Bird of the Week: 21st May - Australian King-Parrot

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Holly
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Bird of the Week: 21st May - Australian King-Parrot

Welcome to week 2 of our 'Bird of the Week'. This week I have picked one of the most striking of our parrots - the Australian King-Parrot.

 

Feel free to share your photos and stories of this bird here.

soakes
soakes's picture

I have taken heaps of photos of these birds, but apparently not many good ones.

Here is one:

- soakes

soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia

soakes
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...and here is a queen (with young):

- soakes

soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Just like soaks, I have taken more photos of King Parrots than I could post. It was a difficult decision.Here are two

DSC00347 (1) DSC01392x (1)

M-L

cathshane

Heres one from Walhalla.

pacman
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please refer to my 'Best Photos' thread yesterday

he was shot at Sandy Camp Road Reserve, Brisbane in Apr '11

she was shot at Enogerra Reservoir, Brisbane in Jun '11

Peter

matt
matt's picture

We get several large families visiting all day down here, they were being fed before we arrived, I am trying to wheen them off and only put seed out once a day now. They get very demanding and sit on the window ledge and tap on the glass to be fed. They are the first to arrive in the morning and last to leave in the evenings. Most of them are very tame and will sit on and eat out of your hand.

Matt

kathiemt
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We have a family of these at home and I also see them at Grant's Picnic ground in Kallista. Lovely curious, inquisitive birds they are. They follow me around the garden if they think I have some seed for them.

This is the first one I took a few years ago at Kallista Tea Rooms. At that stage I'd not seen one before and we were still living in the 'burbs'. We now live in the hills.

Our 'family' at home on the front gate.

At Grant's picnic grounds

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

Araminta
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in my garden, from very close

DSC00008 (1)...I can see you

M-L

clif2
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That is a great close up M-L. Is that you I see in the reflection of the eye. The other two photos are beautiful as well, I love these parrots.

Regards

               Shane

clif2
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Nice pics Peter, I am surprised that you got a photo at Sandy Camp road Reserve because I always consider them to be rainforest birds, well that is the only place I have seen them, so that is encouraging to know that they are found elsewhere.Thanks for that.

Regards

               Shane

birdie
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I particularly like this image I took up at Woodgate Beach a couple of years ago as it shows the "breeches"on his legs that you hardly ever see in shots of Kingies. He and his mate were seed grazing at ground level on a vacant block

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Araminta
Araminta's picture

I remember talking about this, I have seen hundreds of Kings, but not EVER one with yellow socks. Do they only have those up where you live???

Shane, that is me in the eye , you can see me hold the camera too, and have a close look, you can see the trees in my garden.

M-L

kathiemt
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mmm, I went through mine and not one has yellow socks. 

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

Karen
Karen's picture

Such great pics, everyone.  I have one or two, but poor quality and they wouldn't be justified here except to say they were taken at Mt. Cotton in Brisbane.  Such a beautiful bird, and I'm always glad to see them.

Karen
Brisbane southside.

jfiess78
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These photos were taken in my garden at South Maroota, NSW.

Woko
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Spectacular, jfiess.

soakes
soakes's picture

I just solved the mystery of the yellow socks.

Have a close look at the pic again. :-) (...or does everybody know that and I'm the slow one?)

- soakes
 

soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia

jfiess78
jfiess78's picture

I was thinking that it was just the green foliage blured making it look yellow???

birdie
birdie's picture

Oh my goodness Soakes..... I can't believe I haven't picked that up before!!! blush  I just looked right through the whole series of this Kingy and his mate .... only 3 had the yellow sock look and they were all taken through the same foliage LOL . I have a few shots of himm with yes...you guessed it.... plain red socks !

Thanks for picking that up ... I think I need new glasses ... I thought it was very strange that I hadnt found any on the net at all. thank goodness I didn't contact any ornothologists .... was to look really stupid ha ha .

Sunshine Coast Queensland

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

lol, that's funny birdie.  The mystery of the yellow socks... solved!

