crazyanimalz

Hubby's pet

2008-10-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

This is hubby's guppies. The two long tails are male guppies and the fat one is the female guppy. The male has long colourful tail compare to the female. The female has a big tummy(especially when it is pregnant) with short tail. I have lots of the baby fries in another pot. Got pic too but not very clear. Oh yes, when you see the baby fries, make sure you separate them from the parents cos they will eat the fries.
Got this pic somewhere in the net. Isn't it cute? Not bad le...

Another pic that I found from the net. A better and clearer pic for Charl to know better what is guppies. Can you tell me which is female and male?

Of course lar.. the male always the colourful one. Find guppies that have darker colour with long fin and tail. Find the one that swim fast fast and like to 'attack' the female guppies. For the females, find the one with rounder body and big tummy means that you will see baby fries soon when you put the male and female together. Make sure you have water plants in your aquarium for the fries to hide themselves from their parents.

Instead of guppies, red swordtails are very nice too.

Hubby's red swordtails in our water lily pot. There are lots of babies swordtails too.. hiding behind the water plants.
The male swordtail has a very long tail and looks like a sword and the female does not have that. Only a short tail and rounder body. Make sure you find the female with a long body and rounder tummy. The rounder the better. It means that it will breed soon. For the male, find the one that can swim faster and has long swordtail. Hubby likes the one that 'attack' the female. Oh yes.. for swordtail, find the one with pure red colour. The redder the better. Don't want the one with black tail (except the male - the male swordtail has a little bit of black colour). That is not the pure breed.

Let see what you like. No doubt goldfish will looks nicer but you can try this two fishes. Make sure you buy the right fish food and you will see them grow very fast. This two kind of fish can live without oxygen and filter. Easy to keep.

Types of Tropical Fish - Guppy Fish

2008-10-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

Guppy fish, formally called Poecilia Libestes Reticulata, is a very popular tropical fish. Guppy fish can breed very easily since it gives birth to free swimming fry instead of laying eggs. Guppy fish are ideal fish to care and maintain for novice aquarium starters since they are non-aggressive and easy to keep. It is found in most parts of the world, and also the wild.

Animal Sleep Time By Hours

2008-10-15T22:34:00.000-07:00

Below are the average sleeping hours animals (including human) need per day. And guess which animal sleep almost the same number of hours as men?

19 hours+

Brown Bat (19.9 hours)

18 hours

Giant Armadillo (18.1 hours)

Python (18 hours)

17 hours

Owl Monkey

16 hours

Infant Human (16 hours)
Tiger (15.8 hours)

Tree shrew (15.8 hours)

15 hours

Squirrel (14.9 hours)

14 hours

Ferret (14.5 hours)
Three-toed Sloth (14.4 hours)
Golden Hamster (14.3 hours)

13 hours

Lion (13.5 hours)

Gerbil (13.1 hours)
Rat (12.6 hours)

12 hours

Cat (12.1 hours)

Cheetah (12.1 hours)
Mouse (12.1 hours)

11 hours

Rabbit (11.4 hours)
Jaguar (10.8 hours)
Duck (10.8 hours)
Dog (10.6 hours)

10 hours

Bottle-nosed dolphin (10.4 hours)

Baboon (10.3 hours)
Chimpazee (9.7 hours)

9 hours

Guinea Pig (9.4 hours)

8 hours

Adult Human (8 hours)
Pig (7.8 hours)

Pig and Human have a lot in common

7 hours

Guppy Fish (7 hours)

6 hours

Gray Seal (6.2 hours)

5 hours

Elderly Human (5.5 hours)
Goat (5.3 hours)

4 hours

Cow (3.9 hours)

Asiatic Elephant (3.9 hours)
Sheep (3.8 hours)

3 hours

African Elephant (3.3 hours)
Donkey (3.1 hours)
Horse (2.9 hours)

2 hours

Giraffe (1.9 hours)

Tuxedo Guppy

2008-10-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

Birds - Pet Forums Encyclopedia

2008-10-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to the Birds section of Pet Forums 'Pet Encyclopedia', which is an interactive encyclopedia of pet breed profiles and pet information articles which any of our registered users can edit and contribute too.

To view bird breed profiles or bird articles, please use either the A-Z navigation bars above to select the bird breed or article you are interested in or use the search bar at the top of the page.

Our aim is to create the most comprehensive pet encyclopedia resource on the internet, which contains articles and profiles for all types of birds and other pets.

Goldfish

2008-10-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

Basic Info

The beautiful Red Oranda Goldfish usually reaches about five inches in length. Many are about two inches deep. This goldfish has a large growth over its head known as a wen. Although in some fish the wen encases the whole head, except for the eyes and the mouth, in others it may be limited to the cap and cheek, the cap area, or the very highest region of the cap. Red Oranda Goldfish have long fins, including a dorsal fin. They have veiltail type tails and double caudal fins. The caudal fins are divided down about 90 percent of their length. Red Oranda Goldfish can have caudal fins that are about one and a half times the length of their bodies. The pelvic and pectoral fins are usually rounded and of medium length. They are well matched in size and appearance. Nacreous (a mix of metallic and matte) or metallic scale types are acceptable for Red Oranda Goldfish, which are solid red in color.

Health

Red Oranda Goldfish require warmer temperatures, usually around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. However, they are quite hardy and will tolerate a variety of temperatures in this immediate range. The pH level for Red Oranda Goldfish should remain between 7.0 and 8.0. Because ammonia can damage their fins, it should be kept to a minimum. Often, a filtration system that does not create too much water turbulence will be appropriate. The tanks of Red Oranda Goldfish should allow them plenty of hiding places. Cleaning should be accomplished with gradual, or partial, water change. Twice each day, Red Oranda Goldfish should be fed plant materials and protein. You should only offer as much food as the fish can eat in five minutes. Often they will eat live plants in their tanks. They can also be fed peas, spinach, lettuce, and zucchini bits. Frozen vegetable diets, plankton, bits of beef heart, bloodworms, glass worms, brine shrimp, and daphnia are also acceptable. Although more natural diets are preferred, tablet and pellet food can also be good choices. Because of the susceptibility of many fancy goldfish to digestive problems, it is suggested that Red Oranda Goldfish fed such dry food be supplemented with fresh vegetables like peas. Breeding Male Red Oranda Goldfish usually indicate a readiness to breed by developing small white tubercles over their gill coverings, pectoral fins, and heads. Because parents will often eat eggs, they should be removed from the enclosure where spawn are deposited. Usually, Red Oranda Goldfish will produce thousands of eggs.

Health

NGC Most Amazing Moment of the Week: Peeking Croc

2008-10-14T22:03:00.000-07:00

A saltwater crocodile peeks its eyes above the water and waits patiently .

Developmental Color Change in Goldfish

2008-10-13T23:54:00.000-07:00

My fancy goldfish, Rashi, was purchased as a black Moor. However, over the years she has been slowly turning orange. In an effort to understand this transformation, I have done a bit of reading about colors in fish and why and how they change, and I would like to share some of my findings with other curious fish owners.

The colors of fish are due to the presence of pigment cells called chromatophores. Chromatophores come in two varieties: those that absorb light and those that reflect light. Some light-absorbing chromatophores that occur in fish are melanophores, erythophores, xanthophores, and cyanophores. Leucophores and iridophores are examples of light-reflecting chromatophores. Inside chromatophores are organelles called chromatosomes. The type of chromatosome found in a chromatophore determines the color of the pigment cell. For example, melanophores, which are black, contain melanosomes, ie. melanin (black) is the pigment in the chormatosomes of melanophores.

Scientists have identified two types of color changes in fish: physiological and morphological. Physiological color changes are due to the spreading out or aggregation of chromatosomes. When the chromatosomes are spread throughout the cell, the color is more pronounced to the naked eye. However, when the chromatosomes aggregate in the center of the cell, the color is muted or not visable. Morphological color changes, on the other hand, are due to a change in the number of chromatophores. So a fish that loses a number of melanophores will appear lighter, and a fish that gains melanophores will appear darker. Physiological color changes can become morphological color changes over time. For example, a fish that is kept in a tank with a dark background and dark rocks will become darker, initially because of movement of melanosomes in the already exisiting melanophores. However, if enough time goes buy, the fish will start to produce more melanophores and then the color change is considered morphological.

The common phenomenon of black goldfish turning orange, or young goldfish losing black markings as they grow is an example of a morphological color change. As the fish mature, they lose melanophores in a process called apoptosis. Apoptosis is directed cell death, or cellular suicide, and is an important phenomenon in many aspects of development. However, the exact molecular cues that tell a cell it's time to die are still very mysterious. In addition to apoptosis, goldfish that lose black coloration are also supressing the birth of new melanophores. The loss of melanophores reveals the other pigment cells present in the skin. The type and extent of color change a young fish will go through depends on their individual genetic makeup, and there is a lot of variation between individuals! Some fish even go through a second color change from the destruction of xanthophores (red pigment cells).

My Moor/telescope goldfish, Rashi, has been undergoing a very slow morphological color change over the last three years. When she first came into my life, in the spring of 2003, she was all black with a hint of orange on her belly. This picture is from July 2003:

Slowly the orange coloration spread as melanophores died and were not replaced. Here is Rashi in February 2006:

The rate of color change in Rashi is definitely not constant. Rather, she appears to go through bursts of change. Her coloration will remain stable for a few months or more, and then suddenly I will notice new orange patches on her. Here she is about a month after the above picture, in March 2006. Already the orange has spread further up her body.

Her coloration stayed like that pictured above until early May 2006, when I noticed new orange spots on her head.

Rashi has an on-going issue with mysterious spots on her tail fins. In hopes of diagnosing her, I took a small sample from the tip of her fin and looked at it under a microscope. While I was unable to determine what the spots are, I did get some interesting pictures of chromatophores. Here you can see the black melanophores and orange erythrophores.

To the naked eye, the fin appeared black. It is interesting to note how the melanophores in the above pictures appear to have more processes radiating from their centers than the erythrophores. This is indeed what we would expect to see in a black fin. As the fin changes from black to orange, however, the melanophores will retract their processes before they are destroyed. There have not been any reports of other light-absorbing pigment cells changing in this manner.

At GAB, we have a couple of reports of Moors turning orange as they grow, as well as orange Ryunkins and telescopes turning white, and calicos of various breeds loosing their black markings. Some of these goldfish have changed color within a few months while others, like Rashi, take a few years. Do you have a coloring-changing goldfish? Please share his or her story with us!

Sexing Goldfish

2008-10-13T23:50:00.000-07:00

Sexing goldfish is very difficult before they reach maturity. Sometimes people can tell by looking at the shape of the vent. Females may have rounder convex vents while males have thinner concave vents. The pectoral fins of males may be rather thick and stiff (compared to those of female goldfish) and with a more pronounced outer ray. Some people also believe that male goldfish have longer pectoral fins that do female goldfish.

The following pictures will help you determine the sex of your mature goldfish. Thanks to Bludusty, Mikroll and EbayJo who contributed excellent pictures to this project.

Breeding Stars or Breeding Tubercles

Male goldfish will develop breeding stars on their gill covers (aka operculum) and along the first ray of their pectoral fins when they reach sexual maturity.

Below are pictures of a male calico shubunkin goldfish with breeding stars on his pectoral fin and operculum (pictures by Bludusty):

Male with breeding stars on pectoral fin and operculum:

This picture of Mikroll's red capped orandas shows the stars and thickening of the pectoral fin of the male (compared with the female). The female's body is also more rounded than the male's.

Vent

When goldfish are ready to breed you can observe changes to their vent area.

Below are pictures showing the vents of two mature male goldfish. The male vent is longer and is indented (concave). This is a lot easier to observe on a mature fish who is ready to spawn. (Pictures by Mikroll and Bludusty):

Below are pictures showing the vents of two mature female goldfish. The female vent is not as long but it is protruded (i.e. convex):

Behavioral changes

It is the female that really 'controls' the breeding. A female goldfish (not ready to breed yet) will send out pheromones (a type of steroid) which will encourage males to produce the milt. When the female is ready to breed she will release another type of pheromone that stimulates sexual behavior in the male. The male will react by checking out the females, nudging them in the vent area as you can see on this picture (Picture by Bludusty). Males may exhibit this behavior before the females are ready as well, but it will be fairly intense once the female is prepared to spawn. Once spawning starts the males will chase and bump the female until she releases her eggs.

The End Result

The female should release eggs that will look like these (Pictures by EbayQueen).

Goldfish in tanks will eat the eggs just like the black moor in the video, so if you want to raise fry you will either have to remove the eggs or the parents. Here is a picture of a 19 day old goldfish fry (picture by Mikroll).

Printable version

African Grey Parrots

2008-10-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

14 inches ( 36 cm ). Male and female. Overall color, gray; feathers on crown, forehead, nape, neck, and throat have lighter colored margins. Bare skin around eyes, whitish; tail, red; bill, black; feet, gray.

The Timneh parrot ( P.e. timneh ) which like the Congo form (P.e. erithacus ) is commonly bred, has a horn-colored upper mandible and brown to russet tail feathers. It measures only 12 1/2 inches ( 32 cm ) and is clearly smaller than the Congo variety.

Distribution in the wild: Equatorial Africa from the Ivory Coast in the west to western Kenya in the east, and south as far as northern Angola, southern Congo, and northwestern Tanzania. The gray parrot's distribution is largely identical to the range of the African oil palm, the fruit of which forms the bulk of the bird's diet.

Habitat in the wild: Forested plains. Birds forage in sparsely wooded savannas, and open country. Occasionally, they are also found in mangrove swamps.

These guys are the Einsteins of the parrot world. African Greys are not only great talkers but have proven that they can actually understand what they are saying, as proven by the late great Alex.

African Greys need a very loving and attentive human companion. They need to be kept mentally active and challenged. Without a good bond and relationship with their human companion most Greys can become aggressive, withdrawn, and phobic. Boredom and a lack of intellectual stimulation and variety can make for a pretty miserable life for these intelligent birds. Their noise level is in the moderate to high range which makes an African Grey not a good choice for apartments, condos, or people with easily annoyed neighbors.

If I were to venture a guess I would have to say that most African Greys kept as pets are of the Congo subspecies. The smaller darker African Grey Timnehs are just as good of talkers as their cousins the African Grey Congo and seem to be gaining in popularity. So the word is out: African Grey Timnehs are pretty cool birds too.

A good mix of fresh veggies and fruit along with a pelleted diet, and a high quality nut and seed mix will keep your grey healthy and long lived. Minimum cage size requirement for these birds is 34" x 24. Make sure you have lots of toys to keep them stimulated.

Amazon Parrot

2008-10-06T22:42:00.000-07:00

An Amazon parrot is a large parrot of the genus Amazona native to the New World ranging from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Most Amazons are predominantly green, with accenting colors that depend on the species and can be quite vivid. Amazons, like all parrots, are zygodactyl, having four toes on each foot—two front and two back. They feed primarily on nuts and fruits, supplemented by leafy matter.

Amazons are talkative, colorful, clever, bratty and sometimes considered a handful, but there are some subspecies that defy commonly held beliefs about the Amazons.

There are 27 subspecies of Amazons found through-out the world. The most common species kept as companion pets are the Yellow-Naped Amazons, Double-Yellow-Headed Amazons, Blue-Front Amazon, and the Yellow-Crowned Amazons. All four of these subspecies are great talkers, but they can be loud and demanding as pet, and may have a tendency to become a one person bird. Some people like their "in your face" attitude and some don't. Either way, Amazons do command a presence no matter how you feel about them. This said, be very aware about what you are taking on when you decide on a Amazon as a companion pet.

Some of the smaller Amazon subspecies may be a little better to live with, such as the White-Fronted Amazon, Red-Lored Amazon, and the Lilac-Crowned Amazon. These smaller subspecies of Amazons are generally quieter, easier to handle and not quite as pushy as their larger cousins.

The life span of Amazon Parrots kept as companion pets has greatly improved over the years because we now have an understanding of how they live and survive in the wild and what it takes to keep these birds healthy. Unfortunately lousy care and poor diets still exist out-there and can shorten these birds lives by upwards of 10 to 20 years.

Feed your amazon a well balanced diet of fresh veggies and fruit, a high quailty nut and seed mix, and a good pelleted blend.

Minimum cage reguirements for an amazon is 24" x 22", but bigger is sometimes better. Please remember amazons can become perch potatoes, so have lots of wood for them to chew and toys to play with.

Exotic birds should never be bought on impulse. Please research any bird you're interested in purchasing before you buy. Educating yourself can only be beneificial to you and your new companion parrot.

Finches

2008-10-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

Garrie Landry breeds exhibition-quality Zebra Finches. He has over 30 varieties of zebra finch in his aviary. Visit the Acadiana Aviaries website to see photographs of his beautiful birds.

What should a beginner specifically look for in these birds when selecting initial breeding stock for exhibition-quality zebra finches?

Size is important and perhaps most important, as it is more difficult to increase size if it is not there to begin with. Conformation and carriage are equally important but these too can be dealt with after size. If sizeable birds are available, then among them look for birds that have a good shape and good stance. Choose those with the best markings too, such as males with a prominent breast bar and females that have no extraneous markings that resemble male zebras (i.e., no residual breast barring on the female).

What characteristics should they avoid when selecting birds?

Avoid skinny necks, droopy wings, or long beaks. Avoid thin breast bar markings on males. Choose birds that have a prominent tear drop mark, and birds with an overall "full" round appearance.

What diet do you feed your zebra finches?

I feed a standard finch seed, which is perfect for zebras. I also feed some spray millet as a weekly treat. During breeding season I provide a commercial nesting food or egg food to parents with chicks. And of course I supply lots of calcium to parents that are laying and raising a clutch; I use crushed egg shell from a local restaurant as my source of calcium.

What nesting materials do you find most suitable for zebra finches?

Zebras will use anything, but I prefer dried hay or grasses for this. I select thin bladed hay or grass for this purpose. Do not use lawn clippings that have not been properly dried. Grass is best. Avoid string and cotton as they will entangle the legs and feet.

Please tell us about your particular favorite mutation, and how this color was achieved? Are they easy or difficult to breed?

The Black Breasted Zebra is my favorite, as I looked at photos for so long before I actually owned any. It was developed in Europe but did not reach the US for nearly 30 years after it appeared. They are not difficult to breed but quite variable in color, so breeding a well marked one is a challenge.

For those who want to leap right into the mutations, are there any pitfalls you would like to warn them about? For instance, which mutations should not be put together?

Avoid mixing pied zebras with other mutations, as the pied can and often does ruin an otherwise well marked bird. Pieds are nice but pied is a frequent fault if it occurs in other colors. Do not breed Fawn cheeks or Grey Cheeks together as there is a tendency for the young to be blind. Since both genes are dominant always mate them to Greys or Fawns for the best results. When breeding for show quality, keep the family lines pure and do not introduce smaller birds as it will take a long time to rebuild size in the offspring.

People who have zebra finches seem to absolutely adore these birds. What is it that makes zebra finches such an attractive and loved species?

Most people like zebras because they are so easy to keep and easy to breed. It makes finch keeping a worthwhile hobby because you can see the family grow. They are charming birds and I personally like all of the different colors and varieties that I work with. It's a never ending challenge to combine them and make a new and different zebra color.

What do you think about the never ending quest for larger birds? Is it time for the show standard to have a specific size included in it?

Already many judges are disqualifing birds that are too large. So yes, to some extend a huge bird is not a better bird. Size still dominates the quest in some regions, but in others it is not the single-minded goal, and conformation to a standard is more pursued. It will probably be a while before standards have a size limitation in writing, but this issue is already being discussed.

A UK exhibitor writes that he has found that the bigger the bird the poorer the fertility. Have U.S fanciers had this problem as well?

Yes, beyond any doubt the largest birds are the poorest breeders. While some are good breeders, it is a minority. Fertility is not the only problem with larger birds here; in some cases breeding depression is prevalent.

In exhibiting zebra finches, how is condition of the bird weighed vs. other features?

Condition is certainly an important feature and a bird in poor condition should never advance in show. I cannot say that it is weighed more heavily than type and conformation, but it is probably more critical.

In the UK zebra finches are shown in pairs. Will this ever be the case in the US?

Nearly all zebra finches are shown as singles. It is very rare to have them shown in pairs here in the US. It has never been popular or required to show a pair, nor do U.S. judges care to see pairs in a cage. Individual birds are judged on their merits alone not with a mate. I personally like the idea of one bird per cage over showing in pairs only.

