Earlier this year we were asked by quilter Kate C. if she could use our cute Scarlet Macaw illustration as an inspiration for part of a quilt she was making for her granddaughter. We kindly agreed! Kate send us this photo of the macaw in the finished quilt. Isn't that cute?!
Thank you, Kate!
Our 390th species is also our 70th parrot: the Orange-winged Parrot!
The Orange-winged Parrot is a fairly large species of parrot that lives in parts of South America. They feed on fruits, seeds, berries, and nuts. They like to hang out in small groups, usually pairs, during the daytime. At night, however, they become party animals! They gather in large roosts for sleeping; these roosts may contain several hundred birds.
Because of their beauty, Orange-winged Amazons they are popular birds in the pet trade. They have a very wide range in the wild, and though populations are decreasing, they are not in danger of extinction at this time. They may live up to 30 years in captivity.
Tomorrow's bird is known as BGGN to bird banders. Can you guess what it will be?
Today we reveal Bonanza Bird #7: The Red-fan Parrot, also known as the Hawk-headed Parrot.
The Red-fan Parrot is a beautiful species that lives in South America. They are named for the unusual fan of feathers found around the nape. The bird can control the position of these feathers, raising or lowering them depending on their mood.
The ruff feathers of this species are particularly beautiful. We have created a few unique designs featuring a cute cartoon illustration of the feathers, including a heart shape made of feathers and a circular design where the bird is outlined by feathers.
Tomorrow's bird lives in Africa and has an unusual diet compared to other birds in its family. Can you guess what it will be?
For 22 days we’re adding a new Birdorable bird every day as part of our Birdorable Bonanza 2012. We’re counting up to Birdorable #400! Today we introduce the Birdorable Saint Lucia Amazon!
The Saint Lucia Amazon is an endemic species of parrot that lives on the island nation for which it is named. These colorful bird are unfortunately vulnerable to extinction, threatened primarily by habitat loss. Conservation efforts are helping this species to come back from the brink of extinction. According to BirdLife International, "education and awareness programmes have turned the bird into a national symbol."
Tomorrow's bird is an African species known for its loud call. Can you guess what it will be?
Our fourth bird species in the Birdorable Bonanza is the Twenty-eight Parrot, a sub-species of the Australian Ringneck.
The Australian Ringneck is a beautiful species of parrot native to Australia. They live in southwestern forests of coastal and subcoastal Western Australia. The Twenty-eight Parrot is named for its call! It sounds like it is shouting out 'twentee-eight' when it calls. The bird eats mostly on the ground and its diet consists of seeds, fruits, insects and flowers.
Tomorrow's bird is an endangered species that makes an epic migration from the southern tip of South America to the Arctic. Can you guess what it will be?
The beautiful Princess Parrot is one of the latest new birds we have added to Birdorable. Princess Parrots are colorful birds with green bodies, pink throats, blue crowns, green shoulders, reddish bills, and blue rumps. They are native to Australia.
The Princess Parrot has several alternative names, including Queen Alexandra Parrot, Queen Alexandra Parakeet, Alexandra's Parakeet, and Princess of Wales Parakeet. These all refer to the Princess Alexandra of Denmark, for whom the species was named. [In case you don't know your royalty: Alexandra was mother to King George V, who was father to King George VI, who was father to the current Queen Elizabeth II.] If you love these beautiful parrots, be sure to check out our Princess Parrot gifts in the shop!
We recently added the Harlequin Macaw to Birdorable. The Harlequin Macaw is a relatively common hybrid macaw, a cross between a Green-winged (Red-and-green) Macaw and a Blue-and-yellow Macaw. Like other hybrid macaws, male Harlequins tend to take the coloring of the mother bird, while female Harlequins take the coloring of the father. The word Harlequin has several meanings; one refers to a comic servant character in Italian literature (similar to the court jester). Owners of these gregarious birds might find this meaning fits their avian friend. Harlequin is also a color, described as being between green and yellow. This fits well with the beautiful hybrid coloring of the Harlequin Macaw.
Check out our Harlequin Macaw t-shirts and gifts. Besides the usual array of apparel, don't forget that Birdorable also offers goodies like magnets, keychains and postage!
Our latest Birdorable parrot is the Bourke's Parrot or "Bourkie", a colorful grass parrot from Southwestern and Central Australia, where they are endangered due to overstocking and rabbit plagues. In some parts of Western Australia populations have recently increased after grazing was scaled down, allowing vegetation to return. If you like our Birdorable Bourkie don't forget to check out our 50+ other parrots and parakeets.
We have two new Birdorable coloring pages for anyone who loves to color! They are: the Great Blue Heron (which can also be colored as a Grey Heron) and the endangered Hyacinth Macaw, a beautiful parrot from central South America. Go to Coloring Pages to download these two new PDFs and check the Meet the Birds page to check the colors.
These downloads will be available until 31 March 2010. Check here for more coloring pages. Subscribe to the Birdorable Blog by RSS feed or by email to get notified when new downloads like this are added.
Do you think this parrot looks cute? Don't let the cute big eyes fool you. This parrot is a killer! The Kea is native to the South Island of New Zealand and is one of only a few parrots in the world that lives in alpine regions. They to used to be killed by farmers for they preyed on livestock, especially sheep. Can you believe this cute parrot would attack a sheep?
The above drawing from 1882 shows a Kea on the back of a sheep. The birds have the reputation for pecking through the skin of a sheep to take fat from around the kidneys. This usually does not immediately kill the animal, but often a fatal blood infection follows. A bounty was placed on the birds that caused a heavy reduction in their numbers, but now they are a protected species. Here is a shocking clip from Animal Planet narrated by David Attenborough. Warning: this video is not for the faint of heart
The kea is the 213th bird species we've cutified as a Birdorable. It's available on customizable t-shirts and gifts. For more cute parrots and parakeets see Meet the Birds.
