My time as a "Birdo", and other exciting things.

Life is great.  Seriously.  I'm so incredibly happy with my life here, all that I have experienced, the people I have become close to, and the ability to have this amazing opportunity. Truly do not know how I managed to be so lucky.  

It's been awhile since I've posted a new blog, (I have been busy, busy, busy), but I certainly will make up for my negligence with tooonnnsss of photos and exciting things! So don't be too angry, people.

For the past two weeks I have been working in the Bird Department at Cairns Tropical Zoo.  It's certainly been a very different experience, compared to the Reptile Department, and is one that has allowed me to work with some beautiful native Australian birds and gain insight into a new perspective of zookeeping.

As a birdkeeper, the majority of my time was spent preparing food, feeding, cleaning, and maintaining the appearance of enclosures.  Similar to what I was doing in Reptiles, but certainly different in many ways.  The Bird Department is responsible for the care and husbandry of a diverse group of birds found in many areas of Australia.  Birds ranging from Pelicans, to Kookaburras, to Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos, to Cassowaries, and everything in between.  I can't say that I've ever seen so many beautiful birds before, up close and personal, as I did during my time in Birds.

Okie, here's pictures, Yay! (OH! Because I just realized this.  If you want to see the photos larger than they appear in the blog, click on them, and POOF, they're huge.  Something to help you all out.  Sorry I've just discovered this.  Never said I was great at writing/knowing how to write a blog. Oops!)


One of the first species of birds I interacted with are these guys below.  These are Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos and are related similarly to the Sulfur-Crested Cockatoos, (also below), that most people, (i.e. Americans), are used to seeing as pets.  Red-Tailed Black's are absolutely beautiful, and even though these pictures fail to capture how vibrant they are, the red on their tail, is strikingly bright. Gorgeous animals. Juvenile Red-Tailed cockies are born with yellow flecks in their feathers, and will either keep that yellow spotting if female, or if male, will turn jet black except for their red tail feathers.

"Crackers", the Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo.  He says Hello to the zoo's incoming visitors. Cutie.

Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos

Indy.  She enjoys being fed sunflower seeds.  Fat little thing.

Female, (Indy), and Male Red-Tailed Blacks.

Love when they "crest" and all of their feathers on their heads pop up!

Baby Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo.  So ugly, it's maybe cute..? I'm not sure yet.

In the same aviary as the Red-Tailed Black's are these cute little birds.  These are Major Mitchell Cockatoos.  A pretty pale pink color, with white, and dark pink head feathers that show when they "crest".

Found evvveerrrywhere around Cairns are these guys below.  These are Bush-Stone Curlews. Some of the strangest and most bizarre little birds I've seen. They have giant eyes, and act so strange when people get close.  I wish I could explain and describe the times of calls they make at night, but it sounds like a woman wailing half the time.  Realllyy lovely at 2 in the morning.

This guy is known as a Brolga.  For the longest time I thought it was "Brolg-ER", because of the way Aussie's pronounce things, and until I actually saw it written down, I was made fun of quite a bit for saying brolg-er.  Being American is tough here. :( 

These next couple of birds are probably my absolute FAVORITE in Australia.  It's a classic Aussie bird, but nonetheless a beautiful one! Their call is incredibly well known and very cool to hear from less than a meter away - The Kookaburra. (And no, he's not sitting in an old gum tree")

Blue-winged Kookaburra. My most favorite of the two kook's I have photos of.

Lunch time for Mr. Kookaburra. Yummy mouse.

Flying around with the Kookaburras are these strange looking guys.  These Frog/Owl/Bird things are Tawny Frog-Mouths.  An Australian native bird of prey that looks as if someone took a variety of animal species, threw them in a machine, and clicked the "create" button.  And the sounds that these guys make when you get too close....let's just say that strange, is an understatement.  It somewhat resembles a frog croak, with a dash of growl thrown in. Google it.  It's that interesting to hear.

Also present in the Bird of Prey Aviary are BooBook owls.  Pretty cool looking owls, that always seem to look very guilty, as if caught in the act of some serious crime.  

I fed him a mouse, and when I went to take a pic, he looked up with this face. 

I told you. Such a guilty, "Oh shit", look. Ha.

In one of the main walk through aviaries, The Rain-Forest walk through, are a variety of tropical birds, ranging in color and size.  I may not be a true bird person, but being able to walk among 60+ birds is a pretty cool thing.

Rainbow Lorikeets.  The loudest little things ever.  Beautiful in color.  Striking blue, green, red, orange, and yellow.  I've never seen anything like them.  However, bring a white bucket into the aviary, and 21 screetching Rainbow Lorikeets will soon appear in full force.  