Rose-Breasted Cockatoo

2008-10-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

Galah or Rose-Breasted Cockatoo

The cockatoo family comprises a large group of parrots from the continent of Australia. Species commonly kept as pets range in size from the small Goffin's to the large Mollucan or Salmon-crested cockatoo. The appearance of the various cockatoos varies dramatically, from the all-white Goffin's to the striking Black Palm with the splash of red between the eye and beak. One of my favorite cockatoo species is the rose-breasted cockatoo, also known as the Galah cockatoo. I remember the first time I handled one of these birds. I was astounded at how soft its lovely light grey and pink feathering was. Although the rose-breasted 'too belongs to the genus Eolophus, this genus is very similar to the genus Cacatua, the one most associated with the common term "cockatoo."

The rose-breasted cockatoo is a bit larger than the Goffins, usually around 12 inches in length. They have the typical crest on the top of the head that they fluff up when excited, although it is denser than on many cockatoo species.

Diet is an important consideration for all cockatoo species. Just like cockatiels and budgerigars, also Australian species, they are prone to fatty tumors and therefore need to be on a well-balanced diet that is not too high in fat. It is best to limit their intake of such fatty seeds as sunflower, although you can give them on occasion as a treat. It's important to get these birds to eat vegetables and grains so they do not overeat seeds.

Most cockatoo species love to chew. Therefore, take this into consideration when buying toys. Make sure they have plenty of wood to chew on, and don't let your furniture become their chew toy of choice.

Another thing to keep in mind when choosing any cockatoo as a pet is the fact that these species produce a powder they use to clean their feathers, just like cockatiels. People who tend to be allergic to animals may very well find this powder irritating. Many parrot species do not produce this powder, and a person who tends to have allergies would do best to consider something other than a cockatoo as a pet.

In the wild these parrots nest in the hollows of trees. They are, unfortunately, often killed as pests in Australia by farmers who don't want them to raid their crops. While they are not considered particularly endangered in Australia at this time, they are not as easy to find as pets as are many other cockatoo species. They tend to be quite expensive and they require a very large cage to get sufficient exercise, another way to keep down weight and avoid fatty tumors. As pets, rose-breasted cockatoos can learn to mimic, but they are not known to be great talkers. Properly socialized, hand-fed babies can be very gentle and sweet. If not handled regularly, they can become quite timid. Like all parrots, they are flock creatures by nature, and need to be in a central part of the home where they can interact with their human family.

Canaries

2008-10-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Origin: The Canary Islands. These islands were named by the Romans, after the packs of wild dogs which roamed them. The birds were named after the islands centuries later, not the other way around, as many believe.

Family: Fringillidae (finches), Genus: Serinus, Species: Serinus serinus (European serin finch), Sub Species: Serinus canaria.

Types

Song Canaries: Perhaps the most famous canaries of all, these are bred strictly for their song. Most are yellow, green, or variegated. Best known are the Rollers, Waterslagers, American Singers, and Timbrados.

Type Canaries: These canaries are bred for their shape, stance, or some other physical characteristic. Some well-known type canary breeds are the Fife, Border, and Gloster canaries. Rarer are breeds like the Lizard, Yorkshire, Norwich, and Frilled (which is also seen in many varieties). While some can be fairly free-singing, little to no attention is paid to the style or quality of the song by most breeders.

Color Canaries: These canaries are bred for the colour of their feathers, and range from the yellow-and-green colours of the other breeds, to more esoteric shades of bronze, vermillian, silver, and pink, including almost every hue except true blues and solid black.

Bilbo (left) is a non-intensive Consort Gloster canary. He is the type of bird who is bred to the crested canaries to produce both crested and non-crested Glosters. The crest is a dominant mutation, and a crested canary should never be mated with another crested. Flame (right) is known as an intensive Red Lipochrome Colour Canary, also sometimes called simply 'Clear Red', or just 'Red Factor' - although this last is actually more of a generic term, and properly applies to all canaries capable of expressing red colour in their feathers. *Photo by Michael de Freitas

Unlike many species of birds commonly kept as pets, canaries are territorial rather than social. The song of the males, and, to some extent the hens as well, is used to announce their presence and their claim to their territory. They are not very social with others of their kind and will rarely if ever enjoy sharing a pet-style cage with another bird.

Cages: Canaries are flyers rather than climbers, and therefore require larger cages relative to their size than many of the hookbills. Round cages should never be used with any kind of flying bird the shape makes it difficult to place perches parallel to each other, and so restricts the birds, making it difficult for them to move naturally. Bar spacing can be as much as 5/8 of an inch for the larger canaries, but should be no more than 1/2 an inch for the smaller breeds.

Diet: Like most other cage-birds, the canary requires far more than just seed alone. A basic seed mix should consist of 75% canary grass, 15% canola rapeseed, and 10% mixed specialty seeds such as flax, hemp, niger, and teazle. As much as 50% of the diet can consist of fresh foods, especially greens in the cole families mixed with grated carrot. Feed 'treats' such as millet sprays and 'song' food mixes sparingly and infrequently - they are very fatty and can stress their livers and kidneys if given too frequently. Clean, fresh water must always be available. Due to their small bodies and high metabolic rate, a canary will die within 12-24 hours without it.

Health: Canaries are extremely sensitive to trace gases and other such toxins, so be careful to not use air fresheners, rug deodorizers, perfumes, and other such volatiles in their presence. For this reason, the kitchen is not a good place to keep them; fumes or smoke from cooking foods could make them ill. Every bird-owning household should beware of Teflon cookware as this emits gases that are highly toxic to birds if overheated. Moulting should occur once a year, just after midsummer. A moult at any other time of the year is usually caused by the presence of a (warm or cold) draft from which the bird has no shelter. It can also be associated with shock or illness. A pet canary will usually live an average of 10 years or so, given good care.

Noise: Some of the type canaries can sing loud, rather shrill songs, but they are the exception to the rule. In general, the canary is one of the sweetest-voiced birds on the planet. Song canaries are trained to sing in harmony with others of their kind, and their owners compete vigorously for the prestigious prizes awarded their proteges. You can find quiet-singing canaries (Rollers), moderate-singing canaries (Waterslagers and American Singers), and loud singers (Timbrados, Type, and Colour Canaries). Rarely will canary owners receive complaints about the noise of their birds, which makes them particularly ideal for apartment dwellers.

Sleep: Canaries are photosensitive, and therefore should be kept on a cycle similar to that followed by the sun outdoors, unless you live in the tropics or at a pole. Many people cover their bird at sunset, and then remove the covers just before they go to bed, after the lights are out. That way the birds will see a natural sunrise. Don't allow their nights to be shorter than about 10 hours, or longer than 14 hours.

Sexual Behaviour: As the breeding season approaches, a hen will fly almost ceaselessly. She will begin to search for nesting material and trot about everywhere with beakfuls of it, looking for the best place to build her nest. When she is ready to mate, she will crouch low on the perch, with her head back a little and her tail lifted, and call the male with a soft, incessant twittering. She must be able to grasp the perch firmly, because she is the sole support for the two birds during mating.

The males will also become restless as the winter ends, and, if they come into full breeding condition early, may harass and chase the hens ceaselessly, stressing her beyond tolerance. For this reason it is best to cage the two separately but where they can see each other until the hen's actions indicate she is ready. Many males will feed their intended bride (or, if she is not accessible, the corners of his feet, or any other v-shaped niche in his cage), visually producing the effect that the birds are kissing. Divided breeding cages take advantage of this by allowing the male to court and feed his hen through the wire, but restricting his ability to chase her. Once the hen has indicated she is ready the divider is removed and breeding season begins in earnest.

Breeding: Canaries are photosensitive, and are brought into breeding condition by, among other things, the lengthening days of spring. They will fight ferociously with any other birds caged with them at this time, unless it is a bird of the opposite sex who is also in good breeding condition. They require soft foods with a good level of protein to feed the babies, who grow to adult size in less than 3 weeks. Weaning to independence is usually accomplished in another three weeks or less. Be warned if you would like to try breeding these small complex little beauties - unlike most of the popular pet bird species, canaries are anything but easy to breed!

Do your research thoroughly and well before you even think of trying to breed canaries. This aspect of breeding canaries is the reason you will rarely see a canary priced similarly to, say, a budgie; if you do, you should probably suspect the seller of harboring an unspoken motivation! Canaries hold a unique status in the world of songbirds, the little birds with the uncommonly beautiful voices, irrespressible personalities, and a long history of confounding humans. Perhaps that is why so many of us find them so irresistable.

Parrotlets

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Pacific parrotlets, Forpus coelestis
Green-rumped parrotlets, Forpus passerinus
Mexican parrotlet, Forpus cyanopgius
Blue-wing parrotlet, Forpus xanthopterygius
Spectacled parrotlet, Forpus conspicillatus
Yellow-faced parrotlet, Forpus xanthops

These diminutive parrots often have a feisty, courageous nature that belies their tiny size. The beak is quite large in proportion to the body. Many people refer to them as "amazons in pint-sized bodies" because of their often fearless nature. The most popular pet species are the Pacific, Mexican, and green-rumped species. Other species are rare or best left in breeding programs. Many claim that the green rumps are the most gentle of the various species, although all three species can make nice pets if hand-fed and properly socialized.

Talking and Noise: Can mimic, but the voice is very small and sometimes it is difficult to recognize words. Natural sounds are very pleasant chirps. Rarely a noise problem so they make good apartment birds.

Caging: Lovebird or cockatiel size cage. Make sure bar spacing is appropriate for a very small head. Make sure there are horizontal bars for climbing. Add lots of toys and swings for playing because these are very active birds (see photo to the left of Mini; photo submitted by Manon Roos). It is best to have a grating on the bottom of the cage that separates them from the floor of the cage.

Diet: Small hookbill, small or mini pellets, and fresh vegetables. In the while they eat fruit and berries, so these can be a nice addition to the diet. Some whole grains such as cooked quinoa, sprouted bread, and millet on occasion.

Health: Hardy birds but prone to accidents because they are very small. They must be supervised at all times when out of the cage. They tend to like to hide sometimes behind cushions, which can have obviously dire results if you are unaware of where they are at any given moment. I have heard a number of stories of parrotlets being stepped on. If the bird is not on your shoulder on in its cage, keep your eye on it.

Noise: Pleasant chirping. Rarely a noise issue.

Training/Behavior: They can be quite willful, so train these birds the same way you would a larger amazon parrot. Always teach the up command, and remove them from their cage using this command every time. Must be supervised when out of the cage at all times. While this is true of all parrots, these ones need particular supervision due to their very small size and the potential for great injury if they are not noticed on the floor or the like.

Sleep: At least 10 hours of darkness and quiet. A tv in the room does not equal good sleep.

Sexual behavior: Males will regurgitate, sometimes rub on perches, toys, or you. Females can become aggressive if you encourage nesting. Avoid sleeping huts or boxes if you have a hen you want to remain tame, and do not give her access to nesting material.

Breeding: Best for breeders with moderate experience. Tend to breed best when more than one pair are in the same area where they can hear each other. Many people trying to breed a single pair have found this to be difficult if not completely fruitless.

Senegal Parrots

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Senegal parrots are medium (not much bigger than cockatiels) sized parrots that can make excellent pets. They do mimic, but are more adept at sounds than clear speech. They are generally quieter parrots, but they definitely can let out a screech when excited. They can make good apartment birds as noise is rarely a problem. Hand-fed, well-socialized babies (completely weaned) are your best bet. There is some contention that senegals can develop phobias later in life, so it is a good idea to expose them to new things from an early age so they are used to some change.

Be careful about carrying the bird about on your shoulder outside. They can get great distances with just a few flight feathers and can at times spook very easily. Many a senegal has been lost this way.

Caging: Medium-sized cage that is big enough to allow lots of climbing. Senegals like to climb and hang upside down at times. Add lots of perches and plastic chains for climbing.

Diet: medium hookbill seed, medium pellets, fresh vegetables, some fruit, figs, corn, sprouts, and grains. Give a varied diet to keep the bird interested and also to avoid food "phobias". Generally good eaters who will accept new foods readily.

Health: Very robust birds. Not prone to feather plucking. Enjoy regular human interaction, but also can play independently.

Noise: Not particularly noisy. They can make an extremely loud screech at times, but they do not have a reputation for becoming screamers. They will usually send out one loud screech then quiet down. They will learn to imitate the natural calls of other birds in the house (or outside) with ease.

Sleep: At least 10 hours of darkness and quiet. A tv in the room does not equal good sleep.

Sexual behavior: Can become aggressive and sometimes phobic after reaching sexual maturity. Most major problems can be avoided by developing a strong relationship early on and using gentle dominance techniques. It is a good idea to expose the bird to new things on a regular basis early on and throughout its adulthood so it learns to adjust.

Breeding: Large suspended cages work best. Males can become aggressive toward hens, so give enough room for her to move away from him. Best left to experienced breeders.

Eclectus Parrots

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The name Eclectus is derived from the word eclectic because of the sexually dimorphic coloration of the male and female. The males are varying shades of green depending upon their subspecies, and have brilliant red splashes of color on their wing bends and sides. From the age of about one year, they have a striking candy corn beak. The females are varying shades of red, blue, lavender, and purple. The females of the Vosmaeri subspecies have an additional daisy yellow color on the tail. All adult females have jet black beaks. Because of the pronunciation of the word eclectic, many people pronounce the name of the Eclectus parrot "e-cleck-tus." Photos below show an eclectus female (left) and male (right).

Origin: Eight to ten subspecies of Eclectus are recognized. They originated from the Cape York Peninsula of Australia, the islands of Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and New Guinea. Only a few of these subspecies are commonly available in aviculture. They are the Grand, Red Sided, Vosmaeri , and Solomon Island subspecies.

Talking ability: Eclectus parrots are generally classified among the top three parrots for talking ability. Rivaling the African Grey and the talking Amazon parrots in clarity of speech and scope of vocabulary, they not only repeat many words and phrases but some learn entire songs. My oldest male sings "You ain't Nuthin' but a Hound Dog" from start to finish! Some Eclectus chicks learn their first word before they are weaned if the hand-feeder repeats a word to them often. Eclectus parrots enjoy repeating interesting sounds as well as words and phrases learned from their human companions. Many Eclectus owners have been fooled by phantom doorbells, running water, and family members talking in absentia. Some males have melodious voices while others sound more masculine, but nearly all Eclectus females have the most charming sweet and seductive voice--full and throaty like that of a "southern belle opera singer." As with all parrot species, there are birds that never learn to say more than "hello".

Housing: The answer to the question of proper cage size for the Eclectus parrot is easy; buy the largest cage or aviary that your space and budget will accommodate. Horizontal space is important due to the large wingspan of the Eclectus. They require daily exercise and their cage must be wide enough to allow them to flap their wings vigorously if they are unable to fly in the home or in a large aviary. Three feet is a good width if they are to spend a good deal of time in the cage. Cage height is important because of their love of climbing. A macaw-style cage allows enough vertical space for a boing toy to be hung inside the cage. Otherwise, a four or five foot cotton rope and a swing are standard Eclectus cage equipment. They enjoy small hand toys, V-Tech brand and other toys for toddlers, and any challenging toy that can be manipulated by beak and feet. Wood toys for chewing and destruction can prevent a bird from becoming interested in overgrooming and possibly destroying its feathers. Eclectus should be allowed out of the cage and into a separate play area or tree for at least an hour a day and longer if possible.

Diet: It has been reported that Eclectus have a longer than average intestinal tract to accommodate the high fiber diet that they require. They have been observed in the wild eating many types of fruits, flowers, and vegetable matter. The Eclectus digestive system seems to be extremely efficient at assimilating nutrients from foods. This probably is due to the high percentage of fibrous fruits and vegetables that make up their diet in the wild. These foods are "nutrient-sparse" foods as opposed to "nutrient-dense" foods such as pellets. Since they assimilate nutrients so efficiently, they can exhibit symptoms such as "repetitive foot clenching and wing flicking" if oversupplemented or fed too many rich foods. Unless a vitamin or mineral deficiency is diagnosed with blood tests, they should not be supplemented with vitamins and minerals. Even pellets which have a full complement of vitamins and minerals can be too rich for the Eclectus system. Natural juicy foods of deep color including greens, sprouts, fruits and vegetables should be the mainstay of their diet. They do not need vitamin A supplements or shots, as was thought many years ago. They will assimilate all the vitamin A that they need from the colorful orange, yellow, red, and green foods like pomegranates, mangos, cantaloupe, carrots, red and green bell peppers, kale, collards, dandelion and other greens. All parrots should be given organically grown produce whenever possible.

Health: Eclectus are hardy birds that have no species-specific health problems. They thrive on exercise, natural foods, and pure water. They need a wide variety of nutritious foods rather than vitamin and mineral supplements. Some of the neonates experience "constricted toe syndrome" which is a treatable problem. Being "Old World" birds, Eclectus have no natural resistance to the Sarcocystis falcatula disease that can be a problem in warm climates. This disease requires several intermediate hosts but basically starts with an infected grackle or cowbird eaten by an opossum that sheds the sporocysts in its feces, which then is carried to the parrot by cockroaches and certain flies. Old World parrots that are housed outside, or anywhere that cockroaches or flies are a problem, should have tightly screened habitats to avoid this almost always fatal disease.

Longevity: When Eclectus parrots were first imported into the United States, little was known of their nutritional requirements and many people tried to maintain them on an all-seed diet. Until their need for a variety of colorful, fibrous fruits and vegetables was known, many of them did not live for as long as they should have. Although one pamphlet is still distributed stating that the average life expectancy of the Eclectus is eight years, most people now realize that there is no reason that Eclectus parrots cannot live as long as other parrots their size, such as Amazons and African Greys. I personally know of one pair that is still producing at the age of thirty-plus years, so obviously thirty is NOT old age for an Eclectus. Because they have not been in this country for more than a few decades, there are few Eclectus over the age of thirty in captivity in the U. S., but they should be able to live for 50-75 years just as other parrots of comparable size.

Noise: In general, Eclectus are quiet birds that prefer talking to screaming, but there are exceptions to every rule and there are a few loud Eclectus. Because most of them are exceptionally quiet for large parrots, they are considered suitable for apartment living; however, if one should obtain one of the few exceptionally loud members of this species, that would not be the case. They are capable of very harsh, loud calls when threatened with danger. Fortunately, most of them do not use the warning call very often.

Sleep: Ten hours sleep is the general rule for Eclectus parrots, but if the family schedule does not allow for ten uninterrupted, quiet hours of sleep, they will make up the lost rest with cat naps during the day. If it is impossible to provide a dark and quiet place for sleep, covering the cage is an option. Young Eclectus fledglings play hard and sleep soundly in thirty to sixty minute increments throughout the day.

African Grey Parrots

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The bird in the middle is a Timneh. Left bird is smaller Congo, far right bird is large Congo. (Photo reprinted with permission from Jean "The African Queen" Pattison)

African grey parrots have the reputation as being the best talkers of the parrot kingdom. They have an uncanny ability to not only mimic speech, but mimic it in a voice that sounds quite human. They also imitate sounds with incredible accuracy, from dripping faucets to construction equipment. Be careful about uttering any words you don't want your bird to learn, since they seem to have a knack for learning just what you don't want them to learn!

Because of their exceptional intelligence, African greys require an extremely stimulating environment. They can easily become bored and birds that are left cagebound can develop serious behavioral problems, such as destructive feather mutilation. I have seen many a plucked grey. In cases of feather picking, an avian vet should take blood samples and test for bacterial infection or other physical factors first.

Greys have some reputation for clumsiness, but this is generally not a problem if the bird has a proper wing trim. It is extremely important not to overclip the wings. In cases where this has been done, birds can hit the ground too hard and split the skin at the keel bone. If this happens, the bird should be given immediate vet attention.

Do not buy an African grey just because you want a bird that talks. Not all greys talk. Not all parrots known for talking will talk. It is a very bad idea to get a bird only because you want a pet that talks as you could end up disappointed and the bird could end up neglected.

Caging: As large a cage as possible with plenty of horizontal bars to facilitate climbing. Plenty of perches and toys. Toys should be rotated regularly to prevent boredom. It is a nice idea to set the tv or some music on a timer to go on and off during the day to keep the bird amused while you are at work. The timer gives them adequate quiet time for naps.

Diet: medium or large hookbill seed, medium pellets, fresh vegetables, some fruit, palm nuts (native food), corn, sprouts, and grains. Give a varied diet to keep the bird interested and also to avoid food "phobias". They need a little more calcium than some parrot species, but beware of too much calcium (can cause seizures).

