Red Lorry and Rainbow Lorikeet

There are four subspecies of the Red Lory: Eos bornea bornea - the nominate subspecies, Red Lory Eos bornea rothschildi, Rothschild's Red Lory Eos bornea bernsteini, Bernstein's Red Lory Eos bornea cyanonothus, Buru Red LoryThe Red Lory is sometimes referred to as the Mollucan Lory.
Lories are popular companion birds and are quite easily bred. They are entertaining birds, with many unique behaviors. Some have been known to wrap up in a wash cloth for sleeping. At times, they will sleep on their back, with feet straight in the air. Very intelligent and trainable, they can be taught tricks and can be trained to eliminate in a certain area, on cue. Playful by nature, lories appreciate many toys, including ropes, bells, balls, and swings with variety being the key. They can, however, become quite possessive of their toys, and are capable of delivering a painful bite if their territory and possessions are not respected.
In the wild, lories feed on nectar, pollen, fruits, and the occasional insect. All lories have a tongue that is specially adapted with a brush-like tip composed of elongated papillae. This feature enables the birds to collect pollen from flowers and compress it into a form suitable for swallowing. They play a major role in the pollinating of trees and flowering plants in their native Indonesia coastal and mountain forests.

Rainbow lorikeets distribution is mainly over the north-east in AustraliaTheir habitat ranges from forests of all sorts (heathlands, open forests, rainforest, sclerophyll forest) coastal or inland, to any area including urban areas that have suitable trees, These birds are normally found in flocks, large flocks at night roosting in trees (thousands) but during the daytime they move and feed in much smaller flocks ranging up to 20 odd birds Late evening you may see larger flocks as they head towards their roosting site They are arboreal, which means they like trees, and can be very noisy, active, gregarious (sociable) and are often seen in the company of other birds They will spend long times feeding in trees but in hot conditions will have an afternoon break from feeding

These birds spend a lot of time feeding and most of their food comes from trees. Flowers, pollen, nectar, blossoms mainly from (Myrtaceae, Proteacea, Eucalyptus, Xanthoroaceae ,Banksia, Melaleuca, Callistemon), berries and fruits, so they can be a pest to suburban and commercial fruit tree growers Rainbow Lorikeets have tiny hair like appendices on the end of their tongue, to help extract nectar etc. For harder fruits or seeds, they grate the fruit inside their beak or roll the fruit with their tongue against the inside of their beak Whilst feeding because of the good grip they can get with their claws they can be observed hanging upside down etc to feed. They occasionally feed on insects and larvae They obtain moisture from water trapped in leaves, but can also drink water directly.

Rainbow lorikeets after 2 years reach sexual maturity and breeding occurs normally in the spring time with these birds paring up for life The nest is located in a tree hollow, knot hole or cavity high up and is lined with wood dust. 2 white oval eggs are normally laid and takes 25 to 26 days to hatch whilst the female incubates Both parents help to feed the young which fledge in 50 to 55 days Birds reach sexual maturity after two years

Umbrella Cockatoo

The Umbrella Cockatoo or White Cockatoo, Cacatua alba, is endemic to the islands of Central and Northern Moluccas (aka Maluku Islands) - Bacan, Halmahera,, Tidore and Kasiruta - in Indonesia.
Although the umbrella cockatoos is not classified as an endangered species it is classified as vulnerable. It numbers in the wild have declined owing to habitat loss and illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade. It is listed in appendex 2 of the CITES list of protected species. This gives it protection by making the trade of wild caught birds illegal.

