Image 1/29

@ Lovebirds
Alexander begins his journey to encounter Avian pets!
Lovebirds
Found on the African continent, wild lovebirds are mostly green, and get their name from their strong, monogamous pair-bonding amount of time they spend sitting together.

Image 2/29

@ Hummingbird, green

White Daisy Egg
My pets are in awe of these beautiful eggs—they would love to try to paint their own one year. Easter and spring are times of joy as the earth awakens, plants are pushing forth from the soil, and the days are becoming warmer. Many baby animals are born in the spring, and life is burgeoning. May these eggs bring you joy and be a reminder of the earth renewing itself.

Hummingbird, green
'There are hundreds of different types of hummingbird, ranging in size from 5 inches down to the smallest at just 2 inches long! (13 cm - 5 cm). Hummingbirds have a very high metabolic rate. To conserve energy at night when not foraging, they can enter a state of torpor, similar to hibernation, and slow their metabolic rate to one-fifteenth of its normal rate.

Image 3/29

@ Java Sparrow
Alexander and Kia had shaken paws and were now introducing themselves to the next critter who had come to meet them on this leg of the quest, who was eager to make friends and to show off a carefully tidied natural habitat!
Java Sparrow
aka the Java Finch! It is found in Java, Bali and Bawean in Indonesia. Males and females are the same in appearance, being grey and pink and a black head with white cheeks, and a black tail. Its call is chip-chip-chip.

Image 4/29

@ Green Crested Turaco
"I think there'll be quite a few tired paws, wings and flippers when we get back to the tour bus," said Guaca, after he and Alexander had spent some time exploring another rural pathway to its end and meeting nearby inhabitants.
"Is there a gift shop at the end?" enquired Alexander. "The thought of that generally keeps me going."
Green Crested Turaco
A native to the forests of tropical West Africa, this distinctive green and purple bird generally prefers mature rainforest edge habitats, bordered by rivers. These are easily recognisable birds, due to their colouring, but are well camouflaged when in the treetops.

Image 5/29

@ Red-crested Turaco
“What an amazing creature!” exclaimed Alexander. Pinotte agreed with Alexander. “I’m seeing so many animals, birds and insects that I’ve never seen before!”
Red-crested Turaco
The red-crested turaco Tauraco erythrolophus is the national bird of Angola, Central Africa. It eats mainly fruit. The birds are usually to be seen in trees rather than on the ground. Its outer feathers are a bright, almost metallic green, with grey and softer green down its front, a white face, yellow beak, and a pronounced crest of the red that gives it its name.

Image 6/29

@ Ibis, Scarlet
“It's so cool to have a species name in Latin as well as English, Alexander!” said jimkitty, studying the detail in the tour guide. "What would we each called in Latin?"
"I don't know," said Alexander. "We'll look it up when we get back to the hotel tonight!"
Ibis, Scarlet
This striking bird, found in South America and the Caribbean, is very similar to the American white ibis, the principal difference of course being the colour! The scarlet ibis is the only shorebird of this colour in the world. It is one of the two national birds of Trinidad & Tobago.

Image 7/29

@ Nicobar Dove
"Hey there, Alexander! Did you hear how Fresco fell off the landing stage into the sea while trying to get a better view of one of the creatures?"
"He was still squelching when he got back on the tour bus, Noctema!"
Nicobar Dove
This strikingly beautiful creature (Caloenas nicobarica is found in India and the regions of Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Borneo. Incredibly, its nearest relative is the extinct dodo! It is a large bird, measuring 16 inches in length (40cm) and has metallic green feathers for the main part, with grey plumage on the head and neck, and a short, pure white tail.

Image 8/29

@ Australian King Parrot
“Oh hello, Alexander!” cried Rianna. “Didn’t we bump into each other in Turkey back in the spring? This is quite the change of scene, isn't it!”
"It certainly is!" declared Alexander.
Australian King Parrot
This handsome scarlet and green bird is found only in eastern Australia.

Image 9/29

@ Scarlet Macaw
"Hey there, Alexander! Did you hear how Fresco fell off the landing stage into the sea while trying to get a better view of one of the creatures?"
"He was still squelching when he got back on the tour bus, lady lovely!"
Scarlet Macaw
This very colourful bird is found in Mexico to Colombia and the Amazon Basin. It is 81–96 cm (32–36 in) long, and is mostly bright red, with red, yellow and blue on the wings.

Image 10/29

@ Salmon-crested cockatoo
“Whatever were those screaming noises you were making earlier, Storm?" exclaimed Alexander.
Storm looked embarrassed. "That wasn't screaming. That was me, er, singing, to enable the safari guide to find me when I couldn't find my way out of that cave!"
Salmon-crested cockatoo
This bird is found in Indonesia, but it has also been introduced into Hawaii with modest breeding success. It eats nuts, seeds , fruit and coconut.

