World Parrot Day
A celebration of the colourful and rare
My bird-watching friend Simon is telling me about the parrots he sees on his daily walks around Canberra. It is a long list, which includes five types of cockatoos. When he gets to the tenth parrot species — “red-rumps. Everyone loves those” — he stops to think. The eleventh is the rainbow lorikeet.
“They’re newcomers,” he says. “And they’ve really taken off.”
I find it difficult to imagine a city without rainbow lorikeets. I am in far north Queensland and they are everywhere. Street trees are filled with shrieking, whistling birds. Flocks fly past in tight formation. Everything about them is frantic — from their nectar-guzzling to their psychedelic plumage.
31 May is World Parrot Day.
Australia is home to almost 60 species of parrot, ranging in size from tiny Budgerigars and Double-eyed Fig-parrots to Palm Cockatoos and Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos.
In the cities of the South East, Rainbow Lorikeets are among the most abundant bird species. They have taken to parks and gardens with enthusiasm, and parks and gardens — especially those planted with native trees and bushes — have allowed them to move into new areas.
I wrote this piece about Rainbow Lorikeets expanding their range to the inland city of Canberra. It was published a few weeks ago, but I thought you might enjoy it as a celebration of these resilient and resourceful birds, and of those other species that have managed to thrive alongside us.