Rainbow Lorikeet

The Rainbow Lorikeet is very colourful - almost every colour of the rainbow can be found on their feathers. They are not large birds, with a Rainbow Lorikeet's length ranging from 25–30 cm (9.8-11.8 in) in size, and have a wingspan of about 17 cm (6.7 in). The markings of the best known subspecies T. h. moluccanus are particularly striking. The features distinguishing a Rainbow Lorikeet include a dark blue or violet-blue head and stomach, a bright green back, tail and vent, and an orange breast and beak. Several subspecies have darker scalloped markings across the orange or red breast.
Rainbow Lorikeets often travel together in pairs and occasionally respond to calls to fly as a flock, then disperse again into pairs. Rainbow Lorikeet pairs defend their feeding and nesting areas aggressively against other Rainbow Lorikeets and other bird species. They chase off not only smaller birds such as the Noisy Miner, but also larger and more powerful birds such as the Australian Magpie.

Palm Cockatoo

Palm Cockatoo

Palmer
Scientific name: Probosciger atterimusFamily: CacauatuidaeOrder: PssitaciformesClass: Aves
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
The weight of the female Palm Cockatoo is between 500-950 grams, and the males weigh between 540-1100 grams. Both females and males height range from 49-68 centimeters. The wings are about 35.1 centimeters, the tail about 23.8 centimeters, the bill about 9.1 centimeters, and the tarsus about 3.5 centimeters. These Palm Cockatoos are very large birds. They are the second largest flying parrot after the hyacinth macaw.
The scientific name is derived from both Greek and Latin. Proboscis is Greek for nose, gero is Greek for carry, and atterimus is Latin for black. Most Palm Cockatoos are dark gray and black with a cheek-patch of bare red skin . The cheek skin color may change according to their level of stress, it may change pink or beige if it is stressed, or if it is excited it will turn yellow. Palm Cockatoos have a very strong mandible, which they use for cracking nuts.
DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:
The Palm Cockatoo originated in New Guinea, Australia. It is also known to occur in the Aru Islands, Misool Isle in the Western Papuan Islands, West Irian, Southern New Guinea from Merauke east to the Gulf of Papua, and in Australia on the Cape York Peninsula in the Northern Territory. The Palm Cockatoo usually resides in rainforests. The Palm Cockatoo has three subspecies. The first one is the P.a. atterimus, which is from Misool, Aru, and Northern Australia. The second one is called P.a. goliath, which is from the Papuan Islands, and West Irian extending out to Southeastern Papuan. This is the largest subspecies of the Palm Cockatoos. The third subspecies is P.a. stenolopus, which is from New Guinea and West Irian.
BEHAVIOR:
Most captive birds behave differently from wild birds. Captive birds tend to display compulsive movements, and motions which they will continuously mimic. Territories are formed at tree top where nests occur. Palm Cockatoos, like many parrots, have the ability to learn and mimic the human voice. Cockatoos enjoy spending their days in the trees, digging up things, and foraging for fruits or whatever else they might find to eat. Palm Cockatoos are usually in pairs, but maybe found singlely or in groups of five to six. Sometimes the Palm Cockatoos gather and engage in social interactions such as preening, forming displays, and just calling out to one another.
DIET:
Palm Cockatoos sometimes feed on seeds and fallen fruits that they may find, but they would rather eat plants than fruits. They also eat insects, and insect larvae. Berries are common fruit that the Palm Cockatoos consume.
BREEDING and NESTING:
When male Palm Cockatoos are ready for courtship, they will display their beautiful feathers by stretching them to their full height, and approach the female, while calling to them at the same time. The age of maturation in the Palm Cockatoo is about four years old. The Palm Cockatoos lay only one egg per year. It takes anywhere from 30-35 days for their eggs to hatch, and the chick needs between 70-100 days before they are able to become almost the same height and weight of their parents. The chick will not emerge from its nest until approximately 100-110 days. About two weeks after leaving its nest, the chick still is not able to fly and is forced to depend on its parents for another six weeks.
Wild Population:
The Palm Cockatoo has been listed on CITES Appendix I since 1987 and may not be exported without permits.
Suggested Reading:
Rogers, Cyril. Parrot Guide. Neptune City, New Jersey. T.F.H. Publications Inc., 1981.
Vriends, Matthew. Popular Parrots. New York, NY. Howell Book House, 1983.
Caris, Thomas. The Palm Cockatoo. 1999&2000 www.homepages.hetnet.nl/~thcaris/palm.htm
Taylor, Mike. Palm Cockatoo SSP Husbandry Manual. 2000. www.funnyfarmexotics.com/PALM/paintro.htm

