A FLASH OF RED

Ward Grove, PVS, Vic
Amongst my favourite birds in Melbourne were the rainbow lorikeets that would fly in to drink the nectar from the red bottle brush tree we had in the backyard. I just love the richness of their colouring. But I'm not allowed to 'like' them in Perth. They are another invasive species from the eastern states - see my blog about Kookaburras - and have pushed out various local bird colonies and impacted fruit crops. They are now a declared pest. So I have to transfer my loyalty to another bird.

Much as I enjoy the cheekiness of willy wagtails and the sociability of pink and grey galahs, my vote for the moment goes to the Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo or Karrak. I just love the flash of colour that you see when they settle into a tree. They are a vunerable species, not yet on the endangered list, but there's only 15,000 in the south west so it's always a joy to see a couple in the neighbourhood.

Willagee, WA



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