2013 Bonanza Bird #9

Introducing the Blossom-Headed Parakeet: A Parrot with a Floral Diet

Our 2013 Birdorable Bonanza continues with the exciting addition of a new and enchanting parakeet species! Today, we are thrilled to introduce the Blossom-headed Parakeet to our diverse bird family.

Bonanza-2013-Blossom-headed-Parakeet

The Blossom-headed Parakeet, a stunning species of parrot, is native to India and certain regions of Southeast Asia. Known for their sociable nature, these birds thrive in forested habitats where they can be often found roosting and feeding in groups. They exhibit a strong sense of community, living and foraging together, and even nesting in tree cavities in a communal setting. This gregarious behavior adds to their charm and makes them a fascinating subject for bird enthusiasts.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Blossom-headed Parakeet is its close relationship to the Plum-headed Parakeet, another similarly beautiful bird. However, the Blossom-headed Parakeet can be distinguished by its unique coloration. The males boast a striking pinkish head, while the females feature a more subdued blue-grey color on their heads. This distinct sexual dimorphism in plumage is a characteristic trait of these birds.

blossom-headed-parakeet
La Perruche à collier noir by François Levaillant (public domain)

Interestingly, their name reflects their diet as blossoms are an integral part of their feeding habits. These parakeets are indeed what they eat, often seen indulging in the blossoms that they favor, which not only nourishes them but also plays a role in the pollination of their habitat.

Tomorrow we'll add an African bird of prey. What do you think of this silhouette?

bonanza-2013-preview-10

Today a beautiful parrot from Australia joins Birdorable: the Eastern Rosella!

Eastern Rosella

Eastern Rosellas are colorful parrots that live in southeastern parts of Australia, including Tasmania. Their beautiful plumage is a mix of red, yellow, blue, green, orange, black, and white. In their native range, they sometimes visit back yard feeding stations.

eastern rosella
eastern rosella by jeaniephelan

These colorful birds are cavity nesters. They nest in tree hollows, but will also use nest boxes, as you can see in this cute video. An adult tends to a juvenile in the box.


Eastern Rosella Family by JayEL58 on
Eastern Rosella

Tomorrow's species is a bird of prey known for its wide gape. Can you guess what it will be?

Birdorable Bonanza Preview
Birdorable Carolina Parakeet

Today’s bird is the 19th and final species in this year's Birdorable Bonanza! It is also our 350th Birdorable bird - introducing the Birdorable Carolina Parakeet!

The Carolina Parakeet was a colorful species of parrot native to the southeastern United States that is now unfortunately extinct. The last captive bird died in 1918, with the last wild birds dying out around that time or earlier. The Carolina Parakeet was a beautiful bird, with a green-blue body and warmer reds, oranges and yellows around the face. They used their powerful beaks to feed on seeds and fruit pits.

Photo by Tim Krepp (CC BY 2.0)

Cute Carolina Parakeet Gifts

Birdorable Chattering Lory

For 18 days we're adding a new Birdorable bird every day as part of our Birdorable Bonanza 2010. Today's bird is the Chattering Lory. The Chattering Lory is a beautiful species of parrot native to parts of Indonesia. They have gorgeous bright red heads and bodies, with green wings and orange beaks.

Chattering Lory (Lorikeet): Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Chattering Lory by dbillian

Tomorrow's bird is a beautiful North American duck. Can you guess what it is?

Birdorable Palm Cockatoo

For 18 days we're adding a new Birdorable bird every day as part of our Birdorable Bonanza 2010. Today's bird is the Palm Cockatoo! Palm Cockatoos are very distinctive-looking parrots. They are slate-grey in color, with a featherless, bright red cheek. Their bills are extremely large, and they sport a long, scraggly grey head crest. Because of their rare beauty, Palm Cockatoos are very popular in aviculture. Despite their relatively small native range in Australia, the wild population is stable and not considered threatened.

Palm Cockatoo
Palm Cockatoo by P. Stubbs

Tomorrow's bird is a very common bird across North America. You can find them almost anywhere. Can you guess what it is?

T-Shirt Tuesday: Barred Parakeets

This week's featured t-shirt is this New Zealand Save the Kakapo design. Birdorable is proud to support Kakapo conservation: 30% of the retail price of every Birdorable Kakapo product sale will be donated to the Kakapo Recovery Programme in New Zealand. For more information see our Save the Kakapo page.

Birdorable New Zealand Kakapo T-Shirt

Birdorable 189: Galah

Cute Birdorable Galah

Today's 189th Birdorable is this Birdorable Galah, also known as the Rose-breasted Cockatoo or Pink and Grey. It is a widespread parrot in Australia, where it can be commonly seen in the bush as well as urban areas such as Perth and Melbourne. Wow, I can't imagine having such colorful birds visit our backyard feeders.

Galah
Photo by scuze (Source: Flickr)

Until the 31st of July we'll be adding a new bird every day as part of our Birdorable Bonanza until we reach #200 at the end of this month. Here's a preview of tomorrow's bird:

Preview of Birdorable 190

Meet Birdorable's Newest Feathered Friends: 5 Parrots Join the Flock

Today, we're thrilled to announce the addition of five new parrot species to Birdorable: the majestic White-crowned Parrot, vibrant Blue-fronted Amazon, rare Spix's Macaw, elegant Alexandrine Parakeet, and charming Peach-fronted Parakeet.

Our collection of bird species continues to expand, particularly in the family of parrots and parakeets. Out of the 125 bird species represented on Birdorable, 32 belong to the parrot and parakeet families. One of the rarest and most critically endangered parrots in the world is the Spix's Macaw. It is believed to be extinct in the wild! The species was feared to be extinct in the early 1980's, until it was rediscovered in 1985 when just 5 birds were located in the north of Bahia, Brazil. Sadly, by 1988 it appeared the last 5 birds had been removed by trappers.

\In 1990, an exhaustive survey in the area resulted in the discovered of a single wild survivor! The Brazilian Authorities located a wild caught female Spix's Macaw at a private breeding facility. In 1995 the female was released in the wild to join the last remaining one, but unfortunately shortly after she was found dead. The one remaining bird was last seen on October 5th, 2000 and is thought to have died of natural causes as he was in excess of 20 years old. Currently there are approximately 120 individual Spix's Macaws in captivity around the world. 78 of these are participating in an international breeding program managed by the Institute Chico Mendes of Biodiversity Conservation, the Natural Heritage Branch of the Brazilian Government. 50 of these are managed at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation in the State of Qatar.