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

birdie
birdie's picture

Funny and embarrassing Kathie smiley

I always believe in owning up to my mistakes though LOL ... just as well as i make a few!

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Karen
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But solved, and that is great.  I would never have picked it up, not with my eyes.  Well done!

Karen
Brisbane southside.

kathiemt
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lol, it gave us all something to think about and on the hunt for the special King Parrot birdie! laugh

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

cathshane

Well done soakes! I sat on the net for over an hour scrolling through all sorts of sites on King Parrots trying to find something that could explain the "yellow socks" I think we could all use new glasses Adrienne.

birdie
birdie's picture

I reallky wish this forum had a like button ....saves you posting a whole new sentence  to say you agree with someone.

Yes Cath we must have searched all the same images ha ha

Sunshine Coast Queensland

cathshane

A like button would be great. Shane asked me last night what was i looking for, i said a King Parrot with yellow socks lol, couldnt find one, now i know why. I studied your photo for so long and didnt pick up what soakes did and my glasses are new!

birdie
birdie's picture

dont feel bad...I have had it enlarged on the screen when editing adn I still didnt see it...... and worse still i was actually there at the tinme and still thought i had found a yellow socked version of the species lol

Sunshine Coast Queensland

cathshane

Like lol

jfiess78
jfiess78's picture

Hi Woko, thank you for your kind comment :0) Everyones pics are just amazing!!

cathshane

I agree with jfiess78 everyones photos are really great. The close up are so amazing. Must say yellow socks is still the winner though.

Karen
Karen's picture

So many fantastic pics of a truly beautiful bird.  Hey, I keep looking for the "Like" button too :).

Karen
Brisbane southside.

Correa
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Oh yes, I know those tea rooms well! Great shots.

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

Correa, I'm assuming you're referring to the first of my shots?  Those tea rooms are great to go to.

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

Araminta
Araminta's picture

sorry, I hope nobody referes to the Grant's picnic grounds ??? One , if not the worst places I have EVER seen. Where Parrots of all sorts are fed by masses of tourists, and made sick and sacrificed for the entertainment and pleasure of people.Even thinking of "that place " makes me feel sick.( Now feel free to attack me, I stand by every word I just said. It's a shame to see our Australian native wildlife so exploited) 

M-L

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

One of my photos was taken there. They have changed how they're doing things there now, I think they're trying to improve the situation.  I drive past often and can't say I've seen as many tourists in the feeding section as I did a year ago.

I do love going there, to walk along the paths and see the Lyrebirds and other birds in the forest.  I like the opportunity of taking photos of the birds close up and do take visitors there as well.  I can't say I've seen any sick birds there but don't doubt that doesn't happen.  I've seen the arguments in the local paper about whether it should be closed down or kept open and local residents concerned for their own properties, especially in relation to the white cockatoos. What the answer is I don't know as it's a situation that's been allowed to grow and develop over years.

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

Woko
Woko's picture

I sometimes think the answer is clear, kathie, but people aren't prepared to bite the bullet, preferring to allow the environment to become degraded. I believe that if bullets aren't bitten now bums will be in the future.

Araminta
Araminta's picture

I am sorry Kathie, there is noooo way the situation for the "wild birds" can be improved, these are just excuses to make a profit to the disadvantage of the wildlife. I do not understand, what has improved there either? I have been up there last week for a short time to take some photos of very sick birds.( I have seen birds loosing feathers, and walking on krippled feet and beaks, hiding under shrubs. Anyone that loves birds should see this and help those birds, by speaking out about it)

 The only improvement is to the advantage of the people that run the "show". They have build a fenced off area, so tourists now have to buy a tray filled with seeds, before they can get into the area and feed the birds. You won't see as many buses, simply because they do not let more than 3 in at the same time, there are buses continously turning up all the same.

You have to understand Kathie, the virus that spreads  "beak and feather" , is extreamly contageous, and will kill those birds.

BTW today I talked to my neighbour, two people in my street have both caught it, all of them had been feeding Parrots for years.

Like Woko says, there is only one answer to this, the feeding has to stop!!

