The practically perfect parrot
Parrots magazine|July 2020
I’m sure we all remember that famous part in Mary Poppins when the world’s favourite nanny suddenly pulls out (from a seemingly bottomless bag) a magical measuring tape and measures her two charges.
Lee Connor
The practically perfect parrot

First, holding it up against young Michael and getting the reading, ‘extremely stubborn and suspicious,’ and then putting it against the constantly giggling Jane and accurately predicting, ‘inclined to giggle and doesn’t put things away.’

The children then ask Mary to measure herself. She reluctantly agrees to do so and, then, rather smugly announces after reading once again from the magical measuring tape, that it quite clearly states she is indeed, ‘practically perfect in every way!’

Now, if birdkeepers could get hold of this magical measuring tape and were to hold it up against the Bourke’s Parakeet, I am sure we would get exactly the same reading, for the Bourke really is the practically perfect parakeet!

It was discovered by early Australian explorer Major Mitchell (after whom the Leadbeater’s Cockatoo takes its alternative name) in 1838 and was named after Sir Richard Bourke, who was governor of the state of New South Wales at that time.

The species has a relatively long history in aviculture with peaks and troughs, first being exhibited at London Zoo in 1867 when it would appear they were initially quite commonly imported. However, despite successful breedings being reported on the continent, the earliest being a Belgian breeder in 1877, and by 1884, W. T. Greene described them as being, “As rare as a Phoenix”.

The first British breeding of the Bourke’s Parakeet was reported quite late in 1906 and, again, they seemed to vanish from sight, only appearing once after the First World War when a few pairs came into the possession of the Duke of Bedford.

This story is from the July 2020 edition of Parrots magazine.

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This story is from the July 2020 edition of Parrots magazine.

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