About the Story and Author

The Story:

This is a story I wrote when thinking about the answer to this question. There are lots of parrots in Perth, of different kinds, and all very beautiful in one way or another. Some parrots are here because they were let out of cages, others are here because land clearing in the wheatbelt and the planting of pine plantations on the coast have changed their food sources dramatically in the last few decades. Others still have been here for hundreds and thousands of years. Parrots have a very long life span, and so damage to the parts of the ecological web that they rely upon may cause a decline in numbers that we don't notice until decades later. Whether becoming endangered or preserved as popular pets, living in the coastal rocks or the sandplains or the forest along the escarpment, they are all worth finding out a little more about. Illustration details for local subspecies of widespread parrots and information on ranges and current locations of parrots has been taken from the Simpson & Day (6th edition) Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. If you see any errors or omissions, please let me know.

This story is aimed at younger children, particularly those who are learning to add up.

The Author:

My name is Tiki Swain, and I live in Perth, Western Australia (where else could I come up with a story like this?). I love birds a lot, and drawing, and making up stories. I hope you like reading them.


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