park including the fact that many are not native species.
You will notice that birds have a great affinity for Jenny's hair. She hates her hair but they don't. They tease and pull it out, no doubt, it would make ideal nesting material! Perhaps these two are getting ready to set up house! As you can see, many of he birds just love interacting with humans. We know that during lockdowns when the only visitors were staff that the birds reacted very strongly to the loss of interaction.
The Wikipedia article on these Sun Conures is rather long, so I have added the link so anyone interested can read the whole lot at your leisure.
Extract From Wikipedia (I hope this is the correct species!)
The Sun Parakeet (Aratinga solstitialis), also known in aviculture as the Sun Conure is a medium-sized, vibrantly colored parrot native to northeastern South America. The adult male and female are similar in appearance, with predominantly golden-yellow plumage and orange-flushed underparts and face. Sun parakeets are very social birds, typically living in flocks. They form monogamous pairs for reproduction, and nest in palm cavities in the tropics. Sun parakeets mainly feed on fruits, flowers, berries, blossoms, seeds, nuts, and insects. Conures are commonly bred and kept in aviculture and may live up to 30 years. This species is currently threatened by loss of habitat and trapping for plumage or the pet trade. Sun parakeets are now listed as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Style cut and blow dry or.....
great nesting material.
Earlier in the year, we were given tickets to the Maleny Botanic Gardens and Birdworld in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. With various issues disrupting life it took us until recently for our friend May (Maybe) and us to visit the park. Now May has already posted a couple of delightful shots and Jenny agreed reluctantly for this one to be made public. But before we get into that, I would like to borrow May's eloquent statement about the park (I am sure she won't mind) with which we agree explains the great work they do. We love birds to be free but sometimes, humans have to step in to help the animal kingdom. The birds, often not native species (like those shown here) live in very large aviaries that are made to feel as comfortable as possible in well constructed environments. They are well fed with food specific to their needs, allowed to develop social and family links with other birds in their species and in particular, are free to engage in social activity or not as they please with visitors who fund the park and their well being. I can say for sure there is a lot of love here as birds and humans elect, if they wish to cross the divide and interact.
Here is May's statement.
"I I know some of you will be unhappy with me for posting images of birds in captivity, but before you do so, 70%+ of these birds have been rescued from the illegal bird trade or have been donated to the park once their owners have died and other family members couldn't or wouldn't look after them. Many of you will know that our parrot friends are greatly prized on the Black Market and many do not make it out alive from their first harrowing journey. Those that do are often deeply traumatised by the experience and find themselves in less than suitable surrounds for their physical and intellectual needs."
Jenny and I absolutely adore interacting with birds on their terms. We had a wonderful Sulphur-Created Cockatoo for many years who was the love of our lives (apart from my human family of course) and we have a variety of birds drop by for some food on a daily basis on their terms. The other thing is that yes, we would prefer these birds to be free. As May states, there are good reasons why this cannot be so for those at the park including the fact that many are not native species.
You will notice that birds have a great affinity for Jenny's hair. She hates her hair but they don't. They tease and pull it out, no doubt, it would make ideal nesting material! Perhaps these two are getting ready to set up house! As you can see, many of he birds just love interacting with humans. We know that during lockdowns when the only visitors were staff that the birds reacted very strongly to the loss of interaction.
The Wikipedia article on these Sun Conures is rather long, so I have added the link so anyone interested can read the whole lot at your leisure.
Extract From Wikipedia (I hope this is the correct species!)
The Sun Parakeet (Aratinga solstitialis), also known in aviculture as the Sun Conure is a medium-sized, vibrantly colored parrot native to northeastern South America. The adult male and female are similar in appearance, with predominantly golden-yellow plumage and orange-flushed underparts and face. Sun parakeets are very social birds, typically living in flocks. They form monogamous pairs for reproduction, and nest in palm cavities in the tropics. Sun parakeets mainly feed on fruits, flowers, berries, blossoms, seeds, nuts, and insects. Conures are commonly bred and kept in aviculture and may live up to 30 years. This species is currently threatened by loss of habitat and trapping for plumage or the pet trade. Sun parakeets are now listed as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).