Health: Generally very robust birds, but can nervous when changes are made to the environment. They are prone to feather plucking problems if frustrated and left cagebound for long periods of time. This can develop into a serious problem in some cases. Anyone interested in an African grey should be very clear on the fact that they do need a stimulating environment. People with serious time issues would be better off with another species of bird.

Noise: Not particularly noisy. Once they get talking, they can really go on for quiet a while, but it is usually so amusing you don't want them to stop. Alarm sound is a series of sharp, shrill shrieks.

Sleep: At least 10 hours of darkness and quiet. A tv in the room does not equal good sleep.

Sexual behavior: Both males and females will sometimes regurgitate for their human. They are not known to be highly aggressive during hormonal periods, but there will be some change in behavior when they become sexually mature. Many birds become more protective of the cage and wary of new things. It is a good idea to expose the bird to new things on a regular basis early on and throughout its adulthood so it learns to adjust.

Breeding: Best for experienced breeders.

Amazon Parrots

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Blue front amazon parrot

Origin: Central and South America/New World islands

Species commonly kept as pets

Species Name Amazona aestiva A. finschi A. autumnalis A. festiva A. xanthops A. barbadensis A.ochrophala aurophalliata A. amazonica A. farinosa A. ochrocephala oratrix A. albifrons	Common Name Blue-fronted amazon Lilac-crowned amazon Red-lored amazon Festive amazon Yellow-faced amazon* Yellow-shouldered amazon* Yellow-naped amazon Orange-winged amazon Mealy amazon Double Yellow-headed amazon Spectacled amazon
*Not seen as pets very often Follow linked names to see photographs and species-specific information.

Amazon parrots comprise many parrots that range in size from the small spectacled (white-fronted) amazon to the quite sizable double yellow-headed and mealy amazons. They are more challenging pets and many species are more appropriate for people experienced with handling parrots. Some males can become aggressive when they reach sexual maturity. Gentle dominance training is essential. It is a good idea to teach amazons to step up on a stick on command for those times when they are "overstimulated." These birds require strong, patient owners who understand their moods. Do plenty of research on behavior and training before buying one so you can build a strong foundation with the young bird.

Generally, the best talkers are double yellow heads, yellow napes, and blue fronts. Many of these birds can also become proficient singers. They are not shy and will often perform for strangers. Because of these characteristics, these parrots are often selected as performers in bird shows and at zoos.

Amazons tend to be more independent birds and can amuse themselves much of the day if they are given adequate toys and space. It is a good idea to give them a tower with many perches and toys for exercise and amusement. Generally, they do not develop feather picking problems the way many parrot species do, but they can if they are neglected, confined in small cages for long periods of time, and not stimulated with interaction and/or toys.

Caging: The larger the cage the better. Amazons are quite active and very prone to obesity if they do not get exercise. Cages should be give adequate room for play and exercise. Spacing of bars depends on the size of the species. Make sure for smaller amazons the spacing is not large enough for them to get their head through.

Diet: Watch the fat. Pellets (medium/large), fresh vegetables, some fruit, sprouts, and grains (quinoa especially). Seeds and large nuts, but not as the primary source of nutrition. Calcium important for blue fronts. DO NOT give grit to this or any other parrot species.

Health: Tendency toward obesity and related health issues. Lifespan is generally 40-80 years depending on the species, but obesity can drastically reduce this (up to 70%). Have an avian vet weigh your bird annually to make sure it is not gaining an unhealthy amount of weight.

Amazons should be showered regularly for feather and skin health. They can develop a musky odor that bothers some people, but most become used to it quickly. Regular showers keeps the smell from getting too strong. Most amazons adore being soaked to the skin with a mister.

Noise: Most birds bought young and properly trained and socialized will rarely vocalize to the point of disturbing neighbors, but generally they do vocalize atleast once a day with loud screeches. Some amazons can be very loud. Many older birds are sold and re-sold because of calls that can be heard for quite a distance. They are not great for apartments for this reason.Obviously, the larger the bird, the louder the call. Amazons that have been kept with other amazons tend to be the loudest.

Sleep: At least 10 hours of dark, quiet sleep time each night. Amazons that do not get enough sleep can be very grouchy and aggressive.

Sexual behavior: Males can become very aggressive when hormonal. Age this occurs depends on the species, but generally at 3-5 years of age. Springtime is the most obvious period to watch for this. It is best to train amazons to stand on your hand and NOT on your shoulder because of their unpredictability during "mating season." It is important to learn to recognize their moods and not pick up an amazon when its eyes are flashing and the tail is flared.

Breeding: Need very large flights as males can be extremely aggressive toward females in many species. Not for the beginner.

Tres Maria Amazon

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The Tres Marias Amazon is a subspecies of the Double Yellow-Headed Amazon. Its original habitat was three islands off the western coast of Mexico called the Tres Marias Islands. This subspecie is quite rare in aviculture and is often confused
with the Magna Double Yellow-Headed Amazon.

Shown are two birds about six months of age. The bird on the left is a Tres Marias Amazon (Amazona oratrix tresmarie).
The bird on the right is a Magna Double Yellow-Headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix).

Typical Home For An Aussie Parrot!

2008-10-03T03:13:00.000-07:00

Made Explore!

This beautiful Sulphur-crested White cockatoo demonstrates how most Australian parrots nest - they use old tree hollows in gum trees - saves building your own nest!

This tree hollow is about 15 feet up this very old gum tree, which is on a 30 degree list!

The Cockys screech to each other, and the sound, which is most definitely NOT a lovely song, travels a very long way.

This wild and free cockatoo is at Pound Bend, Warrandyte, Victoria, Australia

Exquisitely Beautiful Female Eclectus Parrot

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This impossibly beautiful Australian native parrot is unique in the parrot world, in that the female, pictured here, is more colourful than the male.
This bird is from the tropical north of Australia.

Male & Female Eclectus Parrots

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Made Explore!

*

Male is the green, female is the red and blue.
Gorgeous colours!

Impossibly beautiful Australian native tropical parrots! The colours are absolutely stunning!
I first thought these eclectus parrots were soft toys! They were perfectly used to people, only metres away.

The eclectus parrot is most unusual for having such differential colour schemes between male and female.

The male is bright green with blue and red patches,
and the female is crimson with a blue belly. Their feet are very unusual;
the two outer toes of the foot point backward and the two inner toes point forward.
This gives the parrot an extremely powerful grasp so it can manipulate objects close to its bill.
These birds are tree dwellers and live around lowland in tropical areas.

Eclectus Parrots are strong fliers and fly high above the forest canopy.
In the day time they fly in pairs or small parties in search of fruits, nuts, nectar and leaf buds. In the evening they engage in display flights before they gather in groups of about 80 birds to roost for the night.

Body length: (beak to tail) Males: 420–480mm; Females: 400–450mm
Wing span: Males: 900mm; Females: 890mm
Weight: 615g
Scientific name: Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi (Gk. eklektikos = select, pick out, L. rorare = bedewed, macgillivrayi = after the ornithologist who discovered the species in Queensland)

Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi is the largest of twelve subspecies of eclectus parrot. Plumage between the sexes is markedly different, even in juveniles. Males are predominantly emerald green, with scarlet red on the sides of the abdomen extending across the underwing, and dusky feathers on the remainder of the underwing. The upper wing is emerald green with blue outer feathers. The tail is emerald green on the upper side, fading to light blue with a white tip, and on the underside the tail is grey-black with a yellow tip. The lower beak is black, and the upper beak is orange fading to yellow at the tip. The eye is orange-red in colour with a grey eye-ring. Females have a scarlet-red head and neck, with a darker red tail and back. The upper side of the wings are dark red on the inside half and blue on the outer half. Under the wing is dusky with a vivid purple-blue band that continues under the body and around the back of the neck. A purple-blue ring surrounds the yellow eye, and the upper and lower beak is black. Both sexes have a short, square tail.
Habitat and distribution: Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi is endemic to Queensland (only lives in Queensland) and is the only subspecies on mainland Australia, with one other subspecies, E. r. polychloros, found in the Torres Strait islands. All other subspecies are located in Indonesia, New Guinea, and several Pacific islands. The eclectus parrot is found in one region in Queensland, the Iron and McIlwraith ranges of eastern Cape York Peninsula. They mainly inhabit the interior and edges of lowland rainforest; however they can also be found in the higher rainforest regions.

Male Eclectus Parrot

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Impossibly beautiful Australian native tropical parrots! The colours are absolutely stunning!
There seems to be two spellings of this bird: eclectus and electus
I first thought these electus parrots were soft toys! They were perfectly used to people, only metres away.

The electus parrot is most unusual for having such differential colour schemes between male and female.

ElectusParrots are boldly colored birds.
The male is bright green with blue and red patches,
and the female is crimson with a blue belly. Their feet are very unusual;
the two outer toes of the foot point backward and the two inner toes point forward.
This gives the parrot an extremely powerful grasp so it can manipulate objects close to its bill.
These birds are tree dwellers and live around lowland in tropical areas.

ElectusParrots are strong fliers and fly high above the forest canopy.
In the day time they fly in pairs or small parties in search of fruits, nuts, nectar and leaf buds. In the evening they engage in display flights before they gather in groups of about 80 birds to roost for the night.

Body length: (beak to tail) Males: 420–480mm; Females: 400–450mm
Wing span: Males: 900mm; Females: 890mm
Weight: 615g
Scientific name: Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi (Gk. eklektikos = select, pick out, L. rorare = bedewed, macgillivrayi = after the ornithologist who discovered the species in Queensland)

Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi is the largest of twelve subspecies of eclectus parrot. Plumage between the sexes is markedly different, even in juveniles. Males are predominantly emerald green, with scarlet red on the sides of the abdomen extending across the underwing, and dusky feathers on the remainder of the underwing. The upper wing is emerald green with blue outer feathers. The tail is emerald green on the upper side, fading to light blue with a white tip, and on the underside the tail is grey-black with a yellow tip. The lower beak is black, and the upper beak is orange fading to yellow at the tip. The eye is orange-red in colour with a grey eye-ring. Females have a scarlet-red head and neck, with a darker red tail and back. The upper side of the wings are dark red on the inside half and blue on the outer half. Under the wing is dusky with a vivid purple-blue band that continues under the body and around the back of the neck. A purple-blue ring surrounds the yellow eye, and the upper and lower beak is black. Both sexes have a short, square tail.
Habitat and distribution: Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi is endemic to Queensland (only lives in Queensland) and is the only subspecies on mainland Australia, with one other subspecies, E. r. polychloros, found in the Torres Strait islands. All other subspecies are located in Indonesia, New Guinea, and several Pacific islands. The eclectus parrot is found in one region in Queensland, the Iron and McIlwraith ranges of eastern Cape York Peninsula. They mainly inhabit the interior and edges of lowland rainforest; however they can also be found in the higher rainforest regions.

Diet: The diet consists of fruit, nuts, seeds, flowers and nectar, obtained from the tree canopy.

2008-10-03T03:05:00.000-07:00

On A Good Thing Here!

These are completely wild and free birds.
This brightly coloured bird is a male Australian native King parrot.

Australian King-Parrot
Scientific name: Alisterus scapularis
Family: Psittacidae
Order: Psittaciformes

Male Australian King-Parrots are the only Australian parrots with a completely red head. Females are similar to males except that they have a completely green head and breast. Both sexes have a red belly and a green back, with green wings and a long green tail. They are normally encountered in pairs or family groups.
The adult Crimson Rosella, Platycercus elegans, is similar to the male Australian King-Parrot, but differs by having blue cheeks, shoulders, and tail, a whitish, rather than red, bill and a dark eye. Immature Crimson Rosellas also differ from female and immature King-Parrots by having blue cheeks, a whitish bill and a more yellow-green rather than dark green colouring.
King-Parrots are found along the east coast and ranges of Australia, ranging from Cooktown in Queensland through to Port Campbell in Victoria.
King-Parrots are usually found in rainforests or wet sclerophyll forests, such as found at Healesville.
Although King-Parrots appear distinctly red and green to humans, when viewed under ultraviolet light, some feathers on the wings appear with a prominent yellow glow. Many birds have four types of cone in their retina, (compared to only three in humans) and see into the ultraviolet wavelengths.

Badger Creek, Yarra Ranges National Park, Healesville, Victoria, Australia

world of parrots

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African grey parrot.jpg

African grey parrot2.jpg

Alexandrine Male.jpg

Alexandrine parakeets1.jpg

Alexandrine parakeets2.jpg

Australian eclectus parrots.jpg

Australian king parrot (female).jpg

Australian king parrot (male).jpg

Australian ringneck parrot.jpg

Barnards parakeet.jpg

Black-headed caique.jpg

Black-headed caique2.jpg

Blue and yellow macaw.jpg

Blue and yellow macaw1.jpg

Blue indian ring-necked parakeet.jpg

Blue indian ring-necked parakeets.jpg

Crimson-bellied conure.jpg

Crimson-bellied conure2.jpg

Derbyan parakeet.jpg

Derbyan parakeet2.jpg

Double-eyed fig parrot.jpg

Eastern rosella.jpg

Eastern rosella2.jpg

Eastern rosella3.jpg

Edwards fig parrot.jpg

Greater vasa parrot.jpg

Green indian ring-necked parakeet.jpg

Green indian ring-necked parakeet2.jpg

Green-cheeked conure.jpg

Green-winged macaw.jpg

Hahns macaw2.jpg

Jardines parrot.jpg

Hawk-headed parrot.jpg

Hawk-headed parrot2.jpg

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African grey parrot2

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African grey parrot

2008-10-03T02:58:00.000-07:00

Rainbow Lorikeets

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Galah

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Outside my window at home

A native Australian parrot which is widespread. This one (and three others) popped over for a bit of afternoon tea the other day. Calling someone a galah in Australia is a traditional way of questioning their intelligence. "Ya flaming galah" is as common in Oz as calling someone a "goose" in other parts of the world. Galahs (the bird) do come across as being a little stupid as they waddle around eating grass seeds. They do much on wing.

Rainbow Lorikeet

2008-10-03T02:51:00.000-07:00

The Rainbow Lorrikeet is one of the most bright and colourful of the Australian parrots.They are common along the entire Eastern seaboard from the top of Cape York round to Adelaide. They need little encouragement to become a regular visitor to your garden. Some parrot seed (especially striped sunflower seed) and a small amount of diluted honey and bread mixture attract them, while plenty of cover, standing water (bird baths), and nesting opportunities will make them resident.

There native diet includes blossoms, berries, other fruit, seeds, and insects and their larvae. They will often be seen in company with scaly-breasted and other lorrikeets.

Regent Parrot

2008-10-03T02:49:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Australian native parrot, highly endangered. During the breeding season Regent Parrots nest in the hollows that occur in mature and dead River Red Gums. From these trees they forage over large areas, up to 12km from their nests. They feed on the seeds, buds, flowers and sometimes on insect larvae.
Regent Parrots need flight corridors of native vegetation that link their nest colonies on the river with good feeding areas such as large intact areas of mallee woodlands.
In the past this parrot was destroyed as an agricultural pest and many nesting and foraging areas were cleared. While destruction of this bird is no longer permitted and the clearance of native vegetation is regulated, the Regent Parrot is still in decline.
Today their continued survival may be threatened by other birds forcing them from their nest hollows, clearing of small areas of mallee that link nesting and foraging sites, long periods of drought, illegal destruction and human disturbance around nests. Sometimes they are accidentally killed by cars when flocks feed on grain spilt along roadsides. Currently there are thought to be only 400 pairs remaining in the South Australian River Murray corridor.

Princess Parrot (aka Alexandra's Parrot)

2008-10-03T02:48:00.000-07:00

Made Explore!

Yes indeed, another Australian native parrot!
The Princess Parrot is one of Western Australia's most secretive yet stunning birds. It is very common as a kept bird, however, this beautiful bird is rarely seen in the wild. It inhabits the harsh inland deserts of the state, including the Canning Stock Route, where it is most often seen. It seems to prefer true desert and is not often seen in areas such as the Pilbara or Goldfields. It is also found throughout the arid Tanami region of the Northern Territory and possibly extends into arid Queensland. In the wild, these birds are well adapted to the arid zone. They are most likely to inhabit inland watercourses. breeding area. Feeding and foraging takes place on the ground, as parrots search for seeds of spinifex (Triodia). They are also known to feed of Acacia blossoms and Mistletoe berries (Loranthus).

Scarlet Chested Parrot

2008-10-03T02:47:00.000-07:00

Another gorgeous Australian native parrot of the arid regions of Australia. What magnificent colours!
This brilliantly coloured little parrot is is rare in the wild and has proved to be among the most difficult of all Australian birds to see in its natural habitat.
Erratically distributed across the arid interior of southern Australia from far western NSW to the vicinity of Kalgoorlie (WA). Sometimes locally common and subject to local irruptions.
Inhabits arid to semi-arid areas within mallee and acacia (Mulga) scrublands/open woodlands with spinifex and saltbush ground covers. Occurs in both recently burnt and older growth mallee.
Frequently found far from water, thus thought to be able to obtain sufficient moisture by drinking dew or chewing water-storing plants such as Calandrinia, which grow profusely in sandy mulga country.
Populations are irruptive, building up rapidly during favourable years of abundant rainfall. Populations then decline and the species is rarely sighted. These birds band into quite large flocks when not breeding and become highly nomadic.

Musk Lorikeet

2008-10-03T02:45:00.000-07:00

These gorgeous birds with the striking head banding of red are native Australian parrots. Very raucous when in large flocks.
According to some people this bird smells slightly musky, hence its name.

These gorgeous birds with the striking head banding of red are native Australian parrots. Very raucous when in large flocks.
Musk Lorikeets are found in many parts of south eastern Australia. They are found along coastal NSW and inland to the western slopes and plains, throughout much of Victoria, parts of Tasmania and southern South Australia. They are slightly larger than the well-known Budgerigar but with a shorter tail.
Musk Lorikeets prefer eucalypt woodlands and dry forests, roadside vegetation and timbered water courses. They are also happy to raid orchards and are becoming common in parks and gardens were suitable flowering trees and bushes are present. Calls: “zzitt-zzitt” calls as they feed are quite noisy!

Lorikeets Australian parrots

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Australian King Parrot

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Description
SIZE. About 17 inches (432 mm). ~ ADULT MALE. General colour above, including wings, green; inner series of uppertwing-coverts pale turquoise-green; lower back and rump blue; upper tail-coverts black washed with olive; tail-feathers black, glossed with olive on their margins; head, neck, and all the under-surface scarlet, a narrow line of dark blue feathers separating the hind-neck from the interscapular region; under tail-coverts scarlet, with black centres to feathers; under wing-coverts green margined with blue at their tips; edge of wing green; bill scarlet, paler at tip; legs and feet mealy-grey; eyes yellow.

ADULT FEMALE. Head, wings and upper-surface green; rump-feathers green largely tipped with blue; tail-feathers green, lateral ones washed on their outer webs with blue and tipped with light red; throat and chest dull green, feathers of chin and upper throat washed with dull red; lower portion of breast and abdomen scarlet; under tail-coverts green, broadly margined with scarlet; bill black.
IMMATURE. Resembles the female but can be sexed soon after leaving the nest as the bills of the females quickly darken whilst those of the males are of a yellowish colour; in addition, young hens have much less red on the abdomen and lower breast. Adult male plumage is acquired by a slow moult, which starts when the bird is something over fifteen months of age and is not completed for a further twelve months or so.

Geographical Variations
Birds from the northern extremity of the range are claimed to be considerably smaller (minor); this is not apparent in the field.

Field Notes
Cayley wrote: "The King Parrakeet is an inhabitant of the heavily timbered ranges and dense scrubs of eastern Australia; its range extending from as far north as Cairns in northern Queensland right down throughout the coastal districts of New South Wales into Victoria. Still fairly plentiful, it is almost exclusively confined to the dense scrub lands and heavily-timbered ranges. Usually met with in pairs and can often be seen and heard in National Park and similar districts close to Sydney. As in Gould~s time, it congregates in flocks during the non-breeding season and visits ripening crops, causing considerable damage. Its nesting-places are difficult to find as it shows a liking for some isolated locality in which to breed. As with the Red-winged Parrakeet, a hollow trunk of a large tree is used for breeding-purposes, and usually the nesting-cavity is placed at a considerable distance down the trunk from the
entrance hole. Its call is loud and shrill, and easily distinguished from the cries of other species.

