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Birdland: Canberra Walk-in Aviary

8/16/2019

4 Comments

 
Picture
Australia is known for its parrots. Of the more than 300 different species of parrots around the world, Australia has 56 of them, not counting sub-species. Twenty minutes north of Canberra’s city center is a spot to get up close and personal to many of Australia’s parrots: the Canberra Walk-in Aviary

Planted with suitable habitat for birds, this privately-owned aviary stretches over 3300 square feet and up nearly 30 feet high. It houses around 500 birds from 55 species, including more than 20 types of parrots.
Budgerigar
Indian ring necked parakeet
Princess parrot
Musk lorikeet
Cockatiel
Superb parrot
Parrots aren’t the only birds in the aviary; finches, partridges, doves, and pheasants make their home here as well.
Red faced parrot finch
Chukar partridge
Barbary dove
Golden pheasant
​The admission price includes a plate of apple slices and a bowl of live meal worms. The birds flock to visitors (and more importantly, to the food they’re carrying). It is not the place for people who are squeamish about birds perching on them. One determined bird landed on me repeatedly, running his beak through my hair, as if grooming me.  
I made the acquaintance of the lorikeets, particularly the rainbow type. These small parrots are cheeky, social, and persistent. Although they are often a pest in the wild, there is no denying their charm here.
These lorikeets figured early in Australia's history: a rainbow lorikeet was the first parrot to travel back to England with Captain Cook.

I thoroughly enjoyed my morning here and look forward to the next time. I’ll return with a better zoom—the camera loves these birds. 
4 Comments
Diane
8/18/2019 12:13:55 pm

Oh my, looks like that bird wants your hair for his/her nest (LOL). So colorful and majestic!

Reply
Rose
8/19/2019 01:06:16 am

I didn’t think of that! Maybe that white colour is perfect for a lorikeet’s nest! 😃 Thanks for reading and commenting!

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Ed Reniker
8/19/2019 04:21:52 am

I think I enjoy what you write about because you ask the same kinds of questions I want to know about...the origins of events or activity for example. I also find you give a really nice mix of nostalgia and realism. I didn't know Heinz started with horseradish, but that makes great sense. I didn't realize that the beans and toast of the UK started with Heinz beans marketing!

Also loved the pictures....especially of the birds. Thanks for letting us see Australia without getting on a plane.

Reply
Rose
8/20/2019 03:12:24 am

Ed, thank you. Your comments about my writing are among the nicest I have ever received. I am so happy that you’re enjoying the blog. I write about what interests me, and it feels like serendipity to find out that others are interested too. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughtful comments.

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    Rose Ciccarelli is an American writer and editor living in Canberra, Australia.

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