This one almost fell in the nectar container.  So greedy.

This guy, a Glossy Ibis, was another species found in the walk through aviary, and was a vibrant plum color.  

And that beak! Very cool looking.

During my time in birds, the main supervisor, took the time to show me how to handle and restrain a couple of the birds in the zoo.  Besides the Brolga, (shown previously), I was shown how to restrain and handle this bird below.  A Lesser Sooty Owl named "Ash".  Although, the explanation and description of how to restrain him is much more elaborate, the quick summary, is.."hold him like an ice cream cone".  Strange. But a pretty accurate description, really. 

Yes, that's my nail-polished hand.  Hand around his wings, tail feathers, and legs. 

My personal little owl ice cream cone.

Although, not on display for the visiting public, I was able to feed these guys each day.  These two crane-type birds are known as Jabirus.  The female is the one on the right with the white plumage, while the juvenile male is on the left.  Sadly, I wish I had some better photos, but the iPhone combined with skittish birds, can only go so far.

Hand-feeding Mr. Jabiru some fish. Nom nom.

Australia possesses the largest type of Pelican in the world. Many countries including the U.S. have native pelican species, but nothing as large as these guys.  However, these birds only weigh a shocking 5 kilos, or roughly 11 pounds. Birds are amazingly light.

"Peli". The Pelican. Yes, that's his name.

"Peli", throwing a tantrum after not getting any more fish.  

As a hand-raised animal, he's a strange one and demonstrates his frustration/aggravation in this manner.

Another classic Aussie animal, is the Cassowary.  These birds are infamous for their ability to disembowel animals, (and potentially people), with a swift quick and slice with their middle toe claw.  Unfortunately these birds are incredibly endangered and are sometimes hit by cars, here in Queensland, further contributing to their declining numbers.

"Mamu", the juvenile male cassowary.  

The photo is indeed taken from behind the fence, but I am more than happy with that location.

In addition to the various birds that I handled, worked with, and took photos of, I was also able to give some quick cuddles to a couple of the native marsupials found in Australia.  If you're a facebooker, than you've already seen the following photos, but I'm showing them again anyway.  Because they're just SO cute.

This is baby common wombat, Aleera.  Roughly a year old, she's so incredibly cuddly.  

Most wombats are tempermental in nature, and are not generally a "cuddling" type animal.  

But she's an exception. Bah. Adorable.

This is Pebbles.  Another common wombat, but an adult female.  

Still very cute, but nowhere near as cuddly as Aleera.  I'll just pet her instead.  

Sleepy little wombat in a log.

Aleera and Pebbles are definitely cute.  However, my favorite little guy in the zoo so far, (besides Iggy the Green Iguana), is little Theodore, aka Theo.  Theo is a Pademelon, (a type of macropod, in the same family as kangaroos and wallabies) and is still a youngin'.  He was handraised and is a spunky, mischievous (he likes to escape, and cruise around the zoo), and incredibly cute little guy.  Introduced to him just a couple of days ago, I have quickly fallen in love. Whenever I walk by his enclosure/rake out leaves, I just have to give him some cuddles. I love him, completely.

Ahhhh, look at those little hands. So, so so cute!

Belly scratches for Theo!

Theo was instantly interested in the iPhone, as soon as he noticed it.  

Now that you all are probably insanely jealous of my zookeeping life, and cuddling of adorable animals, I'll go ahead and cease the onslaught of photos, (for this post of course.  I'll be working in mammals for the next two months starting monday, so you can bet your bottom, there will be an excessive amount of cutesy, cuddly photos.)

Okay, so outside of the zoo, I am incredibly excited for a couple of upcoming events.  

1) Mom and brother arrive in THREE weeks! I can seriously hardly contain my excitement.  Seriously. cannotthandleit. I miss them oodles.

2) STEREOSONIC. And a week in Sydney at the end of November/early December.  Tickets purchased and flights already booked!

3) Spending Christmas here in Australia and down on the Central Coast, which is near Sydney.  I've been asked to spend the holidays here, (with a very special guy), and so will be experiencing Christmas, Aussie style.  No snow/Pine trees here!

Well my friends and fam, that's all I have for this post, as if it wasn't enough. Sheesh, practically writing a novel.  Anywho, as I've said before and fairly frequently, I'm completely happy here with my life in Australia.  I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to have an amazing experience and am living the absolute crap out of it.  I'm one happy girl at the moment.

Until next time, Cheers!

Nicole