"Clutch: three to five eggs; white, and rounded-oval in form; shell close-grained, smooth and lustreless. Breeding-season: October to January.
I have frequently seen this species at the Sir Colin Mackenzie Sanctuary, near Healesville, Victoria, where a number of birds obtain an easy living from some of the food provided for the inmates of the sanctuary; the flock, which is extraordinarily tame, tends to follow the keepers on their rounds.

In May 1961 I encountered the species on the Maclntyre River in northern New South Wales and again in May 1965 on the Boyne River near Gayndah in Queensland.

In eastern Queensland during the bird-watchers~ tour of May and June 1970 this species was observed in small numbers at Gin Gin and, farther north, in the Eungella Range, west of Mackay. Later, it was found to be fairly plentiful in the rain-forest around Lake Barrine, on the Atherton Tableland.

It is interesting to reflect that the range of the King Parrot, from North Queensland to Victoria, is almost identical with that of the Crimson Rosella except for the extension of the latter species farther to the west into south-eastern South Australia; both tend to prefer the same type of high rainfall mountainous country. Confusion between the two species may conceivably occur and it should be remembered that in the case of the larger King Parrot, the male is scarlet with green wings whilst the female and immatures are predominantly green with red underparts. On the other hand, both sexes of the adult Crimson Rosella are largely crimson, relieved with blue areas; however, the immatures, in the southern part of the range, are mostly dark green, with some red and blue areas.

Aviary Notes
For many years I was unsuccessful in my efforts to breed King Parrots; a hen which I had for ten seasons from 1936 onward with two different mates, invariably raised my hopes by coming into breeding condition each November but, as far as I know, never produced a single egg. A new hen obtained in 1947 did nothing that year, but laid four eggs from the perch late in the following spring.

In 1951 I considered myself fortunate to obtain a pair which had bred regularly for several seasons when in the possession of their previous owner. The hen laid two eggs on the ground late that spring, and in the following season, although provided with the original massive log in which they had previously bred, did not even lay.

When I moved to the Mount Lofty Ranges in 1966 I acquired a pair of Kings which were believed to have bred in captivity; however, the hen of this pair died egg-bound and I could not obtain a replacement for some time.

Late in 1967 a sub-adult cock bird—obviously an escapee, for the species does not occur in the wild state in South Australia—began to visit my pair at frequent intervals, and when another hen was obtained he was obviously delighted. We proceeded to train him to enter the aviary next to the hen by means of a funnel, releasing him every morning and later putting the hen in the same aviary. In 1968 this pair had an unsuccessful first clutch and then laid again in December and successfully reared three young birds which emerged from the nest early in February 1969. In the following spring a second successful breeding took place by this semi-liberated pair, two further young being fledged in December of that year.

Meanwhile, the other pair of reputed breeders succeeded in hatching one young one, in both 1968 and 1969, but in each case it only survived about a fortnight; I assume the hen stopped brooding at night too soon, for the crop in each case was full.

King Parrots in Australia have not proved free breeders in captivity, largely because of the difficulty in supplying them with suitable nesting sites. They seem to like a very long log in an almost vertical position; frequently they will lay on the ground or in a seed receptacle, and have even been known to breed successfully under such apparently adverse conditions.
Tavistock3 wrote: "The courtship of the King Parrot is elaborate and amusing. When a pair in good condition are introduced to one another they show great excitement. The cock puffs the feathers on his head, draws his body plumage tight, displays his green wing bar to the fullest extent, shakes his head, gives his wings a quick, shivering flip, makes a nibbling motion with his beak and after uttering his ~Crashak!~ call loudly goes off into a singular kind of song in a minor key interspersed by sounds not unlike a hen announcing the arrival of her egg.

All the while his eyes blaze, with contracting pupils, and from time to time he scratches his head violently, the access of the tender passion apparently sending blood to his brain to such an extent as to cause irritation! The hen responds by also puffing her head feathers, drawing tight her body plumage, contracting the pupils of her eyes and joining her cries to those of her lover. When courting a hen confined in an aviary a cock at liberty will sometimes indulge in an aerial form of display, flying about in a figure of eight with his plumage set as when displaying on a perch and keeping up his chirruping song as he goes. When in breeding condition and about to lay, the hen King invites the cock to feed her by a noise and up and down motion of the head similar to that of the other close relatives. In addition to the calls already mentioned both sexes of the King Parrot have a long-drawn whistle, ~Eeng, eeng, eeng~ repeatedly, many times in succession at short intervals."

W.T. Greene, M.D.
PARROTS IN CAPTIVITY
1875

KING PARROT, OR PARRAKEET.
Psittacus cyanopygus, Russ.
SYNONYMS: Asprosmictus scapulatus, GLD.; Psittacus scapulatus, KHL.J
Platycercus scapulatus, VQRS.; Platycercus cyanopygus, FNSCH.; etc.
GEEMAN: Der Konigs-Sittich.

This Parrot is very generally, but erroneously, called the King I Lory, for it undoubtedly belongs to the Platycerci, and not to the Lories: it is a large handsome bird, slightly exceeding the well-known Grey Parrot in size, and with a very much longer tail: the head, neck, and all the under surface of the body, including the under tail coverts, are deep red, while the back and wings are dark green, growing deeper and deeper in shade to the tail, which is nearly black; the under surface of the tail feathers is black; the rump is blue, and the wings are marked with a spot of very light green. The feet are leaden grey, the upper mandible is orange red, with a black tip, and the lower black above, and below a dark slate grey.

The female, or Queen, is such a totally different-looking bird, that she was formerly considered by naturalists to belong to a different species. The general colour of her plumage is dingy green, with a reddish shade on the breast, and a deeper tinge of the same colour on the abdomen and the under tail coverts: the tail is not of such a deep blue black green as in the male, and she is a trifle smaller than her mate.

The young resemble their mother until their second year, when the males begin to assume the adult plumage. We have met with no published record of these handsome birds breeding in this country, but we have been assured than an amateur in an eastern county has succeeded more than once in obtaining a brood: and his mode of procedure was one so well calculated to ensure success, that our readers will doubtless be grateful to us for detailing the modus operandi
for their benefit.

A pair of adult King Parrots were placed in an out-door aviary, only a portion of which, was protected from the weather, the interior was fitted up with logs suitable for nesting places, and the whole of the back covered with pieces of virgin cork. The King and Queen soon made themselves at home in their new abode, and commenced by looking out for a house among the hollow logs of various sizes that had been placed at their disposal by the owner: none of these, however, seemed to be to their taste, and after trying first one and then another, they gave up the logs as a bad job altogether, and selected for their residence a ledge under the roof in the inner portion of their abode, which was shaded from observation by a broad piece of cork, and on this ledge the Queen deposited her eggs, how many in number the owner could not tell, for he was afraid of disturbing the birds by looking, and in due course the hen hatched and reared her young, sometimes two, sometimes three in number.

As they are naturally shy and timid, the King Parrots should not be placed in the company of any other birds, especially if it be desired to induce them to breed. Personally we have not made any attempt at breeding these birds, but they are so thoroughly hardy, that there should be no difficulty in getting them to nest.

Although natives of New South Wales and Queensland, these birds seem to suffer more from heat than from cold, seldom living many years in the house, but lasting for a long time in a properly constructed and well-sheltered aviary out of doors.

The most suitable food for these birds in the house is grain of all kinds, some of which had better be soaked for them, green food of all sorts, given more sparingly in winter than in summer, nuts and fruit, or even a slice of raw potato: they are very fond of bathing, and should always have an abundant supply of water within reach, but sop is an abomination that should never be offered to them, though a piece of sponge-cake or a biscuit will be relished, or even a slice of dry bread.

As the King Parrot grows slowly, it should be a long-lived bird, and, with proper care, is; but it cannot stand delicacies or coddling, which soon cause it to droop its wings and fade away, or to fall dead from its perch in a fit.

It will doubtless have been remarked that we have not hitherto touched upon what some writers make one of the most important features of their works, namely, the Diseases of Birds: our reason is that we consider domesticated birds when properly cared for have no diseases of a curable kind, and we have preferred giving plain directions for the suitable management of our pets, to a number of useless recipes for curing complaints that, with a little care and attention, would never have supervened to worry the owner and to kill the bird.

Coughs are avoidable, so are fits, so is egg-binding, so are colds, inflammations, and congestions, so are constipation and diarrhsea, and so in point of fact are all the ills that captive birds are, not heirs, but liable to, when kept by persons who think only of themselves and neglect their prisoners, or who have their heads crammed full of useless and too often mischievous old-fashioned notions as to feeding, coddling, and depriving the poor creatures of water.

Depend upon it, diseases are more readily prevented than cured. Keep your birds out of draughts, feed them as you find recommended in these pages, give them room to exercise their wings and feet in, company and occupation, and you will find that there will be no diseases to cure, and that old age, for which there is no preventive, will at last gently and insensibly usher them into—we were about to write—a better land, but—after all who can tell whether the Great and Good Creator may not, in some portion of His boundless universe, have reserved a place where the unhappy members of what men are pleased to call the "brute" creation, may re-live their lives, and find compensation for the ills that, by no fault of theirs, they were made to suffer here? Who indeed! but we must forbear, the subject is not one for discussion in these pages.

The King Parrot is not a particularly bright or intelligent bird, still an odd male, now and again, will become exceedingly tame, and learn to repeat a few words, or even a short sentence, but to enable him to do even this, he must be taken in hand when very young, and much patience and perseverance be brought~ to bear upon the task. The female is a very silent bird, and we never knew one that learned to repeat even a single word: we are far, however, from saying that such a phenomenon as a talking Queen Parrot is impossible, but simply that we have neither seen nor heard of one.
It is unfortunately true, as an author who is well known as inimical to "~dealers" asserts, that some importers of King Parrots "stove" up their birds to make them moult their nest feathers prematurely, and assume the adult garb, before the natural period for their doing so has come round,,, fpr we have seen the cruel practice in operation, and remonstrated, but were met by the assurance that the birds liked it, and that it agreed with them.

To which we replied that the poor things did not look as if they enjoyed being half-cooked alive in the dark, and that we believed a bird so treated was irretrievably weakened in constitution, and would never live out half its days: but a King "in colour" being worth more than double the price of a young bird in the nestling garb, the practice is persisted in (not by all dealers, however), and is one that the E.S.P.C.A. might well occupy itself with.

Dr. Russ much admires this handsome bird, and says of it: "Der groste und zugleich einer der prachtvollsten von alien diesen Sittichen", (the largest, and at the same time one of the most magnificent of all these Parrakeets.)
Bechstein speaks of the King Parrot in his Natural History of Cage Birds, and says it is a native of Amboina, though he admits that he was told it came from "Botany Bay"; he describes the difference between the sexes correctly, yet Dr. Finsch, writing at a much later date, says that they are alike, "beide GescMecter gleich sein", which Dr. Russ justly characterizes as "ein Irrthum", a mistake. But who is infallible? even the last-mentioned doctor, great authority as he undoubtedly is on bird matters, nods sometimes, as we may have occasion to point out later on.

The King Parrot is a very gentle and amiable bird, so much so, that it may be safely trusted in an aviary full of small birds, but in such a situation it is not at all likely that it will breed, as small birds are of a prying and inquisitive nature, and the King and Queen are shy, and brook no interference from anybody with their domestic arrangements: they do not punish, as they very well might, the intruder on their privacy, the disturber of their rest, they simply forsake the log or box they had intended to take up their abode in, and try again elsewhere: their motto, being, apparently, "Anything for a quiet life", and if very much disturbed they will give up the attempt, and leave their tormentors in possession of the ground: it is therefore necessary to give a pair of these birds a good-sized aviary, or bird-room, preferably the former, all to themselves, and we have no doubt, though we have not personally made the experiment, that so situated they would be certain to breed, and really the experiment is one that would be well worth trying, for these birds always command a good price in the market: and the only objection to raising them is that they are two years old before they don their adult plumage; but, on the other hand, they are small eaters, and cost but very little to keep.

In their own country the King Parrots eat, especially during the breeding season, a considerable number of insects, but they will do very well without such dainties in captivity; though, perhaps, if they had young ones to feed, it might be as well to supply them with a few mealworms daily: such a practice, however, is open to objection, for once begun, it would have to be continued, and mealworms are sometimes difficult to be obtained in this country, although in Germany they are regularly bred; but in all bird-matters we are, as yet, very far behind our Teutonic friends.

Although, for its size, this species has not a very large or powerful beak, it is, nevertheless, as partial as any of its congeners to 'whittling", and should always be provided with a piece of semi-decayed wood upon which to exercise its beak, and thus enable it to while away the time, which, doubtless, often hangs heavy enough—we were going to say upon its hands—but at all events it is, no doubt, frequently at a loss how to employ itself; occasionally turning round and plucking out its own feathers for want of something else to do.

It happens now and then that a Parrot having moulted does not regain its plumage, and the owner imagines that the bird itself eats its feathers, which is not the case, the poor thing has not the strength to reproduce them, and after a longer or shorter interval of wretched nakedness dies.

Such a bird is suffering from extreme debility, and requires in the first instance warmth; a temperature, say, of 70° Fahr., an abundance of nourishing food, chief of which is sound fresh hemp-seed, then sponge cake, canary-seed, lunch biscuit, apples, and nuts, and, for medicine, ten drops of Parrish~s Chemical Pood to each ounce of its drinking water. We have seen port-wine, brandy, and quinine recommended among many other things, but the regimen we have just described, will, unless the poor bird be too far gone, soon restore it to health, and the owner will have the pleasure of once more beholding his favourite clothed as Nature intended it should be.

As soon as the reparative process is complete, the temperature of the place where the bird is kept—a warm conservatory makes a ~capital bird-hospital—must be gradually and cautiously lowered to that in which it is decided to keep it, but draughts must be studiously avoided, or inflammation of the lungs is certain to set in, when, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, and in spite of the utmost care and attention, the poor creature will die.

Inflammation of the lungs, pneumonia, is much more readily prevented than cured in birds, but when it does occur, warmth and nourishment are the only remedies, and generally the sufferer will not feed, sometimes even it will not drink, though usually the thirst is excessive; in such a case we have seen it recommended to give milk and chicken-broth, and should be disposed to give the latter a trial; not cold, but just tepid, and if the bird would not take that, we should advise a small quantity to be poured down its throat every now and then with a spoon.

In a case that came under our own observation, the patient~s cage was wrapped up, all but a small space in front, in a blanket, and set upon the dresser in a very warm kitchen, where the fire was kept up,. < for the Parrot~s especial benefit, all night as well as during the day; he was fed on sponge-cake and hemp-seed, he would eat nothing else, and a teaspoonful of sherry was put in his drinking water: in a couple of days he was all right, screaming and chattering as usual.
A lady of our acquaintance who has kept a King Parrot for four years, sends us the following interesting account of her pet:—"My King has been in my possession for four- years, and the person who had him before me had kept him three years, so that he is at least eight years old, but probably nine, or more. I feed him upon canary-seed, hemp, and boiled maize, and supply him with plenty of coarse sand and fresh water; for he not only drinks freely, but is extraordinarily fond of washing himself.

When he came into my possession he was in a very low weak state, and I thought I should have lost him; he had been dieted for some time on canary-seed only, and could scarcely stand, but by nursing him and giving him hemp and boiled maize, and biscuit, captain biscuit, which I used to chew for him, he soon came round, and has never ailed anything since. He is very tame and gentle, and talks very nicely: some of the sentences he pronounces very distinctly, ~Polly, put the kettle on~; ~Mother, call the doctor~; ~Mother, kiss your darling~; ~Kiss Sukey, there~s a dear~, .and so on: he is rather shy and silent before strangers, but is very talkative and amusing when I am with him in the room alone. He is in very fine condition, and apparently in the best of health."

For the correctness of this description we can vouch, for we have rarely seen a bird of this species in better feather, although he is kept in the heart of London; he does not seem, however, to miss the fresh air in the least, but appears to be perfectly happy and contented: for companions he has a Grey Parrot, a Cockatiel, several Canaries, and some Collared Doves.

Australian King Parrot TODAY

Other Names:
Australian King, Eastern King, Queensland King, King Lory, Scarlet Parrot, Green Parrot.
Description:

Medium to large bright scarlet/orange and green coloured parrot. Males are easily identified. They have a bright scarlet/orange head, neck and underparts with a bright green back and wings. There is a narrow band of blue on the nape, and the rump, lower back and upper tail are also blue. The mandibles are scarlet with black markings, the eyes are yellow and the legs and feet are grey.
Females differ from males in that their heads are dark green, the upper tail is also green and the throat and chest are a dull green with tinges of red on the upper throat. The bill like the feet and legs is grey.
Immature birds strongly resemble the adult female.
Often encountered in pairs or small flocks, King Parrots feed mainly in trees but also spend time on the ground. These birds are less approachable than other parrots such as Rosellas. Nevertheless, they do frequently visit parks and suburban gardens.
In some areas these birds are considered a pest in orchards and crops such as corn.

Length:
400-450mm.

Subspecies:

A north Queensland race is smaller than the nominate form. Not formally recognised as a subspecies or variety, these birds are known as Alisterus scapularis minor by aviculturists.

Distribution:

From Cooktown in northern Queensland southward to Melbourne (Vic).

Habitat:

Forests (including rainforest) and woodland and suburban parks and gardens.

Diet:

Seeds, berries and other fruits, nuts, nectar, blossom and leaf buds.

Breeding:

July-January depending on locality.
Nests:
The nest is usually a cavity located high in a tree (mostly large eucalypts). Although the entrance is high above the ground, the floor of the cavity itself may be almost at ground level. The nest lining is usually a layer of decayed wood dust. The female incubates the eggs but she is attended by the male who will also assist in feeding the young once they are about half grown.
In captivity King Parrots will accept either a nesting box or a log. Provide a very deep log or grandfather type nesting box to a depth of at least 1.5 (5ft) or 2m (6ft 8in) sitting or in the ground. The internal diameter needs to be around 25 to 30 cm (10-12in). If the log or nest box is slightly angled it will aid the parents in entering and departing the nest but may also prevent them from damaging the eggs.
Our preferred nesting material is coarse wood shavings mixed with peat moss and is readily accepted by the hens.

Courtship Display:

The male stretches to his full height, tightens the body plumage and ruffs the feathers on the head. With this, he shakes or flicks his wings to display the light green barring. In accompaniment, he utters his harsh call and contracts the pupils to accentuate the (yellow) iris.
The hen responds in much the same way and bobs her head in addition to solicit food. Courtship feeding (by regurgitation) usually follows.

Sexual Maturity:

Young hens can be eager to breed even when only twelve months old, as a rule cocks are rarely able to fertilise eggs until they are into their third year.
When approaching 6 months of age the mandibles of the young cocks start to turn red. He begin to acquire adult plumage at about 16 months and continue to colour for another 14 months or so.
Clutch:

3-5 rounded to broad-elliptical white eggs (33mm x 26mm) with a slightly glossy surface are laid in a clutch. The hen is solely responsible for the incubation which lasts for around 19-20 days and the young usually fledge at around 35 days.

Mutations and Hybrids:

King Parrots are known to have hybridised with the Regent Parrot, Crimson-winged Parrot and the Superb Parrot.

Suitable Aviaries and Compatible Birds

As a minimum, a single tame bird could be housed in a "small" cage provided it measures around 600mm x 600mm x 800mm (approximately). Birds kept in this way should be provided with the opportunity for exercise every day. However, King parrots do not take well to confined cages and perform much better in aviaries.

These need be no larger than around 1.5m wide x 5-6m long x 1.8m high and lined with a medium to heavy grade mesh. In addition, the aviary should offer plenty of shelter with part of the roof covered in and the back and sides at least partially covered.

For breeding purposes, these birds are best kept to themselves. However, they are quite amicable and can be placed in a colony with other birds such as Superb, Regent, crimson-winged and Eclectus Parrots, Alexandrines and Indian Ringnecks as well as pheasants.

***

The Australian King Parrot, a wild bird who is often kept as a sweet, tame pet, is a common sight in parks or gardens in suburban Australia.

In the wild, Australian King Parrots prefer to feed in treetops, but sometimes are found on the ground. They are seen in pairs or small flocks and frequent wooded areas, parks, gardens and rainforests. Wild Australian King Parrots build their nests in eucalyptus trees and line them with chewed wood shavings. Australian King Parrots encountered in the wild are often quite shy. Generally, Australian King Parrots eat nuts and seeds, fruits and berries, nectar and buds. If you wish to keep an Australian King Parrot but are pressed for space, you may house them in cages with dimensions of about 600 millimeters x 600 millimeters x 800 millimeters. If you do this you MUST exercise your bird frequently and well.

