Great-billed parrots

[coral3]

Oh, how gorgeous are these great billed parrots!? (not my videos)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_cQ34K9j6A]Great Bill Parrot Sisters - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYXjd4FVWwY&feature=fvwrel]Great Billed Parrot making Toothpicks - YouTube[/ame]

I guess they must be something of a rarity though(?), because there appears to be SO little info, and precious few of the birds themselves around -?

Can't find ANYTHING at all on them here in Australia, so I have to wonder if