Sep-Oct 2014, Volume 24 Issue 5

Subspecies is a term often loosely bandied around these days. For a subspecies to be recognised there generally needs to be a difference in the size and or colour of the birds and ideally an area of separation between races so that the true subspecies evolve in isolation. P.e.nigrescens have evolved in separation over the last 30 thousand years since our continent started to dry and become arid.

Dusky Lories are slightly larger than lorikeets. These originate from Indonesia and Paua New Guinea and are the only species of the genus Pseudeos. The two varieties are red phase and yellow phase. The red phase actually has more of an orange tinge about them. This could possibly be put down to the parents being of mixed origin (yellow hen x red cock – or vice versa) or diet having an influence over the offspring.

Through a request made to the Parrot Society of Australia a group of nine parrot breeders from the Czech Republic arranged aviary visits that were hosted by members of the FN Q Bird Breeders Club around the Cairns region recently. This was a highlight for these visitors as they were able to interact with our companion pets as well as view local sub species of parrots that they have only read about and never dreamed of ever seeing.