Unlikely friendship between cockatoo and lorikeet
April 20, 2024 12:13 AM Subscribe
Unlikely friendship between cockatoo and lorikeet bamboozles wildlife sanctuary visitors.
A red-tailed black cockatoo and a musk lorikeet have become inseparable, with the smaller bird often found under the wing of the cockatoo at Tasmania's Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary.
Mr Irons said both birds had shown no interest in rooming in with their own species.
I hear ya, birds...
posted by chavenet at 12:19 AM on April 20 [9 favorites]
I hear ya, birds...
posted by chavenet at 12:19 AM on April 20 [9 favorites]
He's sort of like a best friend, and an umbrella
I mean, that sounds pretty good!
This is a lovely story.
posted by Zumbador at 1:07 AM on April 20 [4 favorites]
I mean, that sounds pretty good!
This is a lovely story.
posted by Zumbador at 1:07 AM on April 20 [4 favorites]
The musk lorikeet is so smöl, I die.
Also, it's in comparison to the red-tailed black cockatoo, which is a large bird. If you are used to the classic sulphur-crested cockie (which is a burly but not big bird) the black cockatoo can be quite a surprise.
When I was teaching sound at a certain Southbank campus that shall not be named, one of my great delights was to take the first years on a sound walk into Kings Domain (an area of manicured 19th Century parkland on the south side of the Yarra in Melbourne). Thanks to the vagaries of university scheduling, the class always fell in late summer, when the corellas come into the city looking for permanent water sources and rich food. Corellas are my favourite bird - they're excitable, rambunctious, intelligent parrots who delight in playing with everything. I often describe them as the under-13s footy team of birds. One morning, though, the students heard a great flock of rowdy corellas fall silent as six or seven yellow-tailed black cockatoos cruised overhead. Yellow-tails are more common than the red-tails, but quite similar in size and habit. They have a slow, croaking cry, somewhere between a sulphur-crested screech and a raven's croak. They flew ponderously over our heads, calling to each other, and descended on a cypress tree, where - like their smaller corella cousins - they proceeded to playfight, hang upside down, rip twigs and seeds off the tree and throw them at each other, and generally have an absolute ball.
I want to be reborn as a cockatoo.
posted by prismatic7 at 2:17 AM on April 20 [11 favorites]
Also, it's in comparison to the red-tailed black cockatoo, which is a large bird. If you are used to the classic sulphur-crested cockie (which is a burly but not big bird) the black cockatoo can be quite a surprise.
When I was teaching sound at a certain Southbank campus that shall not be named, one of my great delights was to take the first years on a sound walk into Kings Domain (an area of manicured 19th Century parkland on the south side of the Yarra in Melbourne). Thanks to the vagaries of university scheduling, the class always fell in late summer, when the corellas come into the city looking for permanent water sources and rich food. Corellas are my favourite bird - they're excitable, rambunctious, intelligent parrots who delight in playing with everything. I often describe them as the under-13s footy team of birds. One morning, though, the students heard a great flock of rowdy corellas fall silent as six or seven yellow-tailed black cockatoos cruised overhead. Yellow-tails are more common than the red-tails, but quite similar in size and habit. They have a slow, croaking cry, somewhere between a sulphur-crested screech and a raven's croak. They flew ponderously over our heads, calling to each other, and descended on a cypress tree, where - like their smaller corella cousins - they proceeded to playfight, hang upside down, rip twigs and seeds off the tree and throw them at each other, and generally have an absolute ball.
I want to be reborn as a cockatoo.
posted by prismatic7 at 2:17 AM on April 20 [11 favorites]
My sister’s 20-year-old Jardine’s parrot Topper has worked hard to make friends with her 3-year-old Siamese cat Kate, who finds this baffling. That said, the two can usually be found peacefully sharing a food dish or taking in the views together. Everyone needs friends.
posted by kinnakeet at 4:31 AM on April 20 [6 favorites]
posted by kinnakeet at 4:31 AM on April 20 [6 favorites]
I am often a sunbrella for my partner when were are walking in the summer.
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:49 AM on April 20
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:49 AM on April 20
Gotta watch the video for Smol Raphael sidling up to Lorge George.
posted by humbug at 6:44 AM on April 20 [2 favorites]
posted by humbug at 6:44 AM on April 20 [2 favorites]
Birb and Borb Are Friends
posted by briank at 7:29 AM on April 20 [1 favorite]
posted by briank at 7:29 AM on April 20 [1 favorite]
Gender aside, my proposed caption is "me and my goth gf"
posted by BungaDunga at 7:34 AM on April 20 [6 favorites]
posted by BungaDunga at 7:34 AM on April 20 [6 favorites]
I went into this thinking there was no way I would get bamboozled.
I was bamboozled! By George! The twee one is cute as expected, but the way George cocks his head and makes that cracking noise is just the best.
posted by zenon at 7:47 AM on April 20
I was bamboozled! By George! The twee one is cute as expected, but the way George cocks his head and makes that cracking noise is just the best.
posted by zenon at 7:47 AM on April 20
This past winter there were a pair of ducks that hung out together in the north tip of Belmont Harbor in Chicago - A Hooded Merganser and a Common Goldeneye. Both males. There were small flocks of each species in other areas of the harbor off and on but these two were always there and generally near a flock of Red-breasted Mergansers. Odd Couple vibes.
posted by srboisvert at 8:17 AM on April 20 [3 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 8:17 AM on April 20 [3 favorites]
My experience with lorikeets is that they are real jerks, so perhaps these two bonded because of a shared antipathy towards the rest of the world.
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:59 AM on April 20 [2 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:59 AM on April 20 [2 favorites]
lorikeet want lorge goth gf
posted by supermedusa at 9:09 AM on April 20 [4 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 9:09 AM on April 20 [4 favorites]
From the video: "There is no better start to the day, than a cuddle."
posted by JonathanB at 9:39 AM on April 20 [1 favorite]
posted by JonathanB at 9:39 AM on April 20 [1 favorite]
Does "bamboozled" mean something different down under? I don't think anyone is being tricked.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 10:47 AM on April 20
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 10:47 AM on April 20
Does "bamboozled" mean something different down under?
I took it as a synonym for "gobsmacked".
posted by maxwelton at 1:29 PM on April 20 [2 favorites]
I took it as a synonym for "gobsmacked".
posted by maxwelton at 1:29 PM on April 20 [2 favorites]
Well then. It was a very heart-wrenching story.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 3:14 PM on April 20
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 3:14 PM on April 20
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posted by tuesdayschild at 12:17 AM on April 20 [2 favorites]