Thirsty cockatoos in Canberra, the national capitol of Australia
A few days ago, I stumbled off the jet after a 13 hour marathon flight from Los Angeles to Canberra, the national capital of Australia. Soon afterward, I was cool and cozy in the home of my good friends Libby Robin and Tom Griffiths, who live on a shady street about a twenty minute walk from downtown and not much farther from the sprawling lawns around Australia’s Parliament.
As you’d expect, Canberra is a thriving urban center with tall buildings, neckties, and high heels. But surprisingly, it’s also loaded with wildlife. I’ve never seen a city with so many amazing birds. Every morning, I’d step out the door at sunrise and into a great natural concert featuring some of the most beautiful singers on earth—magpies and shrike-thrushes, currawongs and kookaburras.
And not only that, Canberra is absolutely loaded with parrots. As you might know, parrots are not exactly operatic, as if their evolution focused on good looks rather than good vocals. For a North American, the native parrots of Australia are shockingly beautiful and exotic. Continue reading
