Milwaukee County Zoo Exhibit
“Wings From Down Under”
Sponsored By Lowe’s

Featuring Three Australian Parrot Species

The Milwaukee County Zoo’s upcoming special exhibit, Wings From Down Under, sponsored by Lowe’s, features three striking parrot species found in the wilds of Australia:  Cockatiels, Grass Parakeets, and Eastern Rosellas.  Through the exhibit, visitors are able to touch and feed these seed eating birds, fluttering about in two mesh-enclosed aviaries.  The exhibit begins May 23, and runs through September 7 in the Zoo’s Otto Borchert Family Special Exhibits Building.

Birds Up Close

Each of the three bird species displays its own unique appearance and behavior:

Cockatiels
The exhibit features about 300 of this species, the smallest parrot in the 20-
member cockatoo family.  Cockatiels are mostly gray in color, with white wing patches and round orange-red patches on their cheeks.  Smartly equipped with a hooked beak for for handling and crushing seeds, both males and females have a distinctive crest of feathers on their heads that they are able to raise.  In the wild, cockatiels are found only in Australia, ranging almost throughout the continent, but rarely found along the coastlines.  These birds are also known for their calm and easy-going temperaments.

Grass Parakeets
Also known as budgies in their native Australia, the exhibit features about 700 of these bright green and yellow birds.  Their colorful feathers help them blend into the plants in the habitats where they’re found in the wild.  The parakeets inhabit mainly dry, open grassland and farmland of Australia’s interior – usually staying close to water, and are not often seen in areas highly susceptible to drought. One of the smaller parrot species, grass parakeets usually have a wingspan of 8 inches, are 7 to 8 inches in length, and weigh only one ounce! At times, these birds gather in huge flocks of thousands, or even tens of thousands of birds, which protect them from predators.

Eastern Rosellas
These birds are medium-sized colorful parrots, displaying feathers of just about every color of the rainbow. In the wilds of Australia, these birds are usually found in pairs or small flocks, sometimes coming together in larger flocks of up to 100 individuals.  Known for their distinctive calls that are both screeches and bell-like whistles, they often chatter to each other during feeding. This species inhabits open woodlands and nearby grasslands of southeastern Australia and eastern Tasmania, often found near rivers and also in towns, parks and farmland. Early settlers actually named these birds, as they were commonly sighted at a location called Rose Hill, and were referred to as “Rose Hillers.” Over time, this came to be pronounced “rosella.”

Wings From Down Under lets visitors stroll through the aviaries, which allow for unique meet-and-greet encounters with these friendly birds.  The exhibit is $2.00 per person after regular Zoo admission.  Exhibit cost includes one food stick to feed the birds; additional food sticks can be purchased for $1.

Exhibit Photos (Courtesy of Living Exhibits, Inc.)

Click on an image for a larger version
Parakeet
Parakeets		 Cockatiel
Cockatiels		 Eastern Rosellas
Eastern Rosellas