Image 11/29

@ Magpie in flight
“You never know what sort of critter to expect next, do you, Violet?" whispered Alexander. “You know, small, cute and furry or really quite, um, large, with—er—very sharp teeth.” Violet reassured Alexander that all the critters were looking forward to meeting them, regardless of size, furriness, attractiveness and/or pointiness of teeth.
Magpie in flight
With a wingspan of up to two feet (60 cm) with not just black and white but shiny iridescent bluey-green feathers, the flying magpie makes a stunning sight. Its scientific name is Pica pica and its acquisitive nature towards shiny objects is famous! There is even an opera by Rossini called La Gazza Ladra—The Thieving Magpie. Most of us will be familiar with the "Magpie" nursery rhyme. In its earliest recorded version in 1780 it went: One for sorrow,
Two for mirth,
Three for a funeral,
And four for birth.
but it became extended over subsequent years, with regional variations, into the best recognised rendering: "One for sorrow, two for joy" et cetera.

Image 12/29

@ Black Crowned Crane
“Ooh, that’s a scary looking creature!” whispered Killion. “It’s bigger than me! I’ll stay here and wait for you to come back.”
“C’mon, Killion, it’ll be fine—it’s not so very big; it's a trick of perspective, and anyway, it’s looking forward to meeting us!” said Alexander.
Black Crowned Crane
The black crowned crane is found in a great swathe across Africa, from Mauritania on the west, to Ethiopia and Kenya on the east. This bird is very distinctive. Its body is black with white/gold wings, it has red/white cheek patches and its head bears a crown of gold feathers.

Image 13/29

@ Pink & Grey Cockatoo
Alexander and seema had shaken paws and then took some time to enjoy looking at the next creature in its habitat in a companionable silence!
Pink & Grey Cockatoo
This chap looks like an English barrister off to court in his white wig and grey gown! It is also known as the galah, and is found throughout Australia.

Image 14/29

@ Hummingbird in flight
"It's turned a bit hot, Alexander. I'm going to put my sunhat on," said Choose a name.
"Good scheme! I'll dig mine out as well," said Alexander.
Hummingbird in flight
Why are they called "hummingbirds"? This is because of the humming sound created by their rapidly beating wings, which creates a sound frequency audible to humans. The birds can hover in mid-air flapping their wings at rates which vary from around 12 beats per second in the largest species to around 80 per second in the smallest!

Image 15/29

@ Golden Conure, 1
Oh look ... you won a pet!
Golden Conure, 1
This bird, with its bright yellow feathers with green on the outer wings, is also known as the Golden Parakeet. It grows up to 13 inches long (33 cm). It is found in the Amazon Basin, south of the Amazon River in the state of Pará, northern Brazil.

Image 16/29

@ Golden Conure, 2
“Great to see you again, Spark!” cried Alexander. “I don't think we've met since we bumped into each other in Canada this time last year. This is quite a different excursion, isn't it?”
"It is, indeed!" declared Spark.
Golden Conure, 2
This beautiful bird is found in Brazil. It feeds on fruits such as mango, muruci and açai, and also flowers, buds, seeds and crop plants, particularly maize.

Image 17/29

@ Hummingbird with Honeysuckle
Alexander was very happy to meet Minx here! They both swapped tales of their experiences of their travels so far!
Hummingbird with Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle—nature's own hummingbird feeder! Hummingbirds are attracted to its orange-red flowers and sweet nectar.

Image 18/29

@ Hyacinth Macaw
“I'm starving!” exclaimed Alexander. "What's Chef making us tonight?"
Midnight glanced up from his tour guide, in which he had been looking up where they were going the next day. “How come you're so hungry, Alexander?”
Alexander pouted. "I was just unwrapping my lunch pack when a creature ran down the tree behind me, grabbed the lot and shot back up the tree!"
"Bad luck!" sympathised Midnight. "Here, have a banana to keep you going."

Hyacinth Macaw
This is the largest parrot in the world, going by length! It is 1 metre (3 ft 3") from its beak to the tip of its tail. It is native to central and eastern South America.

Image 19/29

@ Black-grey Toucan
"Hey, you should have joined Foxy and me for lunch at that café, Alexander!" said Dante.
"Oh, I couldn't resist going to that street exhibition of art by local pets. I grabbed a cheese and onion pasty from a street vendor. Anyway, what did you both have to eat?"
"We had celery soup and a sandwich each. It was great!" responded Dante.
Black-grey Toucan
The toucan's beak is made of keratin, the same substance as hair and fingernails. Toucans look very similar to hornbills but there is a huge geographical divide between them. Toucans live in Central and South America, while hornbills are found only in Africa and Asia.

Image 20/29

@ Contemplative Toucan
“What an amazing creature!” exclaimed Alexander. Violet Flame agreed with Alexander. “I’m seeing so many animals, birds and insects that I’ve never seen before!”
Contemplative Toucan
Toucans, some of the most easily recognisable birds in the world, spend their lives high in the rainforest canopies of Central and South America. A toucan spends its nights in a nest in a hollow tree cavity, and curls up by turning its head and laying its beak along its back, tucking the beak under a wing, and then curving its tail over its head.

Image 21/29

@ Garden Greenfinch
“Do you remember our last safari, Flipper?” exclaimed Alexander. "I remember being really quite scared, trying to find the way out of that labyrinth in the dark!"
Flipper agreed. “D'you remember that scorpion? It was quite a shock coming across him in the light of the dim and flaring lamps, although he turned out to be very nice in the end.”
"It's hard to believe that was two years ago, Flipper," remarked Alexander.
Garden Greenfinch
An all-year-round visitor to rural and urban birdtables, the pretty greenfinch is a delight to spot squabbling over the black sunflower seeds!