Australian King Parrots will thrive in outdoor, sheltered aviaries of about one and a half meters by five and a half meters by one and four fifths meters. As with all birds, a private nest box is essential for sleeping or hiding under moments of stress. They need fresh water at all times and shelter from cold and wet weather. Because of their social, active nature, Australian King Parrots do well when kept in pairs and will tolerate Pheasants; Indian Ringnecks; Alexandrines; and Superb, Regent, Crimson-winged and Eclectus Parrots. Australian King Parrots should be offered a variety of fruits, legumes, and vegetables in addition to a basic seed mix and a variety of treats like nuts. They make adorable, playful friends who have eye-catching coloration.

Generally, growing to a length of about 425 millimeters, Australian King Parrots are colored by sex. Both sexes have striking coloration with many bright colors. Males have a bright red and orange coloration over their head, neck, and undersides. Their back and wings are a lovely bright green. The rump, tail, and lower back are all a contrasting blue and the nape sports a narrow blue band. The eyes are yellow. Male Australian King Parrots have scarlet mandibles with black tips. Their legs and feet are gray, as they are in females also. The mandible in females matches the gray leg coloration. Female Australian King Parrots are much like the male in coloration except for their heads and upper tails, which are a dark green color. The throat and chest are a bit different as well. These are green in females and have red hints all along the upper throat area. The central tail feathers of both sexes are black.

Australian King Parrots are native to eastern Australia. They were first officially recognized by Lichtenstein in 1818. Today, their natural habitat has been largely replaced with farmland and townships.

Australian King Parrots are a fixture in suburban greenswards. They will, however, destroy crops like corn in addition to orchards and are often considered by farmers to be a pest. Australian King Parrots are also called Green Parrots, Eastern King Parrots, Queensland King Parrots, King Lories or Scarlet Parrots. As always, captive-bred birds make much better pets than wild-caught birds.

Animal Wallpaper

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Butterfly

A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera, butterflies are notable for their unusual life cycle with a larval caterpillar stage, an inactive pupal stage, and a spectacular metamorphosis into a familiar and colourful winged adult form. Most species are day-flying so they regularly attract attention.

Frog

The frog is an amphibian in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . The name frog derives from Old English frogga,(compare Old Norse frauki, , cognate with Sanskrit plava,probably deriving from Proto-Indo-European praw to jump.

Parrot

Parrots are birds of the roughly 350 species in the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions. Also known as psittacines, they are usually grouped into two families: the Psittacidae and the Cacatuidae.

Polar Bear

The polar bear is a bear native to the Arctic and Subarctic. The world's largest land carnivore, an adult male generally weighs 300–600 kg ,while an adult female is about half that size. Its fur is hollow and translucent, but usually appears as white or cream colored, thus providing the animal with effective camouflage, though its skin is actually black. Its thick blubber and fur insulate it against the cold.

Panda

The Giant Panda is a mammal classified in the bear family, Ursidae, native to central-western and southwestern China.The panda was previously thought to be a member of the Procyonidae.

Tiger

The tiger is a mammal of the Felidae family, the largest of four "big cats" in the Panthera genusNative to much of eastern and southern Asia, the tiger is an apex predator and an obligate carnivore. Reaching up to 4 metres (13 feet) in total length and weighing up to 300 kg (660 pounds), tigers are comparable in size to the biggest extinct felids.Aside from their great bulk and power, their most recognizable feature is the pattern of dark vertical stripes that overlays near-white to reddish-orange fur, with lighter underparts.

Dog

The dog is most likely a domesticated subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term encompasses both feral and pet varieties and is also sometimes used to describe wild canids of other subspecies or species. The domestic dog has been one of the most widely-kept working and companion animals in human history, as well as being a food source in some cultures. There are estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world.

Sharks

Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a streamlined body. They respire with the use of five to seven gill slits. Sharks have a covering of dermal denticles to protect their skin from damage and parasites and to improve fluid dynamics; they also have replaceable teeth.Shark teeth are prized by collectors for their beauty, and because they are the only surviving relics of ancient sharks that are now extinct.

Golden Pheasant

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DESCRIPTION Golden Pheasant is 40 to 44 inches (102 to 112cm), with tail 32 inches (81cm). Upper back dark green, feathers edged black; lower back and rump 'silky'; crown and crest golden yellow; short, rounded wings with dark brown primaries, chestnut and black secondaries, deep blue terti-aries; long central curved tail feathers black, spotted cinnamon; tips of tail coverts scarlet; ruff light orange barred black, underparts scarlet; legs (with short spurs), bill horn yellow, eyes and facial skin light yellow. Female 25 to 27 inches (63.5 to 68.5cm), with tail 14 to 15 inches (35.5 to 38cm) mixed brown with black streaks, spots and bars. Legs, bill horn yellow, eyes brown, face red.

NATURAL DISTRIBUTION Central China; introduced to Britain.

HABITAT Rocky hills covered with bamboo and other scrub.

DIET Seeds, leaves, tender shoots (bamboos); insects.

SPECIAL NEEDS Shelter as well as outside habitat.

CAGE LIFE Solitary or in pairs. The Golden Pheasant is Reluctant to fly. During courtship male raises crest and spreads ruff, trails a wing towards female, opens tail vertically, jumps from side to side of female, whistling and clicking. Breeds probably in May and June in wild, nesting on ground. Lays 8 pale buff to cream eggs, incubation 22 days by female, male may help with brood.

African Grey Parrot

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DESCRIPTION 13 to 14 inches (33 to 36cm). Body dove-grey with lighter grey unfeathered face, red tail and under coverts, yellow eyes (round in male, oblong in female), black beak, charcoal legs. Female smaller in head, beak and body, and lighter on underside. Immature iris black, changes to grey.

NATURAL DISTRIBUTION Central Africa.

HABITAT Forests, savannah, mangroves, often in large flocks up to 5,000. Chooses tall trees to sleep in at night. Breeds in loose colonies, each pair occupying its own tree. Loves to shower in the rain.

DIET Parrot food, nuts, grains, fruit and greenstuff.

SPECIALNEEDS Check newly imported African Grey Parrots for bacterial infections, especially salmonella. Males won't breed until second or third year, females fifth or sixth.

CAGE LIFE African Grey Parrots are a renowned cage bird, affectionate. Probably the best talking parrot, with remarkable talent for mimicry, but not noisy. May be a 'growler'. An agitated African Grey Parrot will oscillate pupils and raise nape feathers. Intelligent and sensitive nature makes it susceptible to vice of feather plucking, which can become a habit.

Plum Headed Parakeet

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DESCRIPTION 13^!/2 to 15 inches (33 to 37.5cm). Male green with plum-coloured head, black neck ring, bluish-green band on nape, brown-red shoulder spot. Inner tail bluish-green, outer green with pale yellow tips. Eyes brown, beak yellowish-white, legs greyish-brown. In the hen red shoulder marks missing, neck band lighter and greyish-purple. Young birds reach adult colours after two years, young males resemble females.

NATURAL DISTRIBUTION India, western Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, west Bengal and Sri Lanka, in two subspecies.

HABITAT Jungles, cultivated areas, forests at elevations up to 4,200 feet (1,300m) in vicinity of cultivated plains. Swarms in orchards and wheat fields. Nests in tree hollows or holes in walls in multiple pairs as community.

DIET Grain mixes for large parrots, fruit, green food.
SPECIAL NEEDS Breeding successful only when couple have aviary to themselves. Aviary at least 6 feet (2m) long, with frost-free protected area.
CAGE LIFE Tolerable voice, gets on with small birds. Before breeding, cover bottom of nest box (8 X 8 X 12 inches/20 X 20 X 30cm, entrance diameter 3 inches/8cm) with wood chips and sawdust. Male begins to court in late winter, sings and runs back and forth in front of female. Lays 2 to 6 eggs, incubation 21 to 23 days by the female, fledging 49 days. Male feeds hen during breeding cycle.

Plum-headed Parakeet

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Kalij Pheasant

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Plum-headed Parakeet

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Young Parrots in nest

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Birds in the garden: pigeons

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Some people call them "flying rats". In many people they provoke intensely negative sentiments, which sends many other people, like me, rushing to their defence. I've discovered some fascinating information on pigeons, which can be found via the links on page three. I realised I was quite ignorant of their habits and their history. Ignorance is never a good thing - and most people who hate pigeons are displaying only their own ignorance.

Pigeons tend to be dependent on the goodwill of humans. Which is possibly not the strongest position for a bird to be in when many of the population views you as a flying rat.

A bird of many names

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Many people call this bird the "Hedge Sparrow" - presumably because it's similar in colouring to a sparrow - being mainly brown and grey - and a similar size. The "hedge" bit must come from its habit of hanging around the bottoms of hedges looking for insects. Its proper scientific name is Prunella modularis. But it was introduced to me as the dunnock, and that's what I've always known it as. It was also pointed out to me that you could tell it from the sparrow straight away by its thin beak. It isn't related to sparrows at all.

The best name it has though is "shufflewing" - an old country name, as I discovered when researching on the internet. It is obviously inspired by the way the dunnock flicks (or shuffles) its wings while moving around quietly in the trees and hedges. The BTO Web BirdFacts page has more information, and includes another name - "Creepie".

It's one of my favourite garden birds. Its colouring is beautiful, in a subtle kind of way, and its mannerisms endearing. Apart from its wing-flicking movement, it is fond of sunbathing, and I've seen a dunnock sitting on the garden bench on a hot summer day, spreading out its wings and tail feathers to the sun. Perhaps all birds do this, but the only other time I've noticed this is with

Birds in the garden: goldfinches

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A group of goldfinches is often referred to as a "charm". A lone goldfinch visited in the first few years here, but by the winter of 2001-02 numbers increased to a full "charm", with five visiting on several occasions.

By 2006, they appeared to be well-established in the area, and were bringing several young offspring with them to the garden. I noticed, in July 2006, three or four juvenile goldfinches around the seed feeders, along with the adults. The photo below shows one of the young. This bird was temporarily dazed after flying into a window - hence my being able to get so close. It recovered shortly afterwards, and flew away, I'm happy to report.

e juvenile goldfinch is rather striking - partly in the adult form with the black and yellow and white, though the other half of the plumage is still speckled brown.

The goldfinches seemed to have been attracted by the thistle seed (also known as Nyjer/Niger seed) bought specifically to attract them, as I'd heard they preferred it. I've noticed more recently that they also eat sunflower seed hearts, which many birds seem to like, and they seem just as happy with these.

As the thistle seed is so tiny, it does tend to fall out of the feeders very easily, and the finches seem to drop a lot of it on the ground. Originally I put the thistle seed into a hanging feeder, but I learnt to my cost how easily this seed germinates after having to remove large clumps of germinating thistle seed from the bark chipping path in Woodland Corner, after the feeder had been hanging there for a while.

I've recently supplied it in a terracotta dish hanging on the wall of Millennium Shed, which seems to have reduced the mess. The area below is paved, so any that falls on the floor can be swept up. The goldfinches have had no problems adjusting to this, as the photos on this page show.

Goldfinches are noisy, excitable birds, and several of them arriving at once is generally something you hear before you see them. They are, of course, easily visible and identifiable - their bright red faces making them unlike any other bird that visits our gardens here in Yorkshire.

It's good to see that a bird I only saw one of, in the harshest weather, as an occasional visitor, is now an established visitor to the garden. Even better to be visited regularly by the full goldfinch charm.

'Colin Dove'

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Above: Colin Dove and offspring, April 2001.

'Colin Dove' was a rather special creature, and became so much a part of this garden that he had his own section on this website, in its early days ('Colin Dove's Birdy World'). 'Colin' first came to the garden in February 2000, and in time, ate bird seed and peanuts from my hand. If I didn't notice him, he'd land on my head to attract my attention.

His name, in case you're wondering, was the result of one of those conversations you have in a noisy pub, when someone doesn't quite hear you correctly.

I'm still not sure why this particular bird ended up so tame in my presence, so that he'd eat from my hand, as the other doves I can't imagine ever being so trusting. Perhaps it was something about me, at the time - maybe I had more patience. Or perhaps some birds are just more trusting of humans.

Colin carried on visiting for more than two years. In autumn 2002 I realised his absence of a couple of months meant that he might not be around anymore. I always knew he was a wild bird, with all those predators and dangers wild birds face.

It was the fact that he was a wild bird that made his visits so special. It always made the day brighter to see the beauty of that gentle flight, and its perfect landing, in the palm of my hand.

Colin was always a timid bird, easily startled, but he did occasionally fly onto the head or arm of other people apart from me. He didn't approach everyone. The two visitors to the garden who met Colin Dove, on two entirely separate occasions, were feeling sad and particularly needed a visit from Colin. Certainly his presence was always soothing, and, when he landed on your head, also rather comical.

Photographing the blue tits

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By chance, I've located the nest box so that it is fairly close not only to the kitchen window but also to the outhouse, which joins the kitchen at right angles.

This meant that I could take photos of the birds through the window of the outhouse (once I'd cleaned it of all the accumulated cobwebs and muck). I now have hundreds of photos of blue tits at the nest box. Here on this page is just a selection. Possibly more than anyone wants to see, but what the heck - I'm really pleased because blue tits have made a nest here for the first time.

Above (four photos): Blue tit - the male I think - at the entrance to the nest box.

Going back some . . .

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It's the sparrows, really, that made me realise I should feed the birds in winter. There's a large old laurel shrub at the front of the house, in our small front forecourt, and I remember the first winter after we moved in seeing a dead sparrow on the front wall, just below the laurel. At the time, I remember thinking it was sad, and remembering a very maudlin song by Simon and Garfunkel, about no one loving a little sparrow (not one of their best, I have to say). It was only later that I realised that I could maybe help the little sparrows by putting food out for them.

The bird feeding started with a couple of those red plastic nets full of nuts - a rather half-hearted attempt, but I didn't know any better. Later I realised that sunflower seed was preferred, and that sunflower seed hearts were even better. But sparrows will of course eat breadcrumbs too, and are generally grateful for anything - humble and undervalued birds that they are.

Since I've heard that numbers are declining, and that some gardens have no sparrows, I no longer take them for granted. Over the years, in this garden, I've developed an appreciation of the humble sparrow.

Birds in the garden: robins

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Robins aren't as common in the garden as some of the other bird species, though in 2000 I was very pleased when a pair of robins chose to nest in the ivy here (see below). Despite their rearing several surviving young, numbers didn't seem to increase, and we didn't see many robins in recent years.

In the spring of 2006 I was pleased to see that a pair of young robins were visiting the bird table. I wouldn't have recognised them as young robins if I hadn't seen the ones raised in our garden previously, as the juveniles are speckled brown and don't have the familiar red breast.

The adults, of course, are very familiar. Though in different countries we have different birds we call "robin". The American robin has a red breast too but is a very different bird.

On the left - the European robin, the type we have in the garden here (Erithacus rubecula - to give it its proper name). On the right - the American robin (Turdus migratorius).

Thanks to Gale White from Philadelphia for the photo of the American robin. The photo of the European robin is copyright CRS Photography.

The Philippines

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Our main three-week Philippines tour was extremely successful with a grand total of 145 endemics among the 323 species recorded. Highlights included the rare and critically endangered Philippine Eagle, 2 representatives of the endemic Rhabdornis family, 3 pitta species (Hooded, Red-bellied and the stunning endemic Azure-breasted), 6 endemic kingfishers including the impressive Blue-capped and Spotted Wood-Kingfishers and the rarely-seen Philippine Dwarf-Kingfisher. We also enjoyed great views of Short-crested and Celestial Monarch, Philippine Cockatoo and an amazing close encounter with a stunning male Palawan Peacock-Pheasant.

The main tour began in Luzon where after morning arrivals into Manila we transferred to Los Banos on the lower slopes of Mount Makiling, seeing Black-shouldered Kite en route and Brahminy Kite, Osprey, Common and Whiskered Terns on Laguna de Bay from our hotel. We began in the afternoon with a visit to the nearby University of the Philippines where a river running through the campus produced excellent views of the hoped-for Indigo-banded Kingfisher, with both male and female birds performing. The surrounding trees produced Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker and good numbers of Lowland White-eyes were seen.
In the late afternoon a patient wait at a nearby grassland area produced good views of Spotted Buttonquails coming out to feed on a track while Plain Bush-hens called unseen nearby. The grasslands also hosted numerous Striated Grassbirds, Bright-capped and Zitting Cisticolas, Black-and-White Triller in nearby trees and a smart Blue Rock Thrush.

The following morning we began at the forest edge making our way into the wonderful forest that remains on Mount Makiling. Our progress along the track was slow however with new birds appearing frequently. Early excitement was provided by a group of Luzon Hornbills visiting a fruiting tree. Next came scope views of Black-chinned Fruit-Dove, punk-headed Red-crested Malkohas, perched Guaibero – a cute endemic parrot, and a particularly worthwhile stop which produced our first male Philippine Trogon and the bizarre but spectacular Scale-feathered Malkoha. We also saw some of the skulkers including White-browed Shama and Grey-backed Tailorbird but a calling Luzon Bleeding-heart couldn’t be persuaded to appear.
During the morning our haul of species along the forest track included; White-eared Brown-Dove, Colasisi, Violet Cuckoo (including a striking violet male with luminous red bill), several Black-and-White Trillers, Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Luzon Balicassiao, Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Luzon Blue-headed Fantail, wintering Ashy Minivets, Lowland and Yellowish White-eyes, Buzzing and Striped Flowerpeckers, Lemon-throated Leaf-Warbler, Purple-throated, Flaming and Handsome Sunbirds.
Returning to the forest edge a large bare tree was host to Coleto, Coppersmith Barbet and three petite Philippine Falconets making frequent hunting sorties for draogonflies.
In the afternoon we enjoyed many of these birds again and a wander in the nearby botanical gardens added Rusty-breasted Cuckoo and Philippine Drongo Cuckoo. As dusk approached Spotted Wood Kingfishers became vocal and a pair showed well at the forest edge as Philippine Boobooks called at nightfall but were strangely quiet thereafter and we didn’t managed to see any tonight.

The next morning we drove higher up the mountain. The lush forest here had been battered somewhat by recent typhoons but was still productive; we had our first good views of Grey-backed Tailorbirds after hearing and glimpsing several, a smart male White-browed Shama sang from an open perch and we bumped into another stunning Spotted Wood Kingfisher in the forest. The often elusive Luzon Blue-headed Fantail was seen again as were several Red-crested Malkoha and our first Philippine Coucal.
A calling Luzon Bleeding-heart couldn’t be attracted so we scrambled up a nearby slope to get closer but managed only brief flight views of this shy ground-dweller.
Making our way back down through the forest one of the calling Philippine Hawk Cuckoos was attracted in and a stunning male Flaming Sunbird again fed on their favoured red flowers low by the roadside. In exactly the same place as the previous day, a Luzon Bleeding-heart was again calling from its favoured steep sided gully but on this occasion it surprised us all by responding to playback by wandering out into the valley bottom, although sadly it was typically shy and flew back into cover as soon as it noticed our presence.
At the forest edge, Philippine Falconets were again utilising their favourite lookout and 2 Ospreys were again over the lake next to the hotel as we took a break from the midday heat.
Our afternoon explorations of the lower parts of the forest were again productive with Red-crested Malkoha particularly in evidence along with two shyer Scale-feathered Malkoha, a single Philippine Drongo Cuckoo, Bicoloured and Pygmy Flowerpeckers and a spectacular group of at least 15 Luzon Hornbills. Waiting until dusk we were very well rewarded as the silhouette of a Philippine Scops Owl floated by in response to our tape and was soon relocated for excellent views of this large scops owl brilliantly lit in our spot-light.

