Jul-Aug 2010, Volume 20 Issue 4

It seemed to me that people may buy a pair of these incredibly sensitive birds and, when they did not breed for them, pass them on, claiming that they are “hard to breed”. Challenging this myth is also part of their appeal for me and from the start my plan was to accumulate a number of breeding pairs so that I could then sell the offspring as unrelated pairs. My first pair obliged me with three clutches of three in the first year. This enabled me to purchase my second pair, diversifying the bloodlines. Over the last four years I have had 21 eggs from the original pair which have resulted in 20 chicks being hatched and raised. By keeping the best birds from my own progeny and, over time, either purchasing or swapping individuals I am now at the point where I have several pairs of Greys that are all breeding well, thereby increasing my stock of unrelated pairs that I either retain or sell as bonded pairs.

The Parrot Society of Australia Inc. Bi-ennial International Parrots convention ran over the July 2nd, 3rd and 4th weekend, proved to be an outstanding success. It has been described by many as the best Parrots convention yet. Delegates were treated to a fabulous cross section of highly acclaimed and respected international guest speakers covering the entire gamut of Aviculture. All speakers lived up to their credentials and produced outstanding PowerPoint presentations that both delighted and informed the wide cross section of delegates from the USA, Singapore, New Zealand and from all points across Australia. A key factor of Parrots convention lectures is their level of relevancy to Australian Aviculturists.

Although I also keep Blue & G old Macaws, Yellow-crowned and Blue-fronted Amazons and Caiques, it is the two species of Black Cockatoo that I specialise in that has lead me to name my aviary facility “Aussie Cockatoos” and at this stage in time I keep six breeding pairs of the Yellow-tailed Cockatoos. There are two species of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos; Calyptorhynchus funereus funereus and Calyptorhynchus funereus xanthanotus. The larger species c f funereus, which I specialise in, weighs approximately 800gm and is 65cm in length. The smaller xanthanotus species is 58cm in length and weighs 600 grams. The Funereus species is found on the east coast of Australia from central north Queensland to the border area of NSW and Victoria and the smaller species from the South Australian Victorian border to the New South Wales Victorian border and also Tasmania.