Aussie Finch Forum

Thanks for that update, I haven't really kept up with what's going on for years, I know Healesville were doing well, do you know if the re release programme has been at all sucessful? ( the drop in numbers would say it wasn't )

I think they trailed release, but it wasn't very successful. I can't remember what the exact problems were, but I think it was that they weren't prepared for the weather over Bass Strait, which is difficult to prepare them for. You can't say that they're high and dry yet. You couldn't even call them describe them to be high and vigorously towelling themselves off. They need to at least double their numbers (while not inbreeding) to keep their population viable. The majority of birds breed every year are taken into the captive breeding population (I think this year it was 18 out of 26 birds). There is hope though.

NRG,
One of the reasons the paradise parrot went extinct is because they would not breed in captivity.

Thanks Nathan

They probably would these days in the right hands I reckon , however back then husbandry skills were a bit " basic".

I know I saw a Night Parrot just south of Mt. Garnet about 25 years ago, must have been about 11.30PM. A small grey fast walking bird with a little of green flickering on flanks. As for the Paradise Parrot I remember reading somewhere, a number of birds were taken to England, that was before the war but I doubt it if they were that good in those days, there was no breeding records anywhere in the world. Also I am sure I saw three birds at the Loro Parque (Canary Islands) ether the Night or the Ground Parrots. However, there was no record they were ever sent to Canary Island. Canary Island has the largest collection of rare or endangered parrots including Spix and the St Vincent's Parrot etc. No finches at Loro Parque!

Think you might find it was a private birdo that first bred Orange Bellied parrots . Fred Lewitska (not sure on the spelling), he also maintained Adelaide zoos bird collection for many years.Would be interesting to find out some facts on what happened back then because i think the birds were taken off of him.Love to hear more on that story if anyone has info.

Why does the canary islands have so many different types of rare parrots and rare Australian parrots that not evan we have?.

Regards Nathan

Nathan Morleyy wrote:Why does the canary islands have so many different types of rear parrots and rear Australian parrots that not evan we have?.

Regards Nathan

You mean 'rare' parrots? Loro Parque at Tenerife (Canary Islands) is one of the biggest bird parks in the world, walking through the park must be the closest to heaven on earth. The garden setting with lots of beautiful palm trees and rare tropical trees, the garden is one of the best maintained that I have ever seen. There are ponds with hundreds of large Japanese Koi carp that people feed, there is an aquarium with all kinds of South American Piranhas and fish, a glass house with many varieties of Orchids etc. etc. There are lots of world top ornithologists, scientists, Veterinarians and private top aviculturists either working there or contributing whenever needed. They have daily exhibitions (every half hour) of young rare parrots being fed including the Spinx Macaws. I spent two days there and I don't think I have seen all of the parrot species they had in the park. They have most of the Australian rare parrots including the Orange-bellied Parrots, Ground Parrots (3 males only), Palm Cockatoos etc. South American endangered Lear's Macaws, Blue-headed Parrots and Spinx Macaws. The aim is to try to breed endangered species and try to reestablish them back in to the wild, and their achievement speaks for itself. If you're after finches you'll be disappointed, they don't even have their native Canaries or the Blue Chaffinches I was hoping to see. In other words if they ask for some rare parrots most countries will donate in hope they will produce enough birds for reintroduction back to their natural environment when possible. This is not to say that we don't have breeding programs and people capable of doing the same.

But i thought that the export of Australian parrots is illegal and how did they get ground parrrots? we dont evan have ground parrots and they are native to Australia.

Regards Nathan

Nathan Morleyy wrote:NRG,
One of the reasons the paradise parrot went extinct is because they would not breed in captivity.

Thanks Nathan

Simply not correct . . .