The following morning we transferred back to Manila and took a flight to the distinctly tropical island of Palawan. First stop was the seafront at Garceliano beach on the outskirts of the capital Puerto Princessa where we arrived just in the knick of time as the rising tide hadn’t yet pushed off the feeding waders. A variety of egrets included close views of Chinese Egret and we had a nice comparison with nearby Pacific Reef Egrets. A good assortment of shorebirds here included Grey and Asian Golden Plovers, Kentish Plover, Greater and Lesser Sandplovers, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone, Common Redshank, Red-necked Stint and Grey-tailed Tattlers. Immense orange and blue Stork-billed Kingfishers posed in the mangroves as several Palawan Swiftlets were noted feeding overhead - our first island endemic.
After a delicious lunch we began the drive towards Sabang albeit with several birding stops. The first break in an area of mangroves, produced several Purple-throated and Copper-throated Sunbirds and Dollarbirds nearby. The next stop was next to a forested valley and walking along the roadsides gave some great birding. Our first of many of the island endemics appeared with Blue Paradise Flycatcher, White-vented Shama, Sulphur-bellied Bulbul, Shelley’s Sunbird, Palawan Flowerpecker, Pygmy Flowerpecker (here of the distinct palawanorum subspecies), Yellow-throated Leafbird and fine perched views of the near-endemic Blue-naped Parrot which have disappeared from most of the archipelago but are still quite common here. We also saw several species found only on Palawan within the Philippines such as Chestnut-breasted Malkoha, Dark-throated Oriole, Common Iora, Grey-cheeked Bulbul, Ashy Drongo and Rufous-tailed Tailorbird and Brown-backed Needletails overhead. Walking further down the road we added Bar-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Asian Drongo Cuckoo, Oriental Honey Buzzard, yet more Blue-naped Parrots, Eastern Hill Myna, Asian Fairy Bluebird and two distinctive birds which although ‘officially’ regarded as subspecies are widely regarded as full species in their own right; Palawan Drongo and Palawan Crow, both of which show plumage, voice and habitat preference far removed from their nearest relatives. One of everyone’s most want birds on Palawan is the truly spectacular Palawan Peacock Pheasant, this bird has become much easier in recent years thanks to a rather ‘tame’ bird inside the park but genuine ‘wild’ birds have remained an elusive target for visiting birders. Consequently as we settled down by the roadside to look for a calling bird in the valley below expectation were not high, but amazingly the bird surprised us all by wandering out into the open among the bamboo below us allowing good views before disappearing again into the valley! We followed this with amazing views of a group of 4 Great Slaty Woodpeckers as these huge birds noisily danced around one another in the tree tops with wings spread, although we were hard pushed to decide whether it was an act of aggression or affection!
We ended the day with a spot of night-birding and with the calling Hooded Pittas giving way to a distant Spotted Wood Owl, Large-tailed Nightjars were the first to come out to play, hawking close overhead. As darkness fell the weird and wonderful screams and whistles of Palawan Frogmouths began to emanate from the surrounding forests and it wasn’t long before we were admiring one of these bizarre hairy creatures in the spotlight. Heading a little deeper into the forest a patient wait was rewarded by an equally bizarre ‘crackling’ which announced the presence of a Palawan Scops Owl nearby and again we were soon admiring this large scops-owl peering back at us from close range with piercing orange eyes. After a highly successful session, with both Palawan endemic nightbirds seen extremely well, we headed for our lodge at Sabang, our home for the next 2 nights.
At dawn the next morning we took a boat from Sabang along the coastline of Saint Paul National Park with a spectacular view of the huge limestone cliffs and forest as far as the eye could see. Our first stop was at the ‘underground river’ for which the park is justly famous as this is one of the longest subterranean rivers in the world. The area around the ranger station here gives great birding and in addition to more great views of many of the endemics seen the previous day, we also added a cute party of Ashy-headed Babblers bouncing around in the undergrowth, Tabon Scrubfowl, Olive-winged Bulbul and Bold-striped Tit Babblers. It wasn’t too long before the star of the show appeared and we all enjoyed point blank views of the stunning male Palawan Peacock Pheasant in all his glory; striking white face markings, emerald hued crest, gold spangled rump and tail with blue ‘eyes’ and silky black underparts contrasting with vivid iridescent blue mantle and wing feathers all combining in one of the rarest and most spectacular pheasants in the world. This particular individual is much habituated to humans but took a particular liking to Leif who could be seen running along the trail with this feisty bird in hot pursuit!

Talking the boat again we headed back along the coast to another ranger station in search of another of the star birds, the forest dwelling Falcated Ground Babbler. As soon as we reached a suitable area the birds could be heard duetting but try as we might we couldn’t tempt them closer so we took plan B and headed into the forest. The birds continued singing but it was a long and patient search before we finally located them, to their credit they did then oblige, with a pair singing from atop a fallen log and they were definitely worth the effort and long wait! Other birds in this area were a nice male Shelley’s Sunbird singing from high in the canopy and a diminutive Rufous-backed Kigfisher which sat quietly in the understory. Walking back along the coast a beautiful deserted beach played host to a pair of the rapidly declining Malaysian Plover and we enjoyed nice scope views in this wonderful setting.
After lunch back at our resort we again spent the afternoon birding back along the road in the direction of Puerto Princessa. Here we enjoyed many of the previous day’s birds including Blue Paradise Flycatcher, several White-vented Shama, Asian Drongo Cuckoo, Black-throated Oriole, Asian Fairy Bluebirds, Eastern Hill Mynas and an immature Changeable Hawk Eagle. We also found a nice female Palawan Blue Flycatcher, a Striped Flowerpecker accompanying the commoner Palawan and Pygmy, then finally after much searching, a smart yellow, black and white Palawan Tit feeding right above our heads. A viewpoint overlooking a forested limestone crag gave nice views of several Thick-billed Green-Pigeons while the screeching calls of Blue-headed Racquet-tails drew our attention and we had several views as the flew around the limestone rock before circling directly overhead with racquets clearly on show. We finished the day with several Large-tailed Nightjars feeding at dusk over the paddies adjacent to the resort.

After our great success the previous day some opted for another morning visit to the ‘underground river’ but this time with an amazing boat trip into this underground wilderness, home to thousands of bats and swiftlets. The rest of us meanwhile headed for the forest. Palawan Hornbill was still noticeably absent but among the now expected species we also saw yet another ‘wild’ male Palawan Peacock Pheasant, a Tabon Scrubfowl and particularly nice views of Blue Paradise Flycatchers. The area around our hotel also had Thick-billed Green-Pigeon, White-breasted Waterhen and Pintail Snipe. In the afternoon we headed back again to Puerto Princessa with several birding stops including a Crested Serpent Eagle and Grey-faced Buzzard circling together, Palawan Tits which were still performing in the same spot as the previous day and a small group of Fiery Minivets - a new addition.
The next morning we headed south from Puerto Princessa to bird the Balsahan Trail within the Iwahig Penal Colony. The forest here is more secondary than at Saint Paul and this is the favoured habitat for our key target bird - the endemic Melodious Babbler. It wasn’t long before we heard the sweet, mournful song of the babblers and we all soon enjoyed views of the birds as they fed and sang in their favoured vine tangles. Continuing on along the trail we finally, after much effort, saw our first Palawan Hornbill, when a considerate bird performed a nice fly-past allowing the whole group to connect. Continuing along the trail a Pechora Pipit was flushed from the trail and perched briefly but vanished again into the undergrowth before everyone could enjoy views. As we enjoyed a charming pair of Ashy-headed Babblers feeding close to the trail we heard the calls of the islands other endemic babbler which had given us such a run around at Saint Paul. This individual was much more obliging and we got great views of the Falcated Ground Babbler singing strongly right by the side of the trail. Further exploration produced excellent views of two Hooded Pittas, equally stunning Rufous-backed Kingfishers, Common Flameback, Fiery Minivets, two more obliging Melodious Babblers, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Bold-striped Tit Babbler, Asian Fairy Bluebird, a perched Crested Goshawk and some of the now familiar Palawan endemics such as Yellow-throated Leafbird, Sulphur-bellied Bulbul and Blue Paradise Flycatchers.
Leaving the forest we spent some time birding the paddyfields and fish ponds along the entrance road to the penal colony. Shorebirds were abundant with Black-winged Stilts, Redshank, Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Lesser and Greater Sandplover, Asiatic Golden Plover, Red-necked Stint and Long-toed Stint all present. Swinhoes Snipe provided an identification challenge but obliged with nice scope views and good views in flight when they also gave their distinctive calls. A single Moorhen and two White-browed Crakes were found creeping along the reedy edge of a well vegetated pond.
Soon it was time to head south, stopping at a roadside marsh for Purple Heron and Yellow Bittern before continuing to our overnight stop at a beach resort in the small coastal town of Narra. Just offshore from Narra lies Rasa Island where dedicated conservation work has secured the islands as one of the last remaining strongholds for the endangered Philippine Cockatoo. In the afternoon we boarded boats and headed out to the island, stopping initially at a watchtower on the south side of the island where some were fortunate to see a handful of cockatoos perched in distant trees. The mangroves near the quay also produced several Copper-throated Sunbirds and a flyover Osprey. Since the weather was fine we set off again in the boats and headed around the north side of the island to the cockatoo roost area and spent some time watching the birds coming into their favoured sleeping trees, finishing the day with a grand total of more than 50 birds. As dark approached we landed again on the island, close to a small settlement, where the secondary scrub and coconut trees provide ideal habitat for the Mantanani Scops Owl – a small island specialist which is restricted to small islands in the Philippines archipelago and a few islands off the north coast of Borneo. Unfortunately they were not very cooperative tonight and we left with just a few calling birds to show for our efforts.
The next morning we departed early arriving at a strategic area of roadside forest just after dawn. Here we were greeted by a smart group of four Palawan Hornbills perched high in the treetops and a short stroll along the roadside found Yellow-throated Leafbird. It was not long before we heard the song of our main target coming from a bamboo filled gully so we made our way carefully into position nearby and we fortunate to soon locate the singing bird – an elusive Palawan Flycatcher which nevertheless gave some nice views, and complete a clean-sweep of possible Palawan endemics. Given our early success we decided to spend some time in the paddyfields closer to Puerto Princessa town finding three Pink-necked Green Pigeons, several White-breasted Waterhen and Moorhen, and single White-browed and Slaty-breasted Crakes.

Our mid-morning flight back to Manila was delayed giving us a tight connection for our flight to Cagayan de Oro but we made it with no problems, even finding time a quick take-away lunch at Manila airport. From Cagayan de Oro airport we were whisked south into Bukidnon province, stopping off in Damitan village where our luggage was loaded onto a convoy of horses for the trek into the Kitanglad Mountains.
The walk up to camp produced Black-shouldered Kite, smart black-headed nasutus Long-tailed Shrikes, Striated and Tawny Grassbirds, and on the higher slopes, large groups of wintering Eye-browed Thrushes. As we arrived at dusk a Bukidnon Woodcock was heard in roding flight overhead but we didn’t manage views.
After dinner we ventured into the nearby forest and with patience and some gentle coaxing we were soon enjoying a bizarre Philippine Frogmouth perfectly framed in the spotlight. Mindanao Scops Owl, Giant Scops Owl and Philippine Nightjar were all heard.

The following morning a roding Bukidnon Woodcock heralded a fine dawn so after an early breakfast we set off up the mountain eager to take advantage of the good weather conditions. Our first new birds were endemic Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis perched conspicuously atop dead snags and shortly after we found an excellent flowering tree attracting a host of birds and we quickly saw our first Olive-capped Flowerpeckers and Grey-hooded Sunbirds amoung the feeding birds with a smart Black-and-Cinnamon Fantail nearby. More open grassy areas produced Paddyfield Pipit, several noisy Tawny Grassbirds, single Striated Grassbird, a fly-by Philippine Cuckoo Dove and several Short-tailed Glossy Starlings.
A short stop in a known Blue-capped Wood Kingfisher territory drew an immediate vocal response and after a little time the male bird flew in to investigate us, perching at close range for just a few seconds before disappearing back into the forested valley.
As we reached a nice lookout at least four Apo Mynas were found feeding on fruiting trees and we were able to study these unique mynas at leisure, looking rather bizaare with their long-tails, large yellow eye-skin and punk-style hair cuts.
As we reached the higher parts of the mountain, we entered some nice forest patches, finding a small group of Yellow-breasted Fruit Doves, shy Island Thrushes and a Great-eared Nightjar which flushed from almost under our feet and circled us before dropping back into the forest again. Amethyst Brown Dove and Mindanao Montane Racquet-tail were both only heard but after some time one of the remaining high altitude specialties appeared – an Apo Sunbird which perched just above our heads.
Throughout the day mixed flocks provided some exciting birding with a fantastic variety of species; Mountain White-eye was by far the most abundant species with Elegant Tit, Sulphur-billed Nuthatch and Yellow-bellied Whistler were all regular and we found smaller numbers of Little Pied Flycatchers, Mountain Leaf Warblers and a single wintering Mugimaki Flycatcher. New endemics in some of the flocks including Rufous-headed Tailorbird, Brown Tit-Babbler, groups of Cinnamon Ibon, Black-masked White-eyes, McGregor’s Cuckooshrike, a single White-cheeked Bullfinch and a major surprise in the form of a Whiskered Flowerpecker – a rare endemic which is normally found only in the mountains further south on Mindanao.

Having located all the expected montane endemics we dropped down a short way in order to enjoy our picnic lunch at one of the viewpoints providing panoramic views of the surrounding forest slopes. This proved a great move as we quickly located two more White-cheeked Bullfinches in the nearby trees and moments later our local guide Danny called out that he had a large raptor flying overhead and we all looked up to by stunned by the amazing sight of an adult Philippine Eagle passing right overhead before droping down into a distant isolate valley. The bird was clutching a Philippine Colugo – one of their main prey items – in its talons which it was presumable taking to a hidden nest in that far off valley.
The remainder of the day was spent scanning from the viewpoints in the hope that the Philippine Eagle might reappear. It didn’t, but other raptors included the distinctive philippensis Oriental Honey-Buzzard (a likely future split), Philippine Serpent Eagle and a Changeable Hawk Eagle.
Walking back in the late afternoon, high pitched calls drew our attention to a Red-eared Parrotfinch skulking in a thicket. This bird was typically difficult to see but after 30 minutes scrambling around on our knees and imitating the calls we all managed at least some sort of views of the bird. Further down we finished with nice looks at two Mindanao Hornbills which were calling from the highest trees on the nearby valley sides.
At dusk we waited in a large clearing near the lodge and in the fading light had great views of both Great-eared and Philippine Nightjars. Unfortunately the hoped-for Bukidnon Woodcock didn’t appear this evening but some good compensation came from a ghostly-white Eastern Grass Owl which floated over the clearing as we waited.

Since some of the group had missed the eagle the previous day, much of our time today was spent at the viewpoints on the mountain. The walk up to the viewpoint gave two Mountain Shrikes for some, a single Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis and two Mindanao Hornbills. In the small forest patches en route we found a White-browed Shortwing, Rufous-headed Tailorbirds, a skulking Long-tailed Ground Warbler, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, McGregor’s Cuckooshrike and a Rusty-breasted Cuckoo.
Our watching didn’t produce the hoped for eagle but we did find two Oriental Honey-Buzzards, Philippine Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle and Peregrine.
Although raptors were the main focus we also added our first fly-over Mindanao Montane Racquet-tail have only heard then the previous day, many Philippine Swiftlets, a single Plain Martin and awesome views of Purple Needletails which ‘buzzed’ us at high speed and very close range on several occasions. Fruiting trees near the viewpoint attracted Philippines Cuckoo Dove, some very smart Yellow-breasted Fruit Doves and a Mugimaki Flycatcher. We also saw two White-cheeked Bullfinch and a few Apo Mynas which appeared nearby, and on the walk back down to the lodge a ‘green-bullet’ fly-by Red-eared Parrotfinch.
At dusk the lodge clearing gave views of Philippine Nightjar while those who returned to the clearing above the lodge were lucky enough to see two Bukidnon Woodcock leaving their daytime roost. After dinner we set off again into the forest, this time in pursuit of a calling Mindanao Scops Owl. The owl seemed distant from the lodge but as we picked our way along the trail we gradually got closer and closer until we tracked the bird to a large clump of dense bamboo. Settling into place we called back to the bird which almost immediately went quiet. We waited patiently and before long the bird called again, this time clearly closer and within moments it was sitting in our spot-light, perched brilliantly in the open on a thin bamboo stem. There it stayed calling contentedly as we enjoyed this tiny but beautifully patterned owl before it flew again to resume calling from a different perch. This owl is typically found at much higher altitudes on this mountain and is notoriously difficult to see so we were extremely fortunate to see one so well and so close to our lodge.

The next day further raptor watching produced two Oriental Honey Buzzards, Philippine Serpent Eagle, Peregrine and an Oriental Hobby.
The condition were more overcast today and this was clearly favoured by the Mindanao Montane Racquet-tails with more than 15 logged by the end of the day including one bird perched nicely in the scope.
Other birds seen in the vicinity of the viewpoint were Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove, Philippine Cuckoo Dove, Mindanao Hornbill, at least five Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis, Rufous-headed Tailorbird, Long-tailed Ground Warbler, Apo Myna and the overwintering Mugimaki Flycatcher. Top prize however undoubtedly went to no less than three Bukidnon Woodcocks which were flushed together from a tiny path-side pond, one of which landed on the trail to give excellent views.
Those who opted for a more leisurely day close to the lodge also added Whiskered Treeswift, Buzzing Flowerpecker, Philippine Leaf Warbler, McGregor’s Cuckooshrike, montanus Greater Flameback and Philippine Fairy Bluebird.
In the gathering gloom a calling Philippine Hawk Cuckoo was seen nicely right next to the lodge and after dinner the Mindanao Scops Owl was again seen, this time in Bamboo right next to the lodge!
We departed our camp after breakfast the next morning, retracing our steps to Damitan village before making the long drive around the north-east coast of Mindanao, arriving in the town of Bislig in the late afternoon where we checked into the ‘Paper Country Inn’, our home for the next four nights.

We set off well before dawn the next way, utilising a Filipino ‘jeepney’, the only transport suitable for navigating the rough and bumpy logging tracks within the concession. Our aim this morning was to travel far into the heart of the concession to a good area of forest which has thus far remained more or less untouched. The morning began on an amazing high when a Celestial Monarch was heard giving its distinctive three-note whistle from far down the slope below us. The bird continued to call strongly but it was some time before it finally came up to investigate us. When it did appear the effort was well worthwhile – the bird, a gorgeous male, perched right over our heads, a cobalt blue flycatcher with lime green eye-ring, blue bill, and a long powder-blue crest draped over the nape – quite simply one of the most stunning endemics on the islands and we were fortunate enough to see it within hours of our time here!
As we made our way further along the track a sharp high pitched whistle demanded attention and we were soon watching an amazing Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher perched just in front of us – this is one of the most difficult of all Philippine endemics to see and this one amazed even the leader by giving such amazing views.
It wasn’t long before we started to encounter some nice mixed feeding flocks which soon produced a great variety of species; Blue Fantail and Philippine Oriole were familiar from our time on Bohol but the Black-crowned Babblers of Bohol were replaced here by Rusty-crowned Babblers and they were joined by smaller numbers of Mindanao Pygmy Babblers, an island endemic following a recent split from the ‘Pygmy Babbler’. Yellowish Bulbuls, Philippine Leafbirds, Rufous-fronted Tailorbird, Philippine Leaf Warbler also joined the flocks occasionally but the highlights were amazing orange-hued Mindanao Paradise Flycatchers, yet another Celestial Monarch (this time ‘only’ a female) and on two occasions Short-crested Monarchs appeared, completing the duo of endemic monarchs which are always a major target for visiting birders.
One of the canopy flocks produced distant views of the rather scarce Black-bibbed Cuckooshrike and a small party of Scarlet Minivets, here of the race gonzalesi which with their distinctive calls and plumage seem certain to be split from other Philippine and mainland Asia races once the complexities of the group are unravelled.
Flowering trees along the track attracted Metallic-winged and Handsome Sunbirds, Orange-bellied and Pygmy Flowerpeckers and several Naked-faced Spiderhunters.
Approaching a high point in the track, the load booming calls of Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeons which had accompanied us for almost the entire walk became much louder and careful scanning soon picked out two birds perched in the treetops at eye-level where we could enjoy excellent scope views of this impressive bird which has sadly become very scare is recent years due to hunting pressures.
We walked on eager to reach a gully where we had often seen a pair of Blue-capped Wood Kingfishers in previous years. It was already hot by the time we arrived but the birds soon began calling from deep in the shady valley below. Unfortunately, however hard we tried we couldn’t tempt them any closer so the only option was to scramble down into the gully below. This paid dividend as the birds were quickly located, with three birds, 2 adults and an immature, giving nice close views and performing well for the photographers amoungst us.
As we made our way back to the jeepney a Black-chinned Fruit Dove was flushed but quickly relocated for excellent views and we finished the morning with fantastic views of Rufous Hornbill; a family party of three birds appeared and gave both perched and flight views of this, arguably the most beautiful of the endemic hornbills in the Philippines.
After lunch we made our way to a different area stopping for no less than four Philippine Falconets perched on road-side tress and a smart Black-faced Coucal. In the afternoon we visited a different road where although the forest was very quiet we managed to tape in a male Little Slaty Flycatcher but it only gave brief views. Some time was spent in a nearby forest clearing which was very productive; a perched Besra allowed a close approach, Blue-crowned Racquet-tail gave nice views and hornbills included at least four Mindanao Hornbills and a nice flock of three Writhed Hornbills which completed our possible PICOP hornbill set as early as day one. We also saw a few Philippine Green Pigeons, yet more Philippine Falconets, and our first Philippine Needletails which instantly became a favourite as the patrolled at high speed on the most incredible ‘butter-knife’ shaped wings.