Image 22/29

@ Laughing Kookaburra
Alexander and Shadow were entranced at reaching this stopping place and eagerly posed for a picture standing on either side of the attractive creature they had just met!
Laughing Kookaburra
The kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae is a well-known symbol of Australia’s birdlife. Most of us will have first met the kookaburra when growing up as the “merry, merry king of the bush” in the children's song. It has dark brown wing plumage and a white head and underside. Dark brown eye stripes run across its face. Its reddish-coloured tail is patterned with distinctive black bars which makes the bird easily recognisable from a distance.

Image 23/29

@ Long-tailed Tit Songbird
“You never know what sort of critter to expect next, do you, Blue Fire?" whispered Alexander. “You know, small, cute and furry or really quite, um, large, with—er—very sharp teeth.” Blue Fire reassured Alexander that all the critters were looking forward to meeting them, regardless of size, furriness, attractiveness and/or pointiness of teeth.
Long-tailed Tit Songbird
The long-tailed tit is a tiny but noisy and sociable bird of hedgerows, woodland, parks and gardens, recognisable by its subtle and pretty colours of pink, light brown, black and white. It builds a domed nest out of moss in a bush or the fork of a tree, and camouflages it with cobwebs and lichen. It lines the nest with many hundreds of feathers to make it soft for the eight to twelve eggs it lays.

Image 24/29

@ Blue & Red Parrot
“Oh hello, Alexander!” cried Shadow. “Didn’t we bump into each other in Turkey back in the spring? This is quite the change of scene, isn't it!”
"It certainly is!" declared Alexander.
Blue & Red Parrot
Unusually for parrots, the male and female Eclectus roratus look totally different, so much so that it was once thought that they were different species. Moreover, unusually for birds, the female is more colourful than the male, in her bright red and purple plumage with orange tail compared to his equally intense green (with red and blue under-wing patches).

Image 25/29

@ Eurasian pygmy owl
“Did you see what happened to Foxy earlier, Crush?” exclaimed Alexander. "He was balancing on a log trying to take a selfie with one of the critters we met, and it rolled over and pitched him into a bank of nettles!"
Crush joined in Alexander's heartless laughter. “He was still brushing bits of nettle out of his fur when we went for lunch!”
Eurasian pygmy owl
Found principally in Siberia, where it stays all year round, this is Europe's smallest owl, with a wingspan of just over 1 ft (32 cm). Its Latin name is Glaucidium passerinum.

Image 26/29

@ Pair of Green-Winged Macaws
"Hey there, Alexander! Did you hear how Fresco fell off the landing stage into the sea while trying to get a better view of one of the creatures?"
"He was still squelching when he got back on the tour bus, WillDroid!"
Pair of Green-Winged Macaws
These birds aren't green-winged, so how do they get this name? It's because they have a green band between the red and blue colours of its wings. The beaks of large macaws are strong enough to break walnuts.

Image 27/29

@ Rainy Day Jay
"Hey, you should have joined Foxy and me for lunch at that café, Alexander!" said Butterscotch.
"Oh, I couldn't resist going to that street exhibition of art by local pets. I grabbed a cheese and onion pasty from a street vendor. Anyway, what did you both have to eat?"
"We had celery soup and a sandwich each. It was great!" responded Butterscotch.
Rainy Day Jay
Here's a colourful but shy bird that, in common with the squirrel, likes to put food by for a rainy day! Each autumn this member of the crow family can often be observed flying back and forth finding and storing acorns to help see them through the winter. The acorns are hidden in the cracks and crevices of trees, but also in leaf litter on the ground. An individual jay can each year store around 8000 acorns and many remain buried to grow into oak trees.

Image 28/29

@ Long-tailed Tit
While Alexander paused to drink in the view, Graham started scrabbling in his rucksack for his portable, foldable camping chair. “What are you doing with that, Graham?” asked Alexander. “We’ll need to get going in a minute or we’ll be left behind!”
Long-tailed Tit
Or to use its Sunday-best name: Aegithalos caudatus! It is recognisable by its beautiful colouring of buff, pink, white and black, its short black beak and, of course, a very long tail! This little bird is a favourite in all British gardens, but it can also be seen in woodland, farmland hedgerows, scrubland and parkland.

Image 29/29

@ Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree
Alexander has now met enough "Avian" pets to last a lifetime. As he exits the experience, he receives a wonderful gift!
Flock of Herons
Sitting high on a cliff on your blanket to watch the sunrise over the ocean, you notice movement below. You watch in amazement as a flock of herons take to flight, adding wonder to an already stunning event.

Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree
Native to the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia, the kookaburra is the largest member of the kingfisher family, weighing up to one pound and growing to 18 inches (46 cm) in length. Its beak can reach 4 inches (10 cm) long
Alexander has enjoyed meeting "Avian" pets, but it is time to go home now! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also meet pets of every shape and size!