Australia is lucky enough to have several species of brightly coloured Lorikeets. Named after their stunning technicoloured appearance, rainbow lorikeets are a beautiful sight in many Australian backyards, parks and gardens. In the early 1900s Rainbow lorikeet numbers were concerning, but after protections were put in place, their numbers have steadily built over the last 60 odd years. Larger birds, feral cats and the international parrot trade still pose a threat to these stunning birds, but their numbers are currently strong.
Hunter Valley Wildlife Park’s walk through Lorikeet Sanctuary is home to Rainbow Lorikeets, Scaly Breasted Lorikeets, and Red-Collared Lorikeets. Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park also boasts a selection of Lorikeets in their aviary.
C175: 25.30CM
SEXES: SIMILAR
HABITAT: Found in open forests and closed
DIET: Their diet consists of nectar, pollen, fruit, seeds and insects
BREEDING: Both sexes prepare the nest cavity and feed the young, but only the female incubates
the egg. The clutch size is between and s eggs, which are incubated for 25 days.
GENERAL INFORMATION: Although wide easterly
distribution, often locally common in southern Queensland.
SIZE: 23CM
SEXES: SIMILAR
HABITAT: Woodland, urban parks and gardens
DIET: Eucalyptus and Banksia flowers, not as adaptable to cultivated foods as the familiar Rainbow Lorikeet
BREEDING: May-February, nests are made in a tree hollow. 2-3 eggs laid and incubated for 29 days.
GENERAL INFORMATION: similar to the Raindow Lorikeet, replacing the former in the Northern Territory and Kimberely region.
SEXES: SIMILAR
Largest Australian Lorikeet, they are less tolerant of urbanisation than their cousins.
SIZE: 26 CM
HABITAT: Woodland, swamps, parks and gardens.
DIET: Range of native flower nectar and insect larvae
BREEDING: Aug-Dec, 1-3 eggs laid in a tree hollow and incubated for 23 days. Young fledge at 8-9 weeks.
Famous for their territorial and communicative ‘laugh’, the Laughing Kookaburra is an iconic Australian species, approximately 40-48cm in size. There are 2 subspecies of Laughing Kookaburra: D.n.novaeguineae and D.n.minor. In both species, adult males have white wing patches in flight and a large bill which is black above and ivory below. They have a dark eye stripe, and a large pale head with brown spots and crown patch. The back and wings are brown, with pale blue mottling on the wings. The rump is often blue, and the tail is barred rufous-brown and black, edged with white, and plain white below. In subspecies D.n.minor, adult males are smaller. In adult females, the rump is brown or pale blue, and the head is more buff.
Laughing Kookaburras are carnivorous, feeding on small reptiles, insects, crabs and fish, as well as other birds from nests and chickens.
Laughing Kookaburras are very territorial and sedentary, usually living in small family groups which co-operate in raising young and protecting territory. Pairs are generally monogamous, breeding from September-December. Nests are usually in a tree hollow, termite nest chamber or in an earthen bank. Females lay 2-4 white eggs and both parents will incubate and raise the chicks.
Standing at 150-190cm and weighing in at up to 65kgs, Emus are the world’s second tallest bird, and third heaviest. They are a flightless species- however they do have small wings which they use to cool themselves. Their feathers are quite remarkable, as they are ‘double shafted’, meaning that 2 feathers grow from one follicle. This gives Emus their ‘shaggy’ appearance. Male emus have a blue head and throat, whereas females have only a blue ‘ear’. They have powerful longs legs, with large, 3 toed-feet, and can reach speeds of up to 50km/h.
Emus are omnivorous, feeding on a variety of grasses, herbage, caterpillars and grasshoppers. They will also ingest pebbles to aid in digestion.
Emus may live in flocks, pairs or individually, and do not have any sort of structural hierarchy.
Breeding season is from April to November, during which time females may mate with several males. Emus will build flat bed nests, and lay an average of about 9 dark green eggs. After a female has laid her eggs, it is up to the male to incubate and raise the chicks. The female will then leave and join another flock and find another mate. Males incubate the eggs for 8 weeks, and will raise the chicks for up to 2 years.
Standing at 170-180cm tall, and weighing up to 65kg, Southern Cassowaries are the world’s third tallest bird and second heaviest. Southern Cassowaries have a thick, tall casque on top of their head, with blue head and neck skin, red skin down the sides of the neck, and a double red and blue wattle. They have double-shafted, long black feathers that give them a shaggy appearance, and short, thick, powerful legs. Each foot has 3 toes with sharp claws, especially the medial claw, which measures at up to 12cm long and can tear through flesh.
Southern Cassowaries are omnivorous, feeding primarily on fruits, seeds and berries, as well as fish and carrion.
Southern Cassowaries are solitary birds, coming together only during breeding season from July-September. Females will lay 1-6 light pear-green eggs in a large flat nest made of sticks, leaves and other debris. She will then leave to find another mate, and the male will be responsible for incubating the eggs and raising the chicks.
The smallest of all penguin species, the Little Penguin is an adorable bird, standing at 40-45cm tall and weighing up to 1kg. Their head, neck, back, rump and tail feathers are a glossy dark-blue, and the chin, throat, chest and abdomen are white. The flippers are dark-blue on top and white underneath with a grey ‘smudging’ at the tips, and the beak is leaden-black.
Little Penguins will dive an average of 5-20m to find food. They most commonly feed on pilchards, anchovies, red cod, barracouta and squid.
Little Penguins live in colonies that can have hundreds of members ashore at one time. From June-August, males will come ashore and renovate old burrows or dig new ones. They will perform loud courting displays for arriving females, who will join them in a courtship display in which both birds will stand erect with their flippers spread out and heads bowed, walking in tight circles around the nesting site. Once a pair has formed and mated, 2 eggs will be laid in the burrow. Both males and females will incubate the eggs, with the non-incubating partner hunting for food. Chicks hatch after an incubation period of 33-37 days. By 3 weeks of age, chicks are old enough to remain in the burrow by themself, being fed regurgitated fish from their parents. At 7-11 weeks of age, chicks develop their waterproof feathers and begin learning to swim.
Red-tailed Black Cockatoos are a large, glossy black-cockatoo, 55-60cm in size. There are 5 subspecies of Red-tailed Black-cockatoo: C.b.banksii, C.b.graptogyne, C.b.macrorhynchus, C.b.naso & C.b.samueli. These species differ in geographic location, body markings and bill size.
Adult males are sooty black with red panels in tail, the crest is round and helmet-like, and the bill is large, rounded and prominent. Adult females are duller, and spotted/ barred yellow, with a whitish bill and orange-yellow tail with black barring.
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos feed on the seeds of eucalypts, casuarinas and banksias, as well as fruit, nectar, flowers and insects and their larvae.
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos are usually found in pairs, small flocks or large, noisy flocks. During the breeding season, which varies according to geographic location, males will strut across perches with their tails fanned out and their crests up to attract females. Once a pair bond has formed and mated, the female will lay 1, rarely 2, white eggs in a nests made in a tree hole or hollow, usually high up. Females will incubate the egg and the male will bring her food. Both parents will feed the chicks, regurgitating partially digested seeds from their crops. Although chicks fledge the nest at 10-12 weeks old, they can remain with their parents for up to 4 years. Red-tail Black-cockatoos have a lifespan of roughly 20-50 years.