Unusual parrots near Rotorua

[Jan]

yes, there are a pair of macaws there, Blue and Yellow, lovely birds, in the enclosure where the capuchins used to be.
[I have not been to Willowbank since my daughter was small, must be 20+ years ago]
They are ex-pets I guess, as the ?male talks to visitors, 'Hellow' with head-bobbing and squark,
he has quite a routine. His ?mate spent all the time we watched demolishing the top of a tall
leafless stick that had once been a tree.
I would say they are in need of a bit of parrot-person knowledgeable enrichment, but who knows.
I wonder if someone can send this to Tara who does the Kea conservation site, as I believe she and her
partner are ex-zoo-bird people.

The free-flying ringnecks are a bit of a worry, there are also Red-Crowned and Yellow-Crowned Parakeets
at willowbank, as well as Kea.

[Neil Fitzgerald]

In the recent changes to the Wildlife Act
"Permits will no longer be required to keep some common introduced species as pets, like spotted and turtle doves and ring-necked parakeet."

That should help stop them getting established in the wild

[Byrd]

thanks Jan, I'll have to get in there and have a look at their macaws then

[Tim Barnard]

Sorry just caught up with this ... there's been a flock of ring-necks (Asian) around Okere Falls for about three years so I'm told. I've seen them once recently flying over the Okere Falls Store, that's near the Kaituna outlet on Lake Rotoiti.
Cheers
Tim

[Neil Fitzgerald]

That's about 6km from where I saw them. Could be the same ones I guess, or perhaps they are spreading.