Healesville Sanctuary adds vibrant new fig parrots to noisy pitta aviary

A handsome bird by the name of Brad Pitta has been joined by a bachelor* group of fig parrots at Victoria’s Healesville Sanctuary.

While the flock of newly arrived male figs was unlikely to ruffle any of Brad’s fine feathers, their unlikely “buddy-moon” was expected to make visitors swoon this Valentine’s weekend.

Brad, a typically noisy pitta, easy to love with his big beak, lush green plumage* and stumpy tail, was a top candidate for some male bonding, so his keepers played matchmakers, pairing him with the four single male figs as “wingmen*”. Keepers said the new and improved bachelor pad arrangement would boost everyone’s happiness, since these two social species were known to thrive together as pals.

Healesville Sanctuary bird keeper Jessica Skolnik said the two species of birds were naturally found in the same habitats*, so it made sense for them to live together.

“Brad spends most of his time on the ground, and the figs love to be up high in the trees,” she said.

The bachelor group of fig parrots came from Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast. Pocket-sized at just 14cm and weighing only as much as a golf ball, the cute birds have already been stealing hearts with their bold plumage* and big personalities.

“The boys are called Sheldon, Telly, Honker and Nemo,” said Ms Skolnik. “They all have unique characters. We find Honker is the most confident of the flock.

“We don’t have plans to breed the species. However, it’s great to have them together as a male group. We see lots of social interactions, which tell us they are settling in well. They are exploring the new aviary*, enthusiastically chewing on the trees in their habitat.”

Meanwhile, Brad the noisy pitta has been making his iconic* call frequently ahead of Valentine’s Day, since February 14 falls during his species’ breeding season. The call sounds a bit like he’s saying, “Walk to work”, which may not sound very romantic but apparently gets the job done.

“Brad makes his call to defend his territory and to attract a mate,” Ms Skolnik said. “So, he’s just letting everyone know that he’s ready to impress, and his single-pal flock of fig parrots are there to support him.”

Visitors to the sanctuary can fall in love with Brad and his bachelor pals on the woodland tracks.

Healesville Sanctuary is the only place in Victoria where visitors can see fig parrots. Macleay’s fig parrots (cyclopsitta diophthalma macleayana) are Australia’s smallest parrot species. They can be found in the wild in tropical northern Queensland. As their name suggests, they love feasting on figs, as well as fruits, seeds and invertebrates*. They are relatives of the Coxen’s fig parrot which is considered critically endangered* in New South Wales and Queensland. Noisy pittas (pitta versicolour) can be found in coastal areas of eastern Australia. They have a brown head, yellow, green, red and black feathers and thin pink legs.

WATCH THE VIDEO

POLL

GLOSSARY

• bachelor: male without a female partner
• wingman: a supportive friend who helps a guy navigate social or romantic relationships
• habitats: where animals live in nature
• plumage: a bird’s feathers
• aviary: a large, caged enclosure for keeping birds
• iconic: something so well known it has become symbolic of a culture, country or sport
• invertebrates: animals without backbones, like many insects
• Critically Endangered: an extremely high risk of extinction in the near future

EXTRA READING
Meet Zoo’s hand-raised giraffe calf
Baby elephant tries out new tusks
Wombats waddle to the dentist

QUICK QUIZ
1. What species of bird is Brad Pitta?
2. Why has he been joined by four male Fig Parrots in his enclosure?
3. Why has Brad been making his iconic call ahead of Valentine’s Day?
4. What phrase does it sound like he is saying when he makes his call?
5. How big are Fig Parrots?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What can we learn?
Think about Brad Pitta’s special call. Write the words that you think he would say in his calls! Use information from the story to help you.

Time: allow at least 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

2. Extension
“Birds should fly free, not be stuck in sanctuaries.” Use information from the story to help you write a very convincing argument against this statement.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links English, Science

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.

Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?

Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.