Animal Diaries Archive

Djagarna Is Performing Again

6 May 2005

Djagarna the Black-necked Stork has once again performed for the crowd in her/his first show back after a long rest. Since the guests last saw Djagarna, this long legged critter has slightly changed colour, with the fluffy baby down that was all over the head and neck slowly being lost to strikingly purple/blue/green feathers. The change seems to be happening a lot quicker now, so lucky we are taking monthly photos of her plumage so we can keep up with it.

The young Red-collared Lorikeets, Ernie and Kermit are also due for their first fly out in the Crocoseum on Sunday. That will certainly be a nervous day for these little fellas. The first flight outside an aviary for any of the birds is certainly a testing time for both parties. That is why on these particular days we try to make it as easy as possible for the feathered ones so as they don't get too distracted by what's going on around them. Making sure that the weather conditions are ok (not raining or excessively windy), making sure that the birds are at their required flying weight and also that there are not too many guests about to confuse them, are all things that we take into account before letting a bird go for its first flight.

These first flights are also quite easy for the bird and are well within their flying ability. For these lorikeets it will just be a matter of putting them on one perch in the Crocoseum and calling them 20 meters or so to the next perch. One flight is all that they need to do on this day and normally within a week they are up to being cast off and flying laps around the Crocoseum. They certainly are fast learners, even for such small birds.