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Have been home from work over the last couple of
days with the dreaded flu/cold/lurgy, during which I have been listening to the
parrot tribe that visit the Strawberry tree (Arbutus) that is outside my bedroom
window. Both Rosellas and King Parrots are present at the moment feeding on the
last remnants of the white, bell-shaped blossoms.
Because these aren't the only birds in the
neighbourhood I did not think twice about obvious calls from other birds mingled
in with the parrots various calls. Until this morning, when I went outside and
observed a male King Parrot, literally bobbing up and down on a perch, making
enough sound as if several birds were chattering away. At first that's what I
thought it was since I could distinctly hear calls of both Rosellas being given.
Then as I watched him, the bird clearly mimicked both Kookaburras and
Yellow-tail Black Cockatoos intermingled with the other calls. I'm sure there
were other species calls in there but was intent on verifying the two named
species which I was able to do before he took off.
Don't see any references to this in guides/texts I
have but am not altogether surprised given records of other parrots and
non-parrot species doing the same. Perhaps this is more common than my
experience to date?
Cheers
Shaun
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