Research di Pekan, Pahang

Pada 17hb Ogos 2009, saya dan ahli rombongan pelajar telah membuat kajian di Pekan Pahang. Kami semua dibahagi-bahagikan kepada Mukin-Mukim yang tertentu. Ketika kami berada disana salah satu daripada kumpulan saya telah pergi ke Mukin Bebar iaitu En Ramli dan En Megat di bawah naungan Cik Salbiah salah seorang Pensyarah Universiti Tun Abdul Razak. Ketika mereka berada di sana, mereka dapati terdapat banyak perkampungan-perkampungan Orang asli yang berasal dari kaum Temuan. Di situ juga mereka dapat melihat penjualan burung-burung serindit yang banyak. Berikut adalah gambar-gambar yang diambil oleh pelajar-pelajar saya tersebut :

Keunikan Orang Asli memikat burung di Rompin

RAMAI pengunjung berminat meredah hutan di Rompin, Pahang untuk melihat kehidupan Orang Asli selain mempelajari cara mereka memikat burung. Di kawasan itu juga banyak burung yang ada nilai komersil seperti tiong emas, merbok, bayan, puling dan serindit.Ada juga yang datang ke kawasan penempatan Orang Asli untuk membeli burung dan hasil kraftangan penduduk tempatan.Selain itu, ada juga Orang Asli menjual kijang, pelanduk, anak beruk kepada pengunjung untuk dijadikan binatang peliharaan serta mendapatkan wang bagi menampung kehidupan harian mereka.Apa pun, tidak semua orang mahir menangkap burung, apa lagi spesies yang ada harga seperti tiong emas kerana burung hidupan bak jinak-jinak merpati.

Namun, masyarakat Orang Asli ada kemahiran tersendiri untuk mengepung dan menangkap burung tanpa perlu mencederakan haiwan itu. Ada juga pengunjung yang berminat memerhatikan mereka menangkap.Bagi sekumpulan penduduk Orang Asli di Kampung Simpai, Rompin, Pahang kehidupan di hutan memberikan pengalaman yang menyeronokkan di samping mengharapkan hutan sebagai sumber mendapatkan wang tambahan.Pekerjaan mengesan dan mencari burung di hutan, lazimnya bermula pada awal pagi ketika burung sedang rancak mencari makanan. Kumpulan pemuda termasuk kanak-kanak dari perkampungan itu terpaksa meredah hutan yang di sekeliling perkampungan mereka.Seorang daripada mereka, Mat Tin, 21, berkata ada sekurang-kurang empat hingga lapan pemuda dari kampung itu menumpukan pekerjaan mereka ke hutan bagi mendapatkan burung sebagai mata pencarian.Hasil pencarian itu mendatangkan pendapatan sampingan di antara RM20 dan RM100 sehari yang dijual tidak jauh dari lebuh raya Kuantan-Segamat. Kebanyakan pembeli dari Pahang, Johor dan Singapura.“Burung yang ditangkap akan dijual dengan harga RM5 hingga RM150 seekor, tetapi harga itu mengikut jenis burung yang ditangkap” kata Mat.Katanya, harga burung Tiong Emas juga berbeza-beza bergantung kepada saiz dan kecantikan badan termasuk warna burung itu. Harga bagi burung tiong emas boleh mencapai sehingga RM150 seekor kerana kesukaran menangkapnya malah burung jenis ini tidak akan diturunkan harga kerana tawaran harganya yang agak tinggi dan ramai pembelinya.Setiap Orang Asli termasuklah wanita, mempunyai kemahiran dan kepakaran tersendiri untuk memerangkap serta menangkap burung. Kaedah menangkap burung tidak akan mencederakan apa lagi membunuh haiwan itu.“Kecacatan yang dialami oleh burung mengakibatkan harganya rendah atau ditolak oleh pembeli burung” katanya. Justeru, mereka sentiasa berhati-hati ketika menangkapnya.Kebanyakan Orang Asli menggunakan kaedah yang lebih moden bagi memerangkap burung iaitu menggunakan getah yang diletakkan pada perangkap yang diletakkan di atas pokok atau pokok kelapa sawit yang menjadi tumpuan utama burung itu.Permintaan terhadap burung dalam bilangan yang banyak datangnya daripada penjual burung. Mereka datang dua atau tiga bulan sekali bagi mendapatkan pelbagai jenis burung yang ditempah untuk dicarikan burung itu, katanya.

