Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Some months ago my wife and I visited the Dubbo Zoo, an open-range zoo in the mid-west of New South Wales. This zoo is run by Taronga Zoo in Sydney and is an easy day's drive from Sydney. We had just spent a few weeks with our son and our grandchildren in Sydney and we were having an extended holiday in various parts of the state.

On the first day of our visit to the Dubbo Zoo - tickets are valid for two days as there is so much to see - we sat in the evening calm watching the monkeys in a nearby enclosure near the Visitor Centre. A solitary Sulphur-crested Cockatoo flew in and perched just above where the monkeys were having a feed. This was not a captive bird and like so many of the local birds it wasn't slow about inviting itself to feed on the leftovers from the zoo animals.

Cockatoos, Corellas and Galahs, as well as Lorikeets and many other parrot species are very common throughout Australia. In fact, some years ago I saw a wonderful video about our parrot species and it was titled "Land of Parrots". An apt description of Australia.

You can read more about our Australian birds on my other site called Trevor's Birding here.

White-bellied Sea-eagle, Taronga Zoo

White-bellied Sea-eagle, Taronga Zoo, Sydney

On many trips interstate over recent years we have visited our son and his family in Sydney where he works. On some of those occasions we have made a point of visiting the wonderful Taronga Zoo. It has to be one of my favourite zoos, and only a short drive from my son's home.

A feature of this zoo is the Bird Show, held twice daily and featuring some of Australia's wonderful birds. While this show is intended to be an educational event, it is also highly entertaining - and popular. (Hint: get to the amphitheatre at least 10-15 minutes before the scheduled starting time. After that it is standing room only.)

One of the birds featuring during one of our visits was the White-bellied Sea-eagle shown in today's photo. As you can see, it is an awe inspiring bird.

For more photos and information about Australian Birds, check out my other site, Trevor's Birding.

Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo of Australia

Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo of Australia

The Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo of Australia is a truly spectacular bird. I've seen this species in flocks of many hundreds and it is quite an unforgettable experience. This is one of the larger species of Australian parrot and is locally common in some areas but threatened in other parts of its range.

The photograph above is of a trained bird which is a part of the Bird Show at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

For more information and photos of Australian Birds, go to my other site, Trevor's Birding.

Spectacular Red-tailed Black-cockatoo of Australia

Red-tailed Black-cockatoo of Australia

The Red-tailed Black-cockatoo of Australia is a truly spectacular bird. Not only is it large and noisy, its colours are also amazing.

I've only seen this species in the natural environment on a handful of occasions. This photograph was taken during the Bird Show at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney a few years ago.

To read more about Australian birds, go to my other site, Trevor's Birding.

Australian Brolga

The Brolga is a large long-legged bird found across northern and eastern Australia. It is a member of the crane family of birds. It stands up to 140cm tall.

The bird in the photo above was a part of the Bird Show at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

For more about Australian birds go to my other site, Trevor's Birding.