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Post by wompoodove on May 17, 2009 16:35:22 GMT 10
Hi Folks: I hope its okay that I am not Australian. My name is don and I owned several Australian parrots back in Canada. (I now live in California) I owned budgies, cockatiels, Red-rumps, and Eastern Rosella and a pair of Princess. The Princess were my favorite and I dreamed of one day coming to your fantastic country and seeing them in the wild. I did just that! If you want to check out my adventure you are welcome to stop by and check it out. polytelismedia.wordpress.com/Cheers folks! |
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Post by silvercloud on May 17, 2009 17:12:32 GMT 10
Hi and welcome Don. Yep it's cool that you're not aussie ;D Princesses are just gorgeous hey. I have a blue hen amongst a bunch of other aussie parrots.
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Karen
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Post by Karen on May 17, 2009 23:31:42 GMT 10
Great photo's and commentary there mate! Loved every bit of it.
I myself only keep Aussie parrots, my mother has 2 african lovebirds but mine are all Aussie!
I've got Princesses, Red Rumps, Eastern Rosella's, Bourke's, Elegants and of course no Australian aviary would be complete without budgies.
In the past I've had: Crimson Rosella's, Palehead Rosella's, 28 Parrots, Mallee Ringnecks, Hooded Parrots, Rainbow Lorikeet plus various foreign parrots.
You are right though, Australia is amazing for the amount of beautiful parrots we have.
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Post by wompoodove on May 18, 2009 2:14:29 GMT 10
Hi and welcome Don. Yep it's cool that you're not aussie ;D Princesses are just gorgeous hey. I have a blue hen amongst a bunch of other aussie parrots. Hi Bird Crazy! By the way something I noticed about the wild Princess is that they have a kind of gravelling throaty voice when they call unlike the birds I have heard in aviaries both in North America and Aus. One person said that she thought that was because wild birds might be subject to a worm in the trachea area etc. I just thought perhaps it was a natural way for them to cal and communicate and not be too clear and bell like in their calls which might attract predators. Do you or any of your mates on here have some thoughts on that one? cheers and thanks for the welcome! Don |
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Post by silvercloud on May 18, 2009 12:34:59 GMT 10
Can't answer that one Don. Maybe they use the gravelly voice for a specific purpose? Who knows, but they're a never ending source of enjoyment. My princess Stormy lives inside as do 2 cockatiels, a rainbow lorikeet and a red capped parrot (who can talk the leg off a chair hahaha) so it gets a lil noisy in here. Stormys voice is particularly high pitched sometimes, does my ears in but I love it.
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Post by sypher on May 18, 2009 20:23:08 GMT 10
Welcome Don!  Do the aussie parrots command a high price over your way? Shaun |
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Karen
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Post by Karen on May 18, 2009 21:54:12 GMT 10
My princesses have such a variety of calls that on a couple of occasions I haven't recognised who has made it. There is the bell type call which my elderly neighbours are totally in love with and there is a gravelly/croaky/growly sound that is hard to describe. There is also the clucking that 1 boy in particular does - particularly when I call him a pretty boy and handsome etc. I also get the head bobs and perch hops when I do this.  |
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Post by wompoodove on May 19, 2009 0:55:22 GMT 10
Welcome Don! Do the aussie parrots command a high price over your way? Shaun Yes they sure do Shaun. A baby sulphur crested cockatoo for example costs about $3000.00 Canadian. A pair of Princess goes for about $600 which is more within my budget... grin.. Cheers mate! Don |
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Post by pinkdevil on Jun 4, 2009 11:11:46 GMT 10
Hello and welcome from me as well. Good to see you have a few Aussie birds in your collection. |
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Post by lilfaery on Jun 4, 2009 13:43:06 GMT 10
Hi Don, and welcome to the forum too.
I loved your photographs as well. It is beautiful to see the parrots in their natural habitat. Almost as good as owning some. hehe.
I love the princesses too, even though I don't have any (YET!)
Enjoy yourself on the forum mate.
Cheers, Shauna ;D
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Post by wompoodove on Jun 6, 2009 6:17:25 GMT 10
Thanks Shauna: One of the things I noticed about wild Princess is how fast they fly. They have to be one of the fastest parrots alive. I mean when I was watching them they flew about 500 meters in about 3 seconds! I couldnt believe it! They were simply stunning to look at and looked so peaceful resting in the Casuarina trees in that beautiful Western Aus desert!  |
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Post by norwichfinchman on Jun 6, 2009 8:13:29 GMT 10
Hi Don,
i dream about going to Australia but not just for the parrots? What about the Sunshine and the Aussie Warmth! Oh, and the Australian Finches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by wompoodove on Jun 7, 2009 3:16:56 GMT 10
Yes indeed Norwich! That is the other wonderful thing. Leaving North America at the end of August knowing you will not return until the end of February thus misssing most of winter!
