Parrots: The Animal Answer Guide

Introduction

My early interest in natural history was piqued not by parrots but by birds of prey. As a teenager, I recall spending hours poring over Tom Cade’s 1982 Falcons of the World and Jack and Lindsay Cupper’s 1981 Hawks in Focus. My dream was to become a raptor biologist. Growing up in the Riverina town of Griffith, it was parrots, however, that formed a constant backdrop to my life. Our house was only a couple of streets back from a bush-covered hill, home to a flock of Pink Cockatoos (Lophochroa leadbeateri). We referred to them as “Major Mitchells” or “Wee Jugglers,” though you rarely hear the latter name anymore. Small flocks regularly flew over our house, their quavering calls causing us to race outside to catch a glimpse. I’m happy to report the birds are still there 30 years later and, when I’m home visiting Dad, their calls still draw me outside. It was perhaps no surprise that I chose to study Glossy Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus lathami) for my PhD. I learned that the differences between raptors and cockatoos are not as great as one might think. Their nests are difficult to find and hard to reach, individuals can be elusive but do little when found, and both have qualities that result in complex relationships with people. My goal in writing this book was to give people a general understanding of parrot biology. I have tried to emphasize how environmental challenges and the imperative to reproduce have shaped the appearance and behavior of species. The book is arranged thematically, each chapter dealing with a Introduction xv xvi Introduction particular aspect of parrot biology or conservation. Answers stand alone, allowing people to dip in and out of the book. This has resulted in some repetition, which I hope the dedicated reader will forgive. The literature on parrots grows each day, meaning this animal answer guide is a snapshot of what is known at the time of completion. The reader should keep in mind that our knowledge in a number of fields (e.g., color and the evolutionary relationships between species) is growing rapidly. To aid readability, I have not used the standard scientific referencing system. A selected bibliography is presented at the end of the book, with a complete bibliography available at the publisher’s website (www.jhu.press.edu). I have endeavored to mention the authors of key papers, and I trust others will be pleased to see the results of their work reported herein. I hope all readers enjoy the book. Parrots: The Animal Answer Guide This page intentionally left blank ...