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Macaws And Cockatoos

A cockatoo is classified as one of the 21 parrot species belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the super family Cacatuoidea or talking birds. The macaws are colorful parrots from the American continents, often considered to be companion birds, although conservation concerns are on the rise with more and more of these beautiful birds caught and kept in captivity.

Blue and yellow macaw-I saw this macaw in Jurong Bird Park, Singapore and was impressed with the way it flies while you can see the pure yellow color beneath. The sides are blue with a dash of green on the tip of the head, white on face with black beak.One of the most common large parrots and it is generally considered as one of the icons of the jungle. The pictures of this parrots is often used for movie posters  and for advertisements of safari parks. This bird is mainly in the valley of amazon forest near the river side.

Red and gold macaw-This macaw is also known as scarlet macaw. It is mainly found in central and southern America. A close look at this bird is worth watching because the white patch around the eye is spotted and looks beautiful supported by the black patch below the beak. I had the priviledge of seeing this macaw in Jurong Singapore. When breeding, the female performs most of the work while the male looks for food. Nest is established in hollow trees with a clutch that contains two eggs. This macaw feeds mainly on fruits, nuts and seeds and
occasionally supplementing their diet with nectar and flowers.

 

Sulphur-crested cockatoo– It is one of the most common species in urban areas. The beauty of this bird is the yellow crest on the head. It is also regarded as a pest for damaging agricultural crops and is known to strip timber from buildings. The nest is formed high above the ground in hollow limbs or trunk of trees such as eucalyptus, producing two or three eggs which are incubated for 30 days by both the parents. The young remain in the nest until they are full fledged for at-least 70 days after hatching.

African grey parrot-This is the largest of parrots in Africa. It is mainly found in dense equatorial forest and is enriched with grey color with a tip of red below the tail. Like the red and yellow macaw, the African grey parrot too has a white patch around the eye and black beak. Behavioral similar to the sulphur-crested cockatoo, it is also destructive to crops. The breeding season varies but usually occurs in rainy season when the food is aplenty. They breed in loose colonies making their nest in hollow tree trunks. They use their powerful bills to enlarge existing holes and lay 2-4 eggs in the wood dust. The eggs are incubated by the female. Both parents take care of their chicks. The young leave the nest around 2-3 months after hatching.

 

Major Mitchells Cockatoo-I had the privilege to hold this cockatoo It is white in color with pink on the head and white beak. It is also known as lead-beaters cockatoo or pink cockatoo and is mainly found in islands of Australia.

About the Author /

Sylvester Alphonso has worked as faculty in the Bureau of Maritime affairs, Gulf Coast training technologies and Great Eastern as marine instructor. He is passionate about nature and conservation, as well as birding and photography. He has won several awards including those for owning the highest collection of CDs and DVDs and the highest collection of photographs, India Book of Records, 2012.

Comments(4)

  • Laxman

    October 21, 2019

    👌👌👌

  • Jeremiah

    June 30, 2020

    We were lucky enough to have a blue and gold macaw with its companion was a miniature severe. Beautiful birds and you almost have to be careful what you say around them they pick it up so much. Both of them love singing the Stevie Wonder song and even knew the first line to one of the episodes we watched. Every time we’d cook pasta the bird would say hot!

  • Nirupa Ramanna

    July 10, 2020

    Friendly and charming.

  • Ritesh singh

    July 26, 2020

    Sir ji gray parrot kaha par mile ga .or chote type ke bird parrot mere pass hai but bada parrot mil nahi paa Raha hai

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