Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) of Australasia is nearly as iconic a parrot as the macaws of South America. It is also one of the smartest and longest living of all birds, with some captive individuals lasting well into their 70s, and a few even surpassing 100 years.
When Papo announced their 2024 line-up, I decided I would get the capuchin to replace my National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA) version, since the latter is an articulated accessory to an Ace Ventura action figure. It got me thinking, I should probably go ahead then and replace the NECA scarlet macaw as well, as I would much rather have representatives of these animals from ‘traditional’ toy animal manufacturers rather than action figure accessories (besides, while the NECA figure morphologically looks like a scarlet macaw, the animal in the film the toy was based on is actually a green-winged macaw).
In addition to being a country, Australia is also a continent, but the continent of Australia is not just composed of Australia itself. The Australian continent includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and most of the Coral Sea Islands as well as a smattering of other islands.
With their gorgeous plumage and startling intelligence, parrots are some of the most incredible birds alive today. While varied, they were once more so. One such place that did, and still does, have an array of parrots is Cuba, home to the species in this review: the Cuban Red Macaw. One of the smallest macaw species, it was brightly coloured and lived on Cuba (unsurprisingly) and the nearby Isla de la Juventud.
Australia is home to numerous species of parrot, from the Gallah to the sulpur-crested Cockatoo. Many are now quite rare as a result of humanity, but most are now protected and hopefully will recover. Sadly, this isn’t the case for all of them, as one species no longer exists among them, the Paradise Parrot.
Review and images by Birdsage; edited by bmathison1972
The Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis), also known as the Moluccan Cockatoo, is a species of parrot that is endemic to Seram and several other islands in Indonesia’s Maluku Archipelago. The species resides in lowland rainforests up to an altitude of 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
Parrots are an amazing group of birds. Whilst most think of them as brightly coloured tropical birds that repeat phrases, they are actually some of the most intelligent animals on the planet, ranking high among birds, along with corvids. And yes, while parrots like the macaws are brightly coloured, many are primarily green, matching their environment.
Here is a walk-around of the small Safari Ltd Wings of the World 2016 rainbow lorikeet, Trichoglossus moluccanus (Gmelin, 1788); item No. 150229. Total length is approx. 74 mm (if the head and neck would be fully stretched out) so the scale is approx. 1:4. This popular parrot species from eastern Australia has a specialised tongue with elongated papillae (Trichoglossus means “hairy tongue”) which are needed for their mostly liquid or pulpous diet (fruit pulp, nectar, and pollen).
Today is Valentine’s Day, and what better way to celebrate with a lovebird! Today we will be looking at Fischer’s lovebird (Agapornis fischeri) that was produced by Furuta for the second series of the Chocoegg Pet line. Fischer’s lovebird is endemic to the east-central African countries of Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Budgerigars aka parakeets (Melopsittacus undulatus) are easily the most popular pet bird in the world. We enjoy their playful antics, cheerful chatter, ability to mimic humans, and the plethora of selectively bred color variations they come in. But like all domesticated animals they have their roots in the wild where they live far different lives from those in our cages.
Reviews and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Parrots are found across the globe in a wide variety of sizes and vivid colours, but the ones people tend to think of the most are the macaws of South America. Not only are they arguably the most beautiful members of their family, they have also gained a reputation as the faithful talking pets of pirates and sailors and sorcerers in film and literature.
Australia, like all islands, is an isolated laboratory of sorts, one that offers a look at what the world might be like under different evolutionary pressures. The rest of the world at large operates in much the same way, no matter where you go; the placental mammals (cats, dogs, deer, antelope, etc.) dominate top tier niches.