Making our way back towards Bislig we stopped first at a small road-side pool which has for many years been home to a pair of Silvery Kingfishers. As usual the birds didn’t disappoint and their high pitched calls soon drew attention to this smart bird perched on dead branches at the edges of the pond. We spent some time studying this lovely bird with its blue-black plumage highlighted with silvery spangles on the head and wing coverts, all contrasting with bright white throat, belly and stripe along the back. All of this topped with amazing bright-red feet – an amazing bird which the field guide illustration doesn’t even begin to do justice.
Be began the next morning in an area of secondary forest where Everett’s White-eyes, Purple-throated and Metallic-winged Sunbirds, and Brown Tit Babbler were all common. It wasn’t too long before the whistled song of our target species was heard from a nearby forest patch. We made our way careful into the forest and soon enjoyed some good looks as a smart male Little Slaty Flycatcher as it continually circled us in the surrounding understory. The remainder of the morning was spent along various trails where we found an excellent selection of birds. Highlights were undoubtedly the pittas; firstly a roadside stop for a calling Hooded Pitta didn’t produce views but while searching we heard a Red-bellied Pitta calling in the adjacent forest. Without much persuasion we followed the calls an eventually succeeded in getting some reasonable views as it circled around us. Even better was to come later in the morning when a calling Azure-breasted Pitta was located in a nice patch of Limestone forest, this bird was much better behaved, and eventually came very close, allowing fantastic views of its azure blue underparts, contrasting with blood-red belly and dark green mantle as it called from close by at eye-level! Other new birds were a rather brief Amethyst Brown Dove and nice views of Black-headed Tailorbird. Other highlights were Philippine Leaf Warbler, Blue Fantail, Mindanao Drongo, Yellowish Bulbul, Black-faced Coucal and White-eared Brown Dove. More open areas also produced Coppersmith Barbet, Philippine Coucal, Philippine Drongo Cuckoo, Philippine Oriole, Coleto and Mindanao Hornbill, with Philippine Serpent Eagle and Philippine Needletails overhead.
We finished the day with a few hours birding around the abandoned airfield close to Bislig town which was teeming with birds as usual. The grassy margins were favoured by Paddyfield Pipits and large numbers of Eastern Yellow Wagtails and we located no less then four Blue-breasted Quails including a pair which were spotted trying to sneak into a tiny clump of grasses to hide and were subsequently gently pushed into the open by the leaders allowing prolonged views of these shy birds for the whole group. The taller grasses of the surrounding marsh held Philippine Coucal, Plaintive Cuckoo, Striated Grassbirds and Oriental Reed Warblers while the shorter sedges were favoured by Bright-capped and Zitting Cisticolas, Black-headed Munia and a single Middendorff’s Grasshopper Warbler. Pintail Snipe was flushed from a damp corner and by using the jeepney as an elevated hide we located Philippine Duck and Wandering Whistling Duck on the marshy ponds together with a variety of herons and egrets including Javan Pond Heron and single Cinnamon and Yellow Bitterns.
We finished the day with great views of two Eastern Grass Owls hunting the marshes, sometimes at close range.

In the evening we met up again with Max and Dan who having missed the Philippine Eagles on Kitanglad had taken the offer of a hastily arranged trip to a very recently discovered nest site elsewhere in the Kitanglad mountain range and returned suitably thrilled having enjoyed great views of the adults and a young chick, although they were distinctly envious of our success in their absence.
On our final full day we returned again to the areas which had been so successful on our first day in the hope that we might pick up our few remaining misses along with those missed by Max and Dan in their absence. We began earlier on this occasion allowing for some predawn night-birding. This was extremely successful and we wasted no time in attracting in our targets; firstly a Chocolate Boobook - a recent split from the Brown Boobook Complex and a near-endemic to the Philippines – which called loudly from a nearby dead tree allowing prolonged views, then a rather more secretive Mindanao Boobook which approached us silently but was spotted flying into the high canopy of a nearby tree where it was located in the spotlight for all to enjoy.

Arriving at our forest track we kept our fingers crossed that we might be able to locate some of the excellent species that we had seen on the first day. Amazingly this day was almost a rerun of that success… and more! The male Celestial Monarch performed right on cue at the selected spot, the Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher was seen extremely well perched in the same area (the nesting hole of these birds was found nearby shortly after we left PICOP), we had stunning views of a male Short-crested Monarch and the family of three Rufous Hornbills again put on a great show. We also added some species not seen before including a Rufous-lored Kingfisher which defied their often elusive nature by singing from the bare branches at the top of a big tree, a delightful group of Streaked Ground Babblers which responded well to the tape giving excellent close views and we finally had the excellent close views of Amethyst Brown Dove which we desired. These we just the highlights of course and we also saw some great feeding flocks mostly comprising species seen previous but Yellow-wattled Bulbul was significant as our first sighting of the species on Mindanao. Our drive through the concession again produced several perched Philippine Falconets but also several Oriental Magpie Robins, amazingly our first sightings of the species during the main tour. We again saw Philippine Serpent Eagles and our first ‘Barred’ Honey-Buzzard which is particularly significant in light of recent studies showing that the endemic races in the Philippines are distinct from those in Indonesia and should be treated as a separate, endemic species Steere’s Honey-Buzzard.
Our afternoon staking our the forest clearing didn’t produce the racquet-tails seen previously but we did see Philippine Needletails, Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, White-bellied Woodpecker, Greater Flamebacks and impressive numbers of hornbills including an amazing flock of 10 Writhed Hornbills. A flight of pigeons passing overhead in the late afternoon included two rare Spotted Imperial Pigeons among the commoner Green Imperial Pigeons. We finished the day with another addition in the form of a Blue-backed Parrot heard calling as we drove home and located perched conspicuously on top of a dead tree. In the evening we had a particularly scrumptious meal to celebrate a successful stay at PICOP but more importantly Stella’s birthday which gave us a fine excuse to indulge in a particularly impressive birthday cake!
The following morning we had just enough time for a few hours of birding and this proved very profitable with excellent birds appearing right up until the last moment. There were many fruiting trees which attracted not only good numbers of Guaibero but also three Blue-crowned Racquet-tails – a huge bonus for Max and Dan who had missed them previously. The fruits also attracted Mindanao Hornbills, Philippine Green Pigeons and a smart Yellow-breasted fruit Dove. Philippine Leafbird finally appeared on cue for those who missed them on the first day and other highlights were Black-and-White Triller, two Silvery Kingfishers on a small river and another stunning Azure-breasted Pitta finished our stay at PICOP in style. It was time to take to the road again for the drive south to Davao city and a flight back to Manila ready for the next leg of the tour.

We departed early next morning (as always!) and made good time, arriving at Subic Bay in time for breakfast just after dawn. Keen to begin our birding we headed straight for a secluded area of the former military base, exploring an intriguing network of roads which criss-cross the forest with abandoned bunkers lining the way. Our drive produced a brief fly-over Green Racquet-tail and rather better views of Coleto and several Whiskered Treeswifts. A productive track into the forest was clearly a woodpecker hot-spot and we found a single Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, two haematribon Greater Flamebacks, and two each of White-bellied and Sooty Woodpeckers. Other birds were a little quiet but we did find some Philippine Green Pigeons, Black-naped Orioles, White-eared Brown Doves, Philippine Falconet, Red-crested Malkoha and two additions to the main tour in the form of an elusive Philippine Tailorbird and small groups of rather more showy Blackish Cuckoo-shrikes calling noisily in the canopy.
A stop in a well wooded suburb on our way back into town was rewarded with excellent close views of Luzon Hornbill, hawking Blue-throated Bee-eaters and an unusually cooperative Colasisi perched low down in a nearby pine tree.
Venturing out again in the afternoon, Rufous Coucals calling by the roadside brought us to a rapid stop and we enjoyed good views of 2 groups skulking in the roadside vegetation. The stop proved even more fortuitous when a gorgeous pair of Green Racquet-tails was brilliantly spotted by Stella sitting quietly in a nearby tree fork and we enjoyed quite wonderful views of these spoon-tailed parrots as they loving preened one another.
Continuing on to the same location as the morning we found some good numbers of Philippine Green Pigeons giving nice views in the telescope, Luzon Hornbills, yet more raucous Blue-naped Parrots, Luzon Hawk Eagle and a smart Chinese Goshawk which flew in and perched nearby. Philippine Falconets were again in attendance, surveying the area from dead snags and scanning of other tree tops found a Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike, female Black-and-White Triller and a large flock of wintering Ashy Minivets. A single Scale-feathered Malkoha betrayed its presence with high pitched whistled calls and was seen loping high in the canopy.
The following morning we again made an early start with a pair of Philippine Boobooks feeding on moths attracted to the nearby street lamps and Philippine Scops Owls were vocal but typically elusive. Arriving in the forest, Great-eared Nightjar hawked overhead while Philippine Boobooks, Philippine Scops Owls and Spotted Wood Kingfishers were again calling but remained hidden. As dawn broke and the sun began to rise birds were all around and we found our last two major targets at the site; firstly the distinctive fluid calls of White-lored Orioles which were located high in the nearby trees but later gave better views when they dropped into a nearby fruiting tree to feed. Next up was a Luzon White-fronted Tit sat high in the bare branches on a nearby tree which stayed just long enough for everyone to enjoy scope views before disappearing once more. Other birds on show during our early morning session were Philippine Falconets, Philippine Green Pigeon, several Luzon Hornbills, White-bellied Woodpecker, Greater Flameback, two Blackish Cuckooshrikes accompanying the more numerous Bar-bellied Cuckooshrikes, Coleto and noisy Luzon Balicassiao. Colasisi, Guaibero and Blue-naped Parrots all gave colourful fly-overs and a calling Green Racquet-tail was taped in and gave fine scope views perched overhead. After breakfast the remainder of the day the day was taken with the long drive north through Luzon before cutting up into the Cordillera Mountains and the Banaue town, justly renowned for the spectacular rice terraces carved into the nearby hillsides.

The flowing day at Mount polis, we arrived at dawn and spent the first few hours of relative cool, birding the roadside down from the pass. Activity was excellent and we were soon picking up our first endemics, mostly Luzon Bush Warbler and Chestnut-faced Babbler but we also found a few Green-backed Whistlers feeding quietly in the stunted montane forest. We also saw several Island Thrushes and many Mountain Leaf Warblers, both represented here by distinct subspecies new to us and many flocks contained Elegant Tits, Mountain Tailorbirds, Mountain Verditer Flycatchers, Mountain White-eyes and Metallic-winged Sunbirds. A single Flame-breasted Fruit Dove took flight with loud wing-clapping flights but only gave brief glimpses before disappearing back into the forest. Continuing down the road we reached some more open grassy areas which are home to one of the Philippines least know endemics – the Benguet Bush Warbler. It was not long before we heard them as this is certainly their favoured habitat, but as is typical of this family they were particularly skulking and despite hearing at least 4 birds over the next hour, we only managed glimpses of a single bird.

As the temperature began to rise, bird activity along the road became slow so we headed further down the road seeing two White’s Thrushes feeding along the damper, shaded road verges. Continuing on, we arrived at the picturesque village of Bay-yo nestled on the steep valley sides and surrounded by beautifully preserved rice terraces. Here we made our way down the steep steps below the village to arrive at the fast flowing mountain river below. We soon found our main target – the endemic Luzon Water-Redstart feeding on insects along the boulder strewn river. We stayed some time here, enjoying a long lunch on the river bank and great close views of a pair of water-redstarts as they fed right alongside us. Also here we found a pair of Citrine Canary Flycatchers, a Luzon Blue-headed Fantail and another White’s Thrush in the damp overgrown fields nearby. Returning in the afternoon to the pass we found the birding slow but excitement was provided by a nice wintering Siberian Rubythroat and in the late afternoon we located a nice pair of Mountain Shrikes which gave excellent views in the perfect afternoon light. We finished the day with a confiding Long-tailed Ground Warbler which came in to playback giving brief glimpses as it crept mouse-like around us in the long grass.
An earlier start the following morning saw us arrive in the dark but unfortunately none of the calling Luzon Scops Owls where close enough to the road for us to have a chance at seeing them. Birding along the road again produced many of the previous day’s birds including the ubiquitous Luzon Bush Warblers and Chestnut-faced Babblers. A single Green-backed Whistler was again located and we saw no less than four White’s Thrushes. New birds for us were a small group of Olive-backed Pipits feeding in the cultivated plots near the pass, a skulking White-browed Shortwing by the roadside and best of all a group of four White-cheeked Bullfinches.
Moving down again to the open grassy slopes we finally managed some good views of the elusive Benguet Bush-Warbler and a Long-tailed Ground Warbler feeding right by the roadside.
Returning again to Bay-yo for lunch the Luzon Water-Redstarts entertained us once again and our long lunch stop here also produced Common Kingfisher, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Scale-feathered Malkoha and a fly-over Crested Goshawk.

This drew to an end this enjoyable and extremely successful main tour and the following day some of us parted company with Leif and Dan continuing north to finish the trip in the remote Sierra Madre Mountains as the rest of the party returned to Manila to connect with international flights.

Philippines – Visayan extension

2008-10-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

During the week-long Visayan pre-tour extension we recorded 131 species including 45 Philippine endemics of which 11 were tour-exclusive endemics. Highlights included the rare island-endemic Cebu Bulbul and Black Shama on Cebu, Yellow-breasted Tailorbird and Azure-breasted Pitta on Bohol and a host of rare endemics including Visayan Hornbill, Visayan Shama, Visayan Flowerpecker and the stunning Flame-templed Babbler on Negros.

We began the tour with a late afternoon flight from Manila to Cebu City where we enjoyed our first San Miguel beers in the tropical surrounds of the hotel garden before retiring to recoup some energy after long international flights from various corners of the globe.
Early the next morning we departed Cebu City and headed inland. Unfortunately the fine conditions on the coast deteriorated as we headed into the central mountains and it was rather wet and windy when we arrived at our destination of Tabunan, which is home to one of the few remaining forest patches on the entire island. After a rather slow and slippery walk up the trail into the forest our first highlight was White-eared Brown-Dove while some of the group had brief views of our first Black Shama, an island endemic, before arriving at the ‘viewpoint’ – in fact one of the few elevated pieces of limestone allowing views into the forest canopy. The inclement conditions atop the viewpoint were far from ideal and were undoubtedly a factor in our lack of flowerpecker sightings but we did manage some excellent birds; Philippine Serpent Eagle, Philippine Coucal, Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, Philippine Bulbul, Arctic Warbler, Pied Triller, Pied Fantail, Grey-streaked Flycatcher, Everett’s White-eye and Red-keeled Flowerpecker providing entertainment. Several endemic Magnificent Sunbirds (a good split from Crimson Sunbird), vocal Cebu (Streak-breasted) Bulbuls gave brief glimpses and our first Coleto with its bare head appearing to exposing bulging pink brains! We also found the stunning cebuensis Coppersmith Barbet with its brick-red face and throat which made us ponder the possibilities of a future split. In the mid-afternoon we descended again into the forest where everyone now enjoyed views of the Black Shamas and we puzzled over the cyornis blue-flycatchers which are currently lumped within Mangrove Blue-Flycatcher but again seems a likely future split. Our walk back to the village produced Grey-rumped Swiftlet, Striated Grassbird, Paddyfield Pipit and Island Collared Dove in the agricultural fields.
We were soon heading back to Cebu City, for a short ferry ride to Bohol, our third Philippine island in 2 days. We arrived at our resort in the evening, sadly too late to yet appreciate the surrounding ‘Chocolate Hills’ for which the area is famous.
A short drive the next morning brought us to the nearby Rajah Sikatuna National Park where we were greeted almost immediately by an entertaining group of ‘Samar’ Mindanao Hornbills. Although the birding here is sometimes slow, the forest is fantastic and we spent a very enjoyable morning along the forest trails. The first highlight was actually not a bird, but a Philippine Colugo (often known as a ‘flying-lemur’) a nocturnal flying squirrel that we were fortunate to see active during the daytime. Next up was one of our main targets – Yellow-breasted Tailorbird, endemic to Samar and Bohol this species is quite easily located courtesy of its high pitched song but it is a super-skulker and true to form not everyone managed good views of this particular individual. The rest of the morning was enlivened by some nice feeding flocks which included shy Mindanao Drongos, Metallic-winged Sunbirds, Yellow-bellied Whistler, Blue Fantail, Black-crowned Babblers and the near-endemic Rufous-tailed Jungle Flycatcher which is shared with Borneo but very rarely recorded there. We also chanced upon a smart group of Streaked Ground Babblers feeding unobtrusively in the leaf litter and a more obliging Yellow-breasted Tailorbird, although it soon melted away leaving some still frustrated.
Our afternoon again produced much the same in the mixed flocks but we added a surprisingly elusive Black-faced Coucal and a flushed Red Junglefowl. Staking out a clearing in the late afternoon produced a Besra and a pair of Rufous-lored Kingfishers as they became active at dusk. As darkness fell Great Eared-Nightjars hawked overhead and a wintering Northern Boobook appeared followed a short while later by a vocal pair of Philippine Boobooks and an impressive Atlas Moth attracted by our powerful spot-light. A final stop along the road produced calling Philippine Frogmouth and Everett’s Scops-Owl but neither could be located and we had to be satisfied with another Rufous-lored Kingfisher which we found roosting right above the road.

An early start again the next morning began with flight views of a shy Besra then some good activity around fruiting trees including White-eared Brown Doves and a gorgeous Black-chinned Fruit Dove – a bird found on only a few small islands outside the Philippines. Hitting the forest trails again produced a group of Streaked Ground Babbler, this time singing their hearts out in unison, Yellow-breasted Tailorbirds performed well allowing everyone reasonable views and we finally saw a Rufous-fronted Tailorbird after several frustrating encounters with elusive singing individuals. Black-faced Coucal was again seen as were our first Greater Flameback, an impressive White-bellied Woodpecker and a fruiting tree attracted Samar Hornbills, Bar-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Yellow-wattled Bulbul, Philippine Oriole and Philippine Fairy Bluebird.
In the late afternoon the distant calls of an Steere’s (Azure-breasted) Pitta were picked out but soon went quiet. Making our way towards where the birds had been calling a small amount of coaxing with the tape brought an immediate response as the bird flew up onto an open branch right in front of us with the amazing azure-blue underparts lighting up the undergrowth in the gathering gloom before his attention was grabbed by his mate nearby and both birds disappeared in tandem across the road. Waiting at a large clearing at dusk produced great views of a Philippine Colugo ‘flying’ between large trees and several Great-eared Nightjars but not the hoped for Philippine Nightjars which appear to have suffered from habitat loss here.

The next morning we returned again to the harbour at Tagbilaran but this time took the fast craft ferry to the town to Dumaguete on the south-east coast of Negros where Great Crested, Common and Whiskered Terns were noted feeding offshore from our hotel. After lunch we first headed north along the coast where an area of salt pans provided an interesting diversion from the forest birding. The pools were teaming with shorebirds; Asian Golden Plovers, Black-winged Stilts, Wood Sandpiper and Kentish Plover were the prominent species but we also found Little Ringed Plover, Greater Sandplover, Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper. Two Javan Pond Heron were found and a single Yellow Bittern was seen in flight, while the reedy margins hosted at least 5 White-browed Crake and introduced Java Sparrows were a surprise find feeding with Eurasian Tree Sparrows nearby. From here we continued up into the mountains arriving mid-afternoon at a wet and windy Balinsasayao Lakes. Despite the weather we ventured out and recorded several new species including Lemon-throated Leaf-Warbler and Visayan Blue-headed Fantail along with Grey-streaked Flycatcher, Elegant Tits, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker and calling Philippine Tailorbird. A feeding flock containing Bar-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Visayan Balicassiao and White-winged Cuckoo-shrike passed through quickly but a pair of Flaming Sunbirds feeding at very close range were much more obliging and deserved the bird of the day vote they received.