Psittacula longicauda Profiles - Scientific Latin Name

Profiles:
The Long-tailed Parakeet averages 16.5 inches (40 to 42 cm) in length. The wing length is about 142 - 155 mm and the tail is about 154 - 270 mm long.
Adult Male: The general plumage is green. The throat, breast and abdomen are greenish-yellow; and the lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird's head) are bluish-black. The crown is a darker green, and the sides to head and nape are rose-red. There is a black stripe to the cheeks. The upper back is yellowish washed bluish-grey. The lower back is pale blue. The under wing-coverts are yellowish. The upper and under tail-coverts as well as the thighs are pale green. The middle tail-feathers are blue with pale tips and the outer feathers are green. The upper beak is red and the lower beak is brownish-black. The irises are whitish-yellow, and the feet are grey.
Females have a green nape. The stripe to her cheeks is dark green, and the upper cheeks are dull orange-red. Her tail-feathers are much shorter, and the upper and lower mandible are brownish-black.
Young birds have a green head variably interspersed with orange-red. The tail feathers are shorter, and both the upper and lower beak are brown. Young males have a bluish tinge on the lower back and some young males may have a reddish tinge to the upper beak. Immature birds attain their adult plumage when they are about 30 months old.
Mutations:
Lutino and other colorations, believed to be mutations, have been observed both in the wild and in captivity.
Breeding / Nesting:
The breeding season commences in February and goes on until about July. During the courtship display, the male bows before hen, making regurgitating and circular movements with head and touching bill of hen.
These parrots mostly nest in hollow branches or holes in dead trees and occasionally will nest in living trees. The nest is lined with pieces of bark and chewed wood. In the natural habitat, the average clutch consists of 2 to 3 eggs each measuring 30.6 x 24.7 mm.
Aviculture:
This is a medium-noisy to noisy parakeet. It's initially very shy and is slow to grow confiding with their care taker. These parakeets don't bathe often, but will occasionally choose to perch in rain. They enjoy gnawing fresh twigs.
Captive breeding is rarely achieved. The main problems are the difficulty of matching compatible pairs up as these parakeets may not accept a mate that they themselves have not chosen and even if pairs are breeding, it is very difficult to keep the chicks alive. Sudden mortalities without discernible cause have been reported - possibly resulting from stress. Some may refuse to eat. Occasional aggression by hen towards the cock has been observed. Additionally, these delicate parrots are difficult to acclimatize. Newly imported birds are susceptible to cold and wet conditions. During the acclimatization period, they should not be exposed to temperatures of less than 24°C and at no time below 10°C.
The average clutch size consists of 2 - 4 eggs laid at daily intervals and incubated for about 23 days. The young fledge 7 weeks after hatching and are independent 2 weeks later.
Accommodation:
These parakeets need spacious aviaries and are rather active if they have space to move around. A planted outside flight of the following dimensions OR LARGER is recommended: 3 x 1 x 2 m with adjoining sheltered area (heated if necessary to maintain a comfortable temperature). It's important to place the aviary in a quiet and sheltered location.
Provide a roosting box (22 x 22 x 60 cm) at all times.
Diet / Feeding:
Natural diet consists of fruits (Pandanus, Carica papaya, Dryobalan-ops sp.), seeds, flowers (Acacia) and leaf buds.
Insects and their larvae may also be part of their daily diet; whether these parrots actively seek them out is unknown, but they may be incidentally ingested while foraging on fruits and flowers. These parakeets are also considered a crop pest as they cause considerable damage to oil palm plantations in their natural range.
Captive Diet: An organic, good-quality dry food mix should be provided, that may include safflower and sunflower seeds, buckwheat, various millets, canary grass seed, oats and hemp; millet spray (also sprouted). A large portion of their diet should consists of a variety of fruit (apple, pear, fig, grapefruit); greenfood and vegetables (carrot, capsicum, cucumber). Sprouted seeds should be fed daily.
During the breeding season, eggfood, biscuit and sprouted seeds should be provided to the parents to help them raise the young.
Sprouted or germinated seeds are usually more easily accepted by "seed addicts" than fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sprouted seeds are healthier as the sprouting changes and enhances the nutritional quality and value of seeds and grains. Sprouted seeds are lower in fat, as the process of sprouting utilizes the fat in the seed to start the growing process - thus reducing the fat stored in the seeds.
Sprouted seeds will help balance your bird’s diet by adding a nutritious supply of high in vegetable proteins, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll.
Soaked and germinated "oil" seeds, like niger and rape seeds, are rich in protein and carbohydrates; while "starch" seeds, such as canary and millets, are rich in carbohydrates, but lower in protein.
It is in invaluable food at all times; however, it is especially important for breeding or molting birds. Sprouted seeds also serve as a great rearing and weaning food as the softened shell is easier to break by chicks and gets them used to the texture of seeds.
If you have access to the food items that are part of their natural diet (listed above), that may increase your chances of maintaining a healthy breeding flock.

