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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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
 

Oh my goodness Soakes..... I can't believe I haven't picked that up before!!!   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 .

Funny and embarrassing Kathie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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!!

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. 

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.

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 )

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

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?

That makes sense Amateur  and  jfiess78 .