Unfortunately the poor weather was still present the following morning, washing away our plans to visit Mount Talinis so we opted again to visit the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes. The weather was improved since the previous day and we were rewarded with great views of the increasingly rare Visayan Hornbill of which we saw 2 groups totalling at least 5 individuals. The flowering trees again attracted the Flaming Sunbirds plus Yellowish White-eyes. Exploration of the newly created trail system around the lake gave some nice feeding flocks including the fantail, tits and leaf-warblers from the previous day plus White-vented Whistler, Coleto, Visayan Balicassiao, Bar-bellied and White-winged Cuckoo-shrikes and our first Yellow-breasted Fruit Doves of the tour.
After another excellent lunch the afternoon was spent on the drive to Bacolod in the north-west of the island with Common Moorhen the only bird of particular note during the journey.
The next morning we departed early, arriving just prior to dawn at Mambucal on the lower slopes of Mount Kanlaon, an active volcano in the north of the island. The initial walk up through open fields and scrub then pine plantations produced little of interest except calling Spotted Wood Kingfishers and the ubiquitous Philippine Bulbuls but as soon as we reached the lower edge of the native forest, things immediately heated up. Our first large feeding flock provided great excitement with the expected Elegant Tits, Visayan Blue-headed Fantail, Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Coleto and Yellowish White-eyes accompanied by several striking, white-bellied, Visayan Balicassiao and the increasingly rare White-winged Cuckoo-shrike.
The hoped for Visayan Shama remained strangely silent in their usual haunts but some reasonable views of White-vented Whistlers were had and continuing along the trail, a medium-sized brown heron was flushed from the forest floor and flew into a nearby tree allowing those well positioned a good view before flying again and its identity confirmed as a Japanese Night Heron - a rare winter visitor to the Philippines and a species listed as endangered by Birdlife due primarily to deforestation in its breeding and wintering areas.
Reaching primary forest it was not long before a melodious song drew our attention to our big target – the endemic Flame-templed Babbler, which proceeded to perform impeccably as a pair of these stunning birds sat motionless in the overhead trees allowing everyone prolonged and satisfying views. More views of Flame-templed Babblers enhanced feeding flocks during the rest of the morning as did Lemon-throated Leaf-Warblers, Philippine Tailorbirds and our first Bicoloured Flowerpecker.
Both White-browed Shortwing and a beautiful Red-bellied Pitta glowing in the understory were seen in exactly the same spots walking up and down the trail and both seemed likely to be nesting in the respective areas. The same might have accounted for the silence and lack of response from the Visayan Shamas and we were extremely lucky when one of these skulking birds, giving only short snatches of song, was spotted sitting quietly and motionless in the undergrowth, the lack of rufous rump and white wing-bars as compared to the White-browed Shama of Luzon, combined with the distinct vocalisations all confirming this is a good ‘split’ from that species.
Our next highlight was a male Spotted Wood Kingfisher sitting quietly in the lower story of the forest and giving great views with its buff-spangled green upperparts, rufous moustache, collar and throat contrasting with a black ‘bandit mask’ and cobalt sub-moustachial patch, combining to make this arguably the most beautiful bird of the day.
We finished the afternoon in relaxed fashion around the popular tourist spot of Mambucal where an impressive colony of Grey-rumped Swiftlets were nesting underneath a river bridge and a group of Purple Needletails performing regular fly-bys allowed us all to appreciate these amazingly powerful flying machines and provided a challenge to the photographers in the group! The Visayan Flowerpeckers proved more elusive than usual but after much searching everyone enjoyed great views of this endemic with the black-breast and broad red stripe on the underparts clearly on show; features which separate it from the widespread Red-keeled Flowerpecker found elsewhere on the Philippines and with which it was formerly lumped.

Philippines – Hamut camp extension

2008-10-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

Whiskered Pitta, Hamut Camp, Luzon Photo by tour participant Leif Gabrielsen

The post-tour extension to Hamut Camp in the northern Sierra Madre Mountains of Luzon was a great success with highlights including Flame-breasted Frit-Dove, Grand Rhabdornis (the final member of this endemic family), Blue-breasted Flycatcher, Luzon Striped-Babbler, Rusty-faced Babbler and quite amazing views of the enigmatic Whiskered Pitta. Our total of 134 species included 61 endemics of which 11 were tour-exclusives.

The following day we took advantage of our first lie-in in a month and made the leisurely drive north to Tuguegarao accompanied by Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, White-breasted Woodswallows and Striated Grassbirds on roadside wires, and a surprise fly-by Island Collared Dove. The next morning we departed early for Baliwag village on the edge of the northern Sierra Madre Mountains disturbing a feeding Barred Rail from the road en route. From here we set off for the trek into the mountains, initially across the denuded foothills, albeit fortunately in the relatively cool of the early morning. A wintering Japanese Yellow Bunting provided some early excitement perched in a bare tree alongside striking Coppersmith Barbets. In the open grassy hills black-headed nasutus Long-tailed Shrikes, Paddyfield Pipits & Black-headed Munia were numerous and we located a pair of Oriental Skylarks. We also located a single Island Collared Dove among the commoner Spotted Doves and a pair of Savanna Nightjars that gave great views in flight but which we never managed to pin down on the ground. As we approached the forest more interesting birds began to appear; Philippine Serpent Eagles soaring overhead, fast-flying Colasisi and a Violet Cuckoo in song flight.
Arriving in our camp at the forest edge in the late morning we took an early lunch before heading off into the forest. The afternoon bird activity was a little low but we added White-eared Brown-Dove, Luzon Blue-headed Fantail, several Metallic-winged Sunbirds, Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker and a Luzon Rufous Paradise Flycatcher glowing orange in the undergrowth. Finally our efforts were rewarded with a smart Furtive Flycatcher next to the trail which sang continuously but was typically elusive, showing only occasionally. A shy Scaly Thrush was flushed from near the trail and the distinctive calls of the rare Sierra Madre Crow heard in the distance.
We finished with a fine pair of Rufous Hornbills which came in to investigate our camp in the evening shortly before the Great-eared Nightjars and Philippine Boobooks came out to play at dusk.
The following morning we awoke to calls of Spotted Wood Kingfishers, one of which showed close to the camp. During breakfast an impressive dawn chorus included the distinctive song of the enigmatic Whiskered Pitta echoing from the nearby forested slopes and quickly headed off in pursuit but we found it far away in an inaccessible area. We spent the next few hours exploring the trail system and trying hard to find a closer calling pitta but had to be content with some interesting feeding flocks which included a very surprising Celestial Monarch, our first Luzon Striped and Golden-crowned Babblers, Green-backed Whistler, Luzon Rufous Paradise Flycatcher, Scarlet Minivets, Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, Philippine Tailorbird and Luzon Blue-headed Fantail. A high pitched song alerted us to the present of a Rusty-faced Babbler and playback produced several reasonable views of a pair these large but fast-moving babblers which are a product of the recent splitting into two species of ‘Rabor’s Wren Babbler’. A clearing gave us great views of Scale-feathered Malkoha and a pair of Ashy Woodpeckers before heart-rates rose again when heading back to our camp as a Whiskered Pitta began to call, but this time a little closer to the trail. After just a couple of calls of playback the bird became silent and we waiting with baited breath before the bird suddenly appeared in the gully below us. As we waiting, silent and motionless, the bird continued its approach until it was just a few metres from our position and then apparently unconcerned by our close proximity, it began to call, with each reverberating note of the song accompanied by an elaborate bow of the head. The bird continued to perform like this for more than half an hour, giving stunning close views and even posing in the open on the trail beside us on occasions – these were quite simply the best views imaginable of this rare and elusive bird, which instantly became one of the star birds of the tour.

Our walk up to the main camp was taken at a leisurely pace and was enliven by some good birding. Several more Luzon Striped-Babblers were seen; nice views of Blackish Cuckoo-Shrike and Philippine Fairy Bluebirds visiting a fruiting tree, Striped Flowerpecker, Luzon Rufous Paradise Flycatcher, single White-browed Shama and Rusty-breasted Cuckoo were also seen. Rufous Hornbills were common and vocal and we enjoyed magnificent views as well as a small group of smaller but equally entertaining Luzon Hornbills. Overhead the common Philippine Serpent Eagles were joined by 2 Oriental Honey Buzzards and a single Luzon Hawk Eagle.
A Luzon Bleeding-heart was twice flushed up from the side of the trail before flying across the trail and landing on an open branch down the slope below us – where is sat, nervously bobbing its head, before flying off again down the slope.
We finished late afternoon close to the camp where fruiting rattan attracted good numbers of White-eared Brown-Doves and we had our first brief views of Cream-bellied Fruit-Dove.
Most of the next day was spent along the ridge trail above our camp. Frugivores were abundant with the usual White-eared Brown-Doves accompanied by several Amethyst Brown-Doves which are surprising common and easy to see here compared to elsewhere in the archipelago. We also managed good views of three Cream-bellied Fruit-Doves and two Yellow-breasted fruit-Doves but a calling Flame-breasted Fruit-Dove was only seen in flight and another bleeding-heart was flushed from its hidden feeding spot in a hallow of the trail.
We also saw rather striking Philippine Fairy Bluebirds, non-descript Blackish Cuckoo-shrikes, high speed Purple Needletails, Rusty-breasted and Violet Cuckoo, Scale-feathered Malkohas, Bicoloured Flowerpecker, a brief Blue-breasted Flycatcher and a very obliging White-browed Shortwing which unusually sang from an open branch allowing us not only to enjoy great views but also to note the very distinct vocalisations from birds we had seen elsewhere on the tour.
In the afternoon a large feeding flock contained Stripe-headed Rhabdornis (rather than the hoped for Grand Rhabdornis) and a brief Ashy-breasted Flycatcher among the regular but no less enjoyable Elegant Tits, Yellow-bellied Whistler and Sulphur-billed Nuthatches. We finished with fantastic views of a pair of Spotted Wood Kingfishers taped-in to super-close range near to our camp at dusk.
The following day was again spent along the highly productive ridge trail. Several Philippine Cuckoo Doves, White-eared and Amethyst Brown-Doves were again seen, a single Luzon Bleeding-heart was again flushed but we did have excellent perched views of Cream-bellied Fruit-Doves.
In the mid-morning the distinctive calls of the Sierra Madre Crow echoed from far down the slopes and fortunately they responded extremely well to playback by quickly flying into the nearby trees. Here we enjoyed excellent views of this species, widely accepted as a split from the ‘Slender-billed’ Crow complex on the grounds of ecological and vocal differences.

Today we continued further onto the steeper sections of the trail where Flame-breasted Fruit-Doves were more abundant and we saw no less then seven individuals, although good views of these shy birds were difficult and we had several near misses before we all enjoyed prolonged and unobscured views of an obliging individual. Today also gave our first sightings for the extension of Philippine Trogon, Greater Flameback, White-bellied Woodpecker and a noisy but skulking group of Rufous Coucals.
We also had 3 encounters will Blue-breasted Flycatchers, on 2 occasions getting caught right in the middle of entertaining territorial disputes between neighbouring pairs.
The following day dawned with low cloud and light drizzle which encouraged a Whiskered Pitta to call very close to our camp in the early morning. Given the less than ideal birding weather, we opted to head slowly down the mountain rather than birding at the higher altitudes and this proved an excellent decision. One of our first birds was a Eurasian Woodcock on the trail ahead of us which quickly disappeared into the surrounding vegetations – one of only a few confirmed records of this species in the Philippines. Next were reasonable flight views of a pair of flushed Luzon Bleeding-hearts, before a timely breakfast break at a view point gave our first wintering Brown-headed Thrushes and sharp eyes picked out a distant perched Grand Rhabdornis which was joined by a second bird as they fly close overhead, calling. The remainder of the trek gave nice views of a shy Scaly Thrush, Philippine Trogon, Whiskered Treeswift, Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Amethyst Brown Dove and Philippine Fairy Bluebird then Pygmy Swiftlets, Violet Cuckoo, Pygmy and Bicoloured Flowerpeckers as we enjoyed our picnic lunch at the forest edge.
In the afternoon we birded in the lowest patches of forest where Philippine Drongo Cuckoo, Luzon Balicassiao and White-lored Oriole were new to the extension. We also managed rather unsatisfactory of Green-faced Parrotfinches, calling as the zoomed bullet-like overhead and Plain Bush-hens called from the thick understory continuing our frustration with this widespread but incredibly elusive endemic.
At dusk there was a chorus of Philippine Boobooks and irregular calls of Philippine Scops Owls to accompany our dinner under star-lit skies as Great-eared and Philippine Nightjars fed overhead.
Our final day allowed us to snatch some early morning birding time and it proved a fitting finale with fine views of one of a pair of Green-faced Parrotfinches in dying bamboo near the camp and nice views of several wintering Brown-headed Thrushes. Our walk back to Baliwag again produced flushed Savanna Nightjars but this time we were lucky enough to relocate them for nice views on the deck as they blended perfectly with the surrounding vegetation. A Barred Rail was seen in flight as it disappeared into an overgrown stream, a single Australasian Bushlark was seen and the Japanese Yellow Bunting was again in its favoured maize field. Back to civilisation it was time for us to return to Tuguegarao and take the short flight back to Manila where the waiting cold San Miguel Beers were particularly appreciated as we toasted another successful and enjoyable Philippines adventure.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

2008-10-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

Wild Birds

2008-10-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

Attracting birds is much easier than you might imagine, just think as you were a bird, why would you visit your yard?... yes, you are looking for food, but once you eat the free food you still need a place to get a drink and take a bath. You also need great hiding places, safe nesting spots, and no predators.

Wild birds

Many birds will nest in man-made bird houses. Purple Martins houses may look like a hotel and hold up to 40 pair at a time! Bluebirds are making a big comeback in the eastern U.S., thanks to people who put up so many nest boxes that they call them "Bluebird Trails". Woodpeckers will nest in your yard if you don't cut down trees when they die (leave the snags standing for the birds).

You could also plant certain flowers, shrubs and trees, so you can attract specific birds. Hummingbirds are especially attracted to flowering plants. You don't need a huge yard. A few flowerpots on the windowsill might work.

There are a huge variety of wild birds, the most popular ones are described in the following list: Anhinga, Bittern, Blackbird, Bluebird, Cardinal, Chickadee, Coot, Cormorant, Cowbird, Curlew, Dipper, Dove, Duck, Eagle, Egret, Falcon, Finch, Flicker, Geese, Grackle, Gull, Hawk, Heron, Hummingbird, Ibis, Junco, Kingbird, Kingfisher, Magpie, Mockingbird, Nutcracker, Oriole, Owls, Pelican, Pheasant, Robin, Sapsucker, Sparrow, Titmouse, Warbler and Woodpecker.

Separação dos filhotes

2008-10-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

Este artigo pretende mostrar um método de separar os filhotes dos pais, sem que se tenha problemas de maior. Os principais problemas que acontecem são os constantes ataques que os pais fazem aos seus filhotes, e uma separação precoce não permitindo que os filhotes aprendam a comer suficientemente, muitas vezes levando-os à morte, ou obrigando-nos a alimentá-los manualmente.

Um dos métodos baseia-se em separar a fêmea da gaiola de criação, pondo-a noutra (sem ninho), quando os primeiros filhotes estão entre o 30º e o 35º dia de vida. Deixa-se apenas o macho na gaiola, para que ele termine o trabalho de alimentar e ensinar os seus filhotes.

Após 10 dias aproximadamente, já é possível separar todos os filhotes alimentando-se correctamente e, sem que os mesmos tenham sido atacados pela mãe que anseia construir novo ninho. Logo de seguida coloca-se novamente a fêmea na gaiola que contém o macho e verifica-se que em função do pequeno período que o casal esteve separado, a fêmea está mais fortalecida e alimentada para iniciar um novo ciclo de postura e criação.

Em casos de machos indiferentes pela tarefa de alimentação, pode optar-se por separar o macho e deixar as crias com a fêmea, contudo esta não estará tão bem fortalecida para uma nova tarefa de criação, pois não passou pelo período de repouso.

Reptile Portraits, Anyone?

2008-10-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I met my son, Johnny, at an event which represents Heaven-on-Earth for him....the west coast's biggest reptile show. Held annually at the Anaheim Convention Center, this certainly has to be the largest indoor collection of the weirdest looking creatures I've ever seen.
Well, there was this ZZ Top concert in the late 70's.

As far as you could see....an endless sea of caged and uncaged snakes, lizards, spiders, turtles....and their equally interesting-looking uncaged owners.

My son and his lovely wife certainly fall well within the definition of "normal people"....you just wonder about some of these people who make a living raising and breeding these crazy animals. Overall, though, a really nice bunch of folks. And all the vendors were more than happy to let me get in close and get shots of whatever they were selling.

Since we were moving around a crowded convention hall, it's very congested, and tough to maneuver and get the exact angles needed for the best shots.

But, with the monopod, and external flash unit attached to a stick, we must have looked pretty important, cause everyone let us move right in... and they all seemed to enjoy watching this old guy getting excited about photographing a gecko.

Most of these images employed a 2-light set up, which consisted of a mini softbox attached to my new Metz flash, which was tethered to the Fuji S-5 body for full TTL functions. The second light (firing always from behind the subject) was a similar flash unit, which was fired simultaneously with a slave unit attached to the base. This light was set on "manual" power, and the settings were frequently adjusted, depending on the placement of the main-light, which was the soft-box. Two of my sons were there, so each one got the thrill of assisting by holding one of the flash units.

Typically, the ISO was 400, and the aperture set at f/11. In order to render the background a SOLID black, a shutter speed of 1/250th was used to restrict any of the ambient light from being recorded.

Now, I hear the biggest show is in Orlando, right in the middle of the summer. Wow....mosquitos, alligators AND reptiles.

Crazy Animals

2008-10-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

Les perrouches sauvages dans le parc....

2008-09-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some wild parrots for you... OOPS.. it's a pidgeon!
Here are the Real McCoys! Amazing to see these parrots flying around in the park...

FYI - Green Indian ring-necked parrots...

2008-09-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

were what Barbara and I saw at the park today. I just found them on Google. I guess they are birds that were let free by their owners or somehow escaped... I'm just happy to see they are surviving because I know it gets pretty cold! Maybe they will multiply over the spring and have lots more by next fall... Oh... well... there are only 3 that we saw and I don't know what their sexes were. I do hope they have long lives in their beautiful surroundings!! (Pics courtesy of Google Images search).

Indian Parrot

2008-09-28T22:45:00.001-07:00

Indian Parrot

Indian Ringneck Parrot is a very smart and intelligent bird having length 16 inches including the tailfeathers. These birds are very charming and social bird. They love to be with their owner. Guava, nuts, chilli are the favorite diet of ringneck parrot.

Wildlife officials seize 46 endangered parakeets

2008-09-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

In West Bengal wildlife officials seized 46 parakeets from a bird trader in West Bengal's Darjeeling District. The illegal wildlife trader was nabbed when officials raided a bus and found parakeets packed in a carton. The flock comprised blossom-headed, slaty-headed (left) and rose-ringed parakeets (right).

The illegal bird trade thrives in the northern parts of West Bengal, and demand for them is high, with Bihar being a major market.

Wildlife agencies claim that poaching is adding to the decline of the bird population in India. Birds are already facing the threat of a shrinking habitat, said Animesh Bose, program coordinator of the Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation. Parakeets and Hill Mynahs (left) are included in endangered list of birds.

India is home to 1,225 bird species, including 257 water birds. The country also supports 81 species of migrant water fowls, which arrive from Central Asia and Europe during winter.

The hunting or the caging of endangered wildlife is banned in India, but lax laws and lax law enforcement and/or mild punishment, leave poaching and smuggling of rare species to run rampant.

Wildlife authorities say that in most cases, the birds are trapped and their feathers torn out. At times the birds are killed for their pristine feathers.

In India, parrots (right) are used by fortune tellers to forecast the future. The caging of the birds, especially parrots, is considered illegal and punishable with a fine, or imprisonment of up to five years.

Birdlife International, a worldwide conservation group, recently warned that some 300 Asian bird species face extinction, particularly in India, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and China, due to poor protection and habitat destruction.