Over the past few years, my amateur bird watching has escalated into more of an obsession, one that occasionally pulls me out to more remote areas of Australia. Several months ago on one such trip, I had cause to think about what drew me to birds. On that particular day, I was walking in the […]
Tag: cockatoo
Australian Palm Cockatoos Threatened with Extinction
Palm cockatoos are one of the largest cockatoos, reaching 1.2 kg and 65 cm (25.6 inches) in length. Also known as Cape York cockatoos, great palm cockatoos, black macaws, goliath cockatoos or great black cockatoos, they occur in lowland New Guinea, the Aru Islands, and Cape York Peninsula north of 14.5°S on mainland Australia. These birds […]
Why You Should Not Buy a Pet Bird
Birds are among the most fascinating animals; they can fly, they can sing, and some can even speak human words! These intelligent, vibrantly feathered creatures are popular pets due to the intrigue they inspire. Among some of the most common birds kept as pets are Parakeets, Cockatoos, Cockatiels, and Parrots. While many people might like […]
Conservation officers forced online in fight against bird trafficking
MAKASSAR, Indonesia — “Hi, This is Kamaruddin calling in, just parking my car.” “Great, go ahead and share your experience with this broadcast’s theme with the Natural Resources Conservation Agency.” “Thanks. So, I have a cockatoo and a hawk-eagle and I’m just learning they’re protected species. I bought them online and now if I want […]
Land of the birds: why Australia has the world’s greatest diversity of avian life
If you live in Australia, you may not realise how unique and special the birds around you are. Our continent was perhaps the most important for the evolution of modern birds, with a majority of the world’s species tracing their ancestry here. Long ecologically adrift as an island continent, Australia benefited through the evolution of […]
POLL: Should Thailand’s illegal bird trade be stopped?
Thousands of birds are being sold — often illegally — in Thailand’s markets, a new study has found. On a single weekend in March 2015, researchers from TRAFFIC, the wildlife trademonitoring network, found a total of 117 species of birds on sale at the Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok, Thailand. These included nine species listed […]
Australia’s largest cockatoo threatened by bauxite mining
Australia’s spectacular palm cockatoo is being put at risk by proposed bauxite mines, conservationists have said. The Cape York palm cockatoo, Australia’s largest cockatoo, is listed as vulnerable under Australia’s federal environment laws. About 3,000 mature birds are thought to exist, and their numbers are declining. It is considered a distinct subspecies of the palm […]