2009 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Near Threatened

Justification This forest associated species occurs in the Sundaic lowlands where deforestation has been widespread in the recent past. It is consequently considered Near Threatened, because it is assumed to have experienced moderately rapid declines. It is not considered more threatened because it can use human modified habitats.
Family/Sub-family Psittacidae
Species name author (Boddaert, 1783)
Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)
Population estimate
Population trend
Range estimate (breeding/resident)
Country endemic?
unknown
decreasing
-
No
Range & population Psittacula longicauda occurs in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, India (where it was abundant though little recent information is available), Coco islands, Myanmar, peninsular Thailand, Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Kalimantan (including the Natuna Islands), Sumatra (including the Riau Islands), Indonesia and Brunei (widespread).
Ecology: It occurs in coastal and lowland areas to at least 300 m preferring extreme lowland swamp (including peatswamp) forest in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, although it avoids primary forest in Borneo. In addition it has been recorded from many types of lowland evergreen forest including mangroves, oil-palm plantations and coconut groves. It prefers forest edge, including near cultivated areas and will visit parks and gardens. It is gregarious and flocks of thousands have been reported from the Nicobars and Borneo, although smaller numbers are more common. It makes poorly understood movements, being abundant in a locality for a period, then absent for years. It feeds on fruit and nests communally, using tree cavities and laying 2-3 eggs in December-February.
Threats Rates of forest loss in the Sundaic lowlands have been extremely rapid because of a variety of factors, including the escalation of logging and land conversion, with deliberate targeting of all remaining stands of valuable timber including those inside protected areas, plus forest fires (particularly in 1997-1998).
Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II.
Conservation measures proposed Monitor the species in trade. Monitor habitat trends and rates of deforestation in the Sundaic lowlands using satellite images and remote sensing. Research the species's ecology to improve understanding of movements it makes. Effectively protect significant areas of suitable habitat at key sites, in both strictly protected areas and multiple use areas.
References BirdLife International (2001).

Further web sources of information
Fully detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book
Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International)
IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International)
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Psittacula longicauda. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 29/7/2009
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums