New Zealand’s annual bird of the year competition could usher in another round of controversy, with perennial favourite the kākāpō struck from the ballot after twice winning the competition. The fat, flightless and nocturnal parrot is the only species to reign twice as New Zealand’s favourite bird, in 2020 and 2008. This year, however, it […]
Tag: parrot
A third of Wellington’s kākā parrot chicks found to have lead in their blood
Lead has been detected in nesting native kākā chicks in Wellington, but unusually, the birds look to have developed a tolerance to the toxin, a study has found. Kākā are a noisy, smart parrot, with bright green plumage and blood red patches under their wings and chest. They are particularly animated at dawn and dusk, […]
New Zealand’s conservationists to eradicate predators like possums, rats, feral cats, and hedgehogs from Stewart Island
Conservationists in New Zealand are starting the biggest campaign in history to rid a populated island of imported predators. The conservation organization Predator Free Rakiura and the crown research center Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research have agreed to a four-year, $2.8 million partnership to eradicate predators like possums, rats, feral cats, and hedgehogs. The project will also […]
The deaths of over 105 corellas are being investigated by the Victorian wildlife watchdog
The deaths of over 100 long-billed corellas discovered near the Murray River are being investigated by the Victorian wildlife watchdog. The birds were spotted by wildlife carer Kirsty Ramadan, who was dispatched by the Yorta Yorta facility to Barmah, near the Victorian/New South Wales boundary, on Wednesday to capture a sick long-billed corella. She discovered […]
Polly wants a future: Yellow-naped Amazon in illegal pet trade crisis
Chicks seized from the nest, birds dying in transit – the Yellow-naped Amazon’s wild population is being driven to the brink of extinction by the illegal pet trade. If we want to give this intelligent and resplendent bird a future, we need to act now – before it’s too late. The global popularity of the […]
Petition: Smuggled Parrots Found Inside Water Bottles On Ship in Indonesia
More than 70 parrots likely bound for the underground market were discovered recently on a ship docked in Indonesia’s Papua region. 64 black-capped lories, a parrot native to New Guinea and nearby islands, were discovered along with 10 deceased birds on the morning of November 19th. The birds were stuffed inside of plastic water bottles. […]
I Am A Parrot
We are pretty. We are intelligent. We are born to be free. For the wild we are meant. You think we are entertaining. You like when we “talk” We are parrots. Our language is “squawk”. You think we are accessories to be caged. We are as smart as humans and need to feel engaged. When […]
For Brazil’s most trafficked parrot, the poaching is relentless
It’s a natural phenomenon that you could set your calendar by: every August, the turquoise-fronted parrots (Amazona aestiva) of Brazil’s Cerrado biome start laying their eggs. The chicks hatch soon after, and by November have left the nest. The cycle is so constant that every year, for decades, poachers have been stealing eggs and chicks […]