It may come as a surprise to all my Sydney - Melbourne mates but my all time favorite city/location is Cairns, Queensland. I love the fact that you walk out of your door at 11 PM and its still 30 deg! Such a fun and yet relaxed city and on the doorstep to rainforest and remote areas. Absolutely love Cairns.
Also the other thing I loved about Australia is simply Australians! So laid back and friendly. I still think there is some sort of comradery that I cant explain between Canadians and Aussies. Some kind of complimentary mindsets that seem to always click. The Aussie bird community is simply amazing. Without them and the site called Birding-aus I wouldnt have found probably half of the species I found and filmed. So 3 cheers to the Aussie bird community. Its friendly here as well!
Cheers!
Don
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Post by scots001 on Sept 1, 2009 13:14:20 GMT 10
Hey Don... I checked out your site but I had it b/marked previously so we must have a 'common" friend.
BTW you look like a bloke in that photo...
I know how beautiful it is up Cairns way -dang I forgot to mention that in my welcome from Robyn- as I lived in Pt Douglas when my sister and I emigrated to Australia from Scotland in the late 50's... It was just in those days a wee town and the times I spent in the Bush with a brother in law and sister who were traveling vets or that should be vets that traveled.
As for the cost of parrots here... Cockatiels are very reasonable unless a specific mutation... the Little Corella's for instance cost 1000 US dollars .. all prices I quote are US dollars... Umbrellas about 1400.00, Moluccan cockatoos 2500.00, Galahs 1500.00, Ducorps 1300.00, Goffin 1000.00 and then at the opposite side of the country in California probably a bit more.. here is Florida we don't have breeding seasons as that is usually most often year round. The African species such as the Grey's do maybe go to nest three times and most breeders pull the boxes to rest the birds.. Major Mitchell chicks are about 3,000 and my two pair kept me broke as no chicks ever...
I have the Citron and that is close to 1400.00 and the small Lesser or Sulphur Crested about 1200.00
Those were the prices when I had my breeders a few years ago.... My amazons ... I have four all varied and the Double Yellow Heads cost the most..
Now hopefully Don will fill is in as I may be way off about CA prices...
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Post by wompoodove on Sept 1, 2009 15:17:25 GMT 10
Hey Don... I checked out your site but I had it b/marked previously So glad you enjoyed the blog mate... Still thrashing through the editing process on the film. Finished NSW and now working on Victoria. Currently working on Musk Lorikeet. I am having a lot of fun just watching the antics of these little beauts for sure... cheeky and animated. I have one clip where they are wrestling in the trees by hanging by one foot. The prices looked about right on mate. Just for the record some of the aussie mates might not be aware that Ducorps is their Little Corella I believe. Hard to imagine the same cherished hand-fed babies in North America are considered crop pests in Aus! Speaking of Major Mitchells... I will never forget the amazing time I spent with a group of 4 of them... Sometimes as close as about 3 M ! Okay mate all the best to you! Cheers! Don |
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Post by avinet on Sept 1, 2009 20:31:50 GMT 10
Just for the record some of the aussie mates might not be aware that Ducorps is their Little Corella I believe. Hard to imagine the same cherished hand-fed babies in North America are considered crop pests in Aus! Ducorps ( Catatua ducorpsii) are a different species to our Australian Little Corella ( Catatua sanguinea) with different appearance - the Ducorps has no red around the lores and also lacks the yellow wash to the underside of the wings and tail. Ducorps are found in the Solomon Islands and Bougainville. cheers, Mike |
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Post by scots001 on Sept 1, 2009 22:45:41 GMT 10
Don the Little Corella over here is called the Bare Eye Cockatoo or you'll see advertised BE2.. I love my guys as they are such fun birds to watch while they play... and to have them flatten their heads to revert to all sweetness looking like a little white baby owl.. so cute!!
Mike answered the question about the D2... They are about the size of a Red Vent ... and a bit smaller than the Goffin who is smaller than the BE2... LOL
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Do the aussie parrots command a high price over your way? 