M-L

Woko
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So humans can catch beak & feather disease too, Araminta?

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

When I've been past on several occasions over the past couple of months I haven't seen any buses so I made an assumption that the numbers of tourists visiting had dropped considerably.  I had seen lots of people milling around and lots of birds too just last year but the last couple of times I've been there, there's been hardly anyone and the numbers of birds would have been less than 20.  Mainly cockatoos.  So perhaps I am wrong but I thought things had improved there with less activity.  I can see how you feel about it and I do understand.  I have also heard from locals there that they're worried if the feeding stops that the birds will start gnawing on their homes and leaving a mess everywhere.  I guess there are people anxious about it on both sides. Yes, it is something that shouldn't have been started but what it will take for them to change what is there now, is another story. 

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Hi Kathie one should not make an assumption like that. As I explained on a different post, they have only put up a round about , and won't have more than 3 buses at one time, still ALL DAY LONG, buses turn up. So, you will not see more than 3 buses. How nice , people worry about their houses,but don't give a hoot (shit) about wildlife.

Woko, just today, at the Gembrook post office I met two people , both of them live in my street, both have been in contact (by feeding) King Parrots, both of them caught "beak & feather desease.  This gives me the idea, what I can do , to stop "Grant's Picnic Grounds", and shut it down. I will get some evidence of the desease spreading to humans. The word "bird flue like" will get attention. (The press will help??)

We can not put Tourists in danger now, can we???

(can't do much at the moment, haven't got a computer, but I WILL make this happen, I WILL not rest , until  that place shuts down)

M-L

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

Yes, I saw your comment, I was just adding my own thoughts. I'm not arguing with you and understand - was just giving you what I have seen.  Perhaps you should take it to the papers if people are catching the disease. I'd not heard about that before, but then there are a lot of things I don't know anything about.

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

Just on the people in your street being affected, how were they affected?  I've just been reading up on this disease and found some information by a vet in Burwood published two years ago.  He says that humans can't get it, but perhaps there's been a development since that time?

I have seen one cockatoo round where I live, about 18 months ago who was affected by this disease but haven't seen any others, but don't doubt they are around.  I wasn't able to catch it, otherwise I would have taken it to the vet. I felt really sorry for the poor thing.

Again, as I said, I don't know much about this - I've really only begun learning about birds in the past year or so - more which ones are which, knowing their calls and where I might find them. I'm yet to know anything much deeper than that.

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

birdie
birdie's picture

I have been researching on line too and everything I read says that humans cannot catch this disease M-L. I have unfortuantely seen a few Lorikeets and Cockies with it and it certainly isnt pretty. Maybe your neighbours are mistaking it with something else?  ( have to admit I wondered how we could get a disease known as feather and beak winkcheeky )

Holly should be able to confirm or deny this I would think .

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Woko
Woko's picture

I believe there is another disease which humans can catch from birds. I'm sure someone on Birds in Backyards will know of it. Being is such close proximity to birds there's little doubt the seed-feeding tourists are putting themselves at risk of catching this malady.

Amateur

Beak and feather disease only affects psittacine birds. However with the nature of the disease from what I've read it works in a similar way to AIDS, which leads to an onset of various viruses and diseases for infected birds as it cannot protect itself. Perhaps another virus or disease the bird has caught due to the failure of the bird's immune system could impact humans?

jfiess78
jfiess78's picture

As far as I know PBFD is not zoonotic (transmissible from human to animal and vice versa). However it is a Circovirus and there are different types of Circovirus that infect different species of birds, other animals and even humans but these are not zoonotic either. There are a number of zoonotic avian diseases present in Australia, such as Chlamydia, Ross river, Influenza A and Newcastle disease. So people still need to be aware of passing on diseases to birds and contracting diseases from birds. 

birdie
birdie's picture

That makes sense Amateur  and  jfiess78 .

Sunshine Coast Queensland

cathshane

All that information is great Amateur and jfiess78 thanks heaps for posting it. Im sure a few of us did a bit of googling last night.

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