#780: Umbrella Cockatoo

The Umbrella Cockatoo is endemic to Indonesia. Here he inhabits lowland tropical rainforest, feeding on nuts, berries, fruit and the occasional insect. Like all cockatoos, he is intelligent and curious, and highly social. This, combined with his affectionate nature, makes him popular as a pet. Every year, hundreds of birds are taken from their natural habitat and smuggled out of the country. He is also suffering from habitat loss.

#760: Timneh Parrot

The Timneh Parrot is closely related to the African Gray Parrot and until 2012 was regarded as a subspecies. He is slightly smaller, and has more of a maroon tinge to his feathers. Like the African Gray he is intelligent and vocal, and a superb mimic. This has earned him favour in the pet trade, and with the African Gray on the decline (entire populations have been extirpated due to poaching), it is likely he will be the next target. His natural habitat is dense forest.

I know I've said this before, but parrots do not make good pets. Unlike cats and dogs, parrots have not been domesticated; many are either wild-caught or have recent ancestors that are wild-caught. They are social and demanding and need a lot of care and attention. In some cases, demand exceeds the captive-born supply, and poaching is rampant. African Grays are disappearing fast, the Timneh is likely to be next. Being long-lived and intelligent, if you own a parrot, you will need to think of what will happen if you outlive it. They get jealous easily and tend to fixate on one person. Captive born birds that are bonded or imprinted to humans are unlikely to breed. Rescue facilities in the US are full-to-bursting with parrots that have been surrendered because they're too noisy, too needy, too emotionally screwed up, to remain with their human "mate". It's heart-breaking. If you do want a parrot - consider adopting one of those.

#717: Spix Macaw

The Spix Macaw is the rarest parrot in the world, being entirely extinct in the wild, with the captive population standing at around 100 birds. He is the small blue macaw made famous by the film "Rio".  Spix Macaw lived in the caatinga forest in northeastern Brazil. This is a dry forest of stunted trees, thorny shrubs and cacti (a far cry from the rainforest in "Rio") that has suffered from dramatic deforestation. The last wild macaw was sighted in 2000. With the captive population descended from only 7 birds, this species has a struggle ahead of it to survive. However, areas of the caatinga have been set aside as a reserve, with restoration in process, and the plan is to release captive-bred birds within the next 5 years. One of these captive-breeding facilities is in, of all places, Qatar, and owned by a sheik.

Here's more infomration on the Al Wabra Wildlife Preserve: http://awwp.alwabra.com/

I have also written a short story inspired by the movie "Rio" and the plight of this parrot - and the hope of it one day being released into the wild. It is called "Saving the Blue" (or possibly may be renamed to just "Saving Blue") and has not yet been released as I am contemplating seeking an anthology for it.

#667: Rosella

There are six species of Rosella spread across Australia and the surrounding islands. These colourful parrots inhabit forests, woodland and suburban parks. Diet consists mainly of seeds, fruit and vegetables. Several species are popular in aviculture, where they breed readily and live for over 20 years - but can be aggressive towards other birds.  This fellow is the Crimson Rosella of east and southeast Australia. He and the Eastern Rosella have also been introduced to New Zealand, probably escapees from aviaries, and have established localised populations.

#620: Quarrion

The Quarrion is more commonly known as the cockatiel, but as I had a lot of Cs and very few Qs, I saved him for this letter. Although the origination of this name is unclear, it is thought that it is one of the native names for him. Another is weiro, based on his call.

Although commonly recognisable as a pet bird, the Cockatiel lives wild in Australia's arid or semi-arid regions. He is the smallest member of the Cockatoo Family, with the longest tail in proportion to his body size. Social and nomadic, flocks travel from food source to food source, stopping in at watering holes and decimating cultivated crops. His distinctive crest is used for communication his emotional state, and is laid flat when he is angry or defensive and raised when excited.

Creature Feature #567: Paradise Parrot

The Paradise Parrot of Queensland-New South Wales, Australia, was once relatively common within its restricted range. He lived in pairs or family groups, nesting in termite mounds and feeding almost exclusively on grass seeds. By the end of the 19th century, this colourful parrot was becoming increasingly uncommon - predation, habitat destruction and hunting are all listed as probable causes for his decline. The last confirmed sighting was seen in 1927.

Is it a parrot or a parakeet?
Whilst the Paradise Parrot is named as a "parrot", it does bear several traits in common with the birds associated with the parakeet moniker. Essentially, all parakeets ARE parrots, but not all parrots are parakeets. Parakeet is generally associated with small-to-medium sized parrots, characterised by their long tails and a generally colourful.

The most commonly associated bird with the name "parakeet" is the buderigar. And since I missed drawing this colourful critter for B, I may well have to bring him in for P.

Creature Feature #564: Palm Cockatoo

The Palm Cockatoo is a very large member of the Cockatoo Family. He uses his extremely long and powerful bill to crack open nuts and seeds. His red cheek patch changes colour when he becomes excited or alarmed. One particularly unusual trait is the tendency for the male bird to break off a sturdy branch, which he then drums against the trunks of trees, creating a sound that can be heard up to 100m away. The purpose of this is unknown but is considered to be either a territorial display or a manner of accessing the durability of nesting hollows.

Creature Feature #444: Major Mitchell

The Major Mitchell is a delicately-coloured Cockatoo. He can be found in the arid and semi-arid interior of Australia. Here he forages on seeds, nuts and other plant matter, occasionally invertebrates.

Creature Feature #442: Macaw

The Macaw are large brightly coloured parrots from South America. Many species, like this Scarlet Macaw, inhabit the rainforests, but other species (like the Spix Macaw) favour dry forest. They are characterised by their long tails and bare faces. The facial feather pattern is as unique as a fingerprint. His diet is vegetarian, including nuts and seeds. These he cracks open with his powerful bill. He also frequently visits clay licks, breaking off chunks of clay. This is thought to add sodium to his diet. Many species are kept as pets, and wild populations are threatened by poaching and deforestation.

I intend to do more on the Spix Macaw, one of my favourites (Blu!) at a later date.

The Scarlet Macaw is classified as "Least Concern".

Creature Feature #435: Lovebird

Lovebirds are small parrots native to Africa, with one species found in Madagascar. These charming birds gather in small flocks, foraging on fruit, vegetables, grass and seeds.   Pairs form longterm monogamous bonds within the flock, and will perch together. There are nine species and various colour mutations. The female peach-faced lovebird gathers nesting material by tucking it into her rump feathers to carry it to the nesting cavity, Lovebirds are popular in the aviculture industry and feral populations can be found in several US cities.

Creature Feature #433: Lorikeet

Lorikeets, and their close cousins the Lories, are arboreal parrots characterised by their brush-tipped tongues. These are specialised for a nectar diet. Various species are scattered throughout the Australasian region and one of the most well-known is the Rainbow Lorikeet. Widespread across the east coast of Australia, the Rainbow Lorikeet is sociable and noisy, gathering in large flocks to roost in the evening. During the day they disperse, foraging in pairs. Common in the aviculture industry, captive birds have escaped and  become a pest in western Australia. Fears that they will establish in New Zealand have led to eradication and trapping programs in some regions.

Creature Feature #365: Kakapo

The Kakapo is a flightless parrot, found only in New Zealand. He is classified as Critically Endangered with a population of less than 130 and a dedicated consevation program in place. Kakapo are long-lived and slow-breedings, only reproducing when the rimu trees mast-seed, about every 3-5 years. The male digs himself a shallow bowl and crouches in it, inflating himself up like a balloon and emitting a low booming call, that can be heard up to 5 kms away. Once mated, the female lays her eggs in a burrow - which makes her vulnerable to predators such as stoats and feral cats. It takes 9-10 years for these chicks to reach sexual maturity. Once Kakapo were common throughout the country, but a combination of this slow breeding system, habitat destruction and hunting by humans and introduced mammal led to its very-near extinction, with only 51 birds left in 1995.

Creature Feature #257: Galah

The Galah is a species of cockatoo, widespread across Australia. She favours the open country and occupies urban environments, benefitting from human colonisation. She flocks with others of her species, or occasionally corollas. Her mate bond is long-term and monogamous,  Her nest is built in tree hollows and both parents share the incubation. She is a popular bird in the pet industry and she has been known to interbreed with Major Mitchells and Little Corollas, as well as, most unusually, her smallest relative, the cockatiel.

"Galah" has become an Australian slang term for "fool" or "idiot". Like all parrots, however, Galah are no fool, although they are noted for being noisy.

Creature Feature #190: Eclectus Parrot

Unusually, at least in the bird world, it is the female Eclectus Parrot that is the most colourful of the pair. With her red and blue colouring, she is so different from her green mate that at first they were considered different species. Eclectus Parrots favour a polyandrous breeding system, that is to say, one female with multiple mates (up to five). She chooses a tree hollow to nest in, and then vigorously defends it from all other females and will remain resident at this tree for up to 11 months, while her mates bring her food. Her bright colouration makes it easy for her males to find her, alerts other females to her presence and renders her difficult to see within the hollows of the tree.

Creature Feature #123: Conure

The name "Conure" is given to a number of small parakeet species found in Central and South America. They are noted for their playful and intelligent nature which has, unfortunately, made them popular amongst the pet trade. Although they do readily breed in captivity, populations of wild birds have been decimated with individuals captured and sold to aviculturalists. Once regarded "least concern"; she has now been pushed to "endangered" status and vanished from parts of her former range. In the wild, they gather in flocks of up to 30 members and inhabit coastal and open forest. Her main diet is fruit and seeds. She nests in palm cavities, laying 3-4 round, white eggs. These nests are sometimes targeted by poachers, with the chicks being stolen and hand-reared before being sold as pets.

Creature Feature #113: Cockatoo

The Cockatoo Family consists of 21 species. These charismatic parrots are distributed in Australia and the surrounding islands, with the Ducorp's Cockatoo (pictured here) endemic to the Solomons Islands. Cockatoo are characterised by their crests and sharp, curved bills. The crest is a means of indicating emotion and is raised when the bird is excited or aggressive. The long beak is used to crack open seeds and hard woody cones that are inaccesible to other animals. In some parts of Australia the Cockatoo has become an agricultural pest and has been aggressively dominating other bird species within its range. Like all parrots, cockatoo are intelligent and have become a popular house pet.

 The archetypal cockatoo is white, but some species also come in pink and black. You shall see some of the other ones later in this series.

 This Ducorps' Cockatoo was commissioned for Kerry Myers.
If you wish to commission your own "Creature Feature", please visit my Etsy shop: The Art of LemurKat