Hello all Young Observers! Have you enjoyed finding birds in your back gardens or in the parks?
This time we are sending you some of the Parrots, Rosellas and Lorikeets easily seen in Adelaide. You will need sharp eyes to tell which is which sometimes as they are very swift fliers and when they are in the trees, their feathers are clever at hiding them, that is, they are good at camouflage!
You will know that Australia is famous for all its colourful parrots.
Rosellas are slightly heavier and larger parrots than lorikeets. Many of our parrots eat seeds, fruits, grasses and leaf buds. Some enjoy the flowers and their nectar. Many also like to live in tree hollows
Here they are: you may know some of them already!
Budgerigars are native to South Australia. Wild birds are mostly light green and yellow. After some were captured, people found they made wonderful little pets. They were bred all over the world and now there are many colours, like bright green and yellow, mauve, blue, grey and pure white budgerigars.
They can be seen around Mt Lofty and Flinders National Parks, sometimes in flocks of 100 or more. They eat seeds and usually live in the dry areas of our country.
Ringneck Parrots are mostly green with a yellow band across the back of their necks. There are several types and the one shown here is the Pt Lincoln parrot with its very dark head, dark blue cheeks and yellow belly. They are
large parrots with very long tapering tails.
Adelaide Rosellas are lovely to watch playing in the trees very like the Rainbow lorikeets. These rosellas have a tomato coloured breast and tummy, blue speckled back and long blue tail feathers. They are bigger than the lorikeets. The picture at the top of the page is an Adelaide Rosella.
Eastern Rosellas have black and yellow speckled backs, a bright red head and chest, and lovely white cheeks. They have yellow tummies and blue along the edge of each wing. Tails are blue and green.
Rainbow lorikeets you all know very well have bright blue heads with a broad yellow band across the top, green backs and tails, orange and
yellow chest colours and a blue tummy to finish.
No wonder we call them Rainbow lorikeets!
When they are busy tasting their favourite food, the red bottlebrush flowers, it is very difficult to see them even when their noisy conversations tell you they are there!
Red Rumped Parrot is a medium sized but slim green parrot. It has a light yellow or green belly and a red rump just above its long tail. Males are usually brighter green than females. They feed on the ground and you can often see them along the River Torrens and in parklands
around Adelaide. They are usually seen near water.
We hope you can find them all.
Good fun observing.
From Liz Hansman
Could you send us a picture of a bird you see in your garden? Ask someone to help you to send it to us here
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