Error message
Unable to fetch location details at this time.
Cockatiel (female)
Nymphicus hollandicus
-17.4344, 123.723
Field Notes
Description:
This is about the female. She has a yellowish/grey face with dull orange spots over the ear. The body is grey with a large white wing patches and the outer tail and rump is barred. "The Cockatiel is an unusual member of the cockatoo family. It is small in size, and has a slender body and long pointed tail, which is more characteristic of the smaller parrots." (Birdlife Australia)
Habitat:
Sitting with a male (see pic 2 and spotting: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/322142668 ) in the bare branches of a tree at the Mankajarra Wetlands. This is towards the end of the dry season and in the build up to the wet season. Although the water level was low at the time, (it got much lower see pic 6 taken three weeks after the Cockatiel), there was still water and food due to the large amount of rain from the previous wet season (see pic 5 taken April 2017 just after the wet season) . Mankajarra has stands of Paperbark Trees (Melaleuca sp.) and other plants along the edges of the water. When the water level is high, the trees are in the water (see pic 5) and the birds have many more places to hide in and hunt from.
Notes:
I was with my mum when we saw what must have been approximately 50-80 individual birds flying around! See pics 3 and 4 for a glimpse of a few. These beautiful little birds are endemic to Australia.
Comments (2)