Tag Archives: Purple-crowned Lorikeet

My Top Thirty Bird Sightings Of 2014

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Most other years this would be a top ten, but with 3 major birding trips this year I am struggling to make it a top thirty!  If you want to see last year’s birds click here.   There is no way I could single out one top bird with so many to choose from so they are being presented in chronological order.  I haven’t finished blogging the Queensland road trip or the African Adventure so I have to cheat a bit with the photos.  They are my photos but just pasted in.

1.  Carnaby’s Cockatoo – seen at several places in Western Australia, Feb 2014.

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2.  Western Rosella – seen at Dryandra and Stirling Range in Western Australia, Feb 2014

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3.  Purple-crowned Lorikeet – seen near Fitzgerald National Park, Western Australia, Feb 2014

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4.  Western Bowerbird – seen at Nallan Station, Western Australia, Feb 2014

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5.  Splendid Fairy-wren – seen at Yanchep, Western Australia, Feb 2014

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6.  Orange-bellied Parrot – seen at Melaleuca, Tasmania, March 2014

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7.  Eastern Ground Parrot – seen at Melaleuca, Tasmania, March 2014

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8.  Swift Parrot – seen on Bruny Island, Tasmania, March 2014

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9.  Major Mitchell Cockatoo – seen at Bowra Station, QLD, March 2014

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10.  Cockatiels – seen at Bowra Station, QLD, March 2014

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11.  Satin Bowerbird – seen at Girraween, QLD, March 2014

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12.  Ultramarine Lorikeet – seen on Ua Huka, Marquesas, French Polynesia, June 2014

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13. Rimatara Lorikeet – seen on Rimatara, French Polynesia, June 2014

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14.  Cape Parrot – seen in King William’s Town and Magoebaskloof, South Africa, Nov 2014

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15.  Lilac-breasted Roller – seen in Kruger Park, South Africa, Nov 2014

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16.  Echo Parakeet – seen at Black River Gorges, Mauritius, Nov 2014

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17.  Vasa Parrots – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

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18.  Schlegel’s Asity – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

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19.  Hoopoe – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

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20.  Paradise Flycatcher – seen in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

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21.  Red Malimbe – seen in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

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22.  African Grey Parrot – seen (fleeting glimpse) in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

Didn’t click fast enough!

23.  Senegal Parrot – seen in Shai Hills, Ghana Nov 2014

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24.  Tacazze Sunbird – seen at Addis Ababa Hilton, Ethiopia, Nov 2014

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25.  African Red-bellied Parrot – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

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26.  Cordon Bleu Waxbill – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

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27.  Meyer’s Parrot (Brown Parrot) – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

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28.  Red-and-yellow Barbet – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

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29.  Superb Starling – seen all over Tanzania, Nov 2014

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30.  Lovebirds – seen in Madagascar (Grey-headed), Tarangire (Yellow-collared) and Ndutu (Fischer’s).  Just couldn’t choose between them!  Nov 2014

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These aren’t necessarily the rarest birds but they were birds that made a major impression on me.  Maybe for their rarity, maybe for their beauty or maybe for their behaviour! Apologies for not having profiles up on about half the birds but I still have a lot more to blog about!

A Fortunate Call Of Nature In Jerramungup

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After leaving Two People’s Bay, we still had quite a ways to go, about 260 km until the stop for the night in Ravensthorpe.  It was inevitable that we would have to answer the “call of nature” at some point.  Luckily the point we chose was Jerramungup, just north of Fitzgerald River National Park!

IMG_5464After visiting the roadhouse, I heard a different sort of “call of nature”  that I hadn’t heard before but it was vaguely similar to the Pygmy Parrots in Nimbokrang last year.  Right across the street was a park full of flowering gum trees – perfect parrot food so my hopes were high!

IMG_5374Drawing closer and peering up into the branches, I was thrilled to see tiny little Purple-crowned Lorikeets!  They had eluded us in Albany and Stirling Range so I was so grateful to finally find some!

IMG_5377a IMG_5378a IMG_5388a IMG_5417a IMG_5426a IMG_5427a IMG_5429a IMG_5437 IMG_5438aWe hung around the park just enjoying the antics of the cute little lorikeets when all of a sudden they took off en-masse, flew around the area a couple times so I could get a few photos in, then disappeared into the bush for their nightly roost.  What a treat to see these little guys so unexpectedly!

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Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala)

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The Purple-crowned Lorikeet, (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala) is a very small lorikeet, approx. 16 cm in length, with a purple crown, orange forehead and ear-coverts, green upper parts are bright green and a pale blue belly. There is a small patch of bright blue at the bend of wing, with underwing coverts bright red, and obvious in flight.  They are easier to hear than see, often calling in flight. The call is a high-pitched  ‘tzeet, tzeet’.

IMG_5438a IMG_5429a IMG_5388aThe Purple-crowned Lorikeet is found in southwest Western Australia, and in southern South Australia, east from the southern Eyre Peninsula, through the Gawler Range and southern Flinders Ranges and across Victoria to East Gippsland. It is also found on Kangaroo Island.  I was lucky enough to come across a flock at Jerramungup while enroute to Ravensthorpe.

Approximate location of Jerramungup within the Purple-crowned Lorikeet range.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PURPLE-CROWNED LORIKEETS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

NSW Environment & Heritage

Birds in Backyards

VIDEO

Getting ready for his close-up!