Owner operator Neil Hermes shares wonderful stories; the budgerigars, why parrots live so long, and the black-capped chickadee. Visit neilhermes.com.au to book tours and trips in Canberra and other destinations in Australia.
Welcome to another episode of The Weekly Bird Wrap by Neil Hermes where I recap some of the most amazing stories and facts about birds across the nation and from all over the world!
The Budgerigar – A Story of a Spectacular Picture
The Budgerigar is a commonly kept agricultural bird in the world. In the wild, the colors of these birds are a mixture of green, yellow, and blue. They nest in hollow trees.
Being seedeaters, these birds are water drinkers. The wet season of Australia has caused a vast number of breeding Budgerigars and on a daily basis, they have come to waterholes to drink.
In a certain photo released, it was amazing to see tens of thousands of Budgerigars coming in together to one waterhole to drink. The sky was full od Budgerigars!
Why Do Parrots Live So Long?
Many parrot species have average lifespans of three decades, outliving other birds and mammals. But why is it that way?
An international team of researchers has found a correlation between parrots’ brain size and their average lifespan. The larger the parrots’ brains, the longer they lived.
Bigger brains make parrots more adaptable to their environment, allowing them to stay healthy and live longer. For example, if they run out of their favorite food, they could learn to find something new and thus survive.
Calgary’s Official Bird
The votes are in – Calgary’s official bird is the black-capped chickadee.
An election was organised and after collecting more than 36,000 votes, the votes are in, the City of Calgary announced officially the bird that will officially represent the city — the black-capped chickadee.
The Leading Birding Tours in Australia | Neil Hermes: Our Ornithologist
A scientist by background, and a keen Ornithologist. Neil has lived in Canberra for over 50 years and has decades of experience in the tourism industry. He has turned his talents to guiding guests around Canberra which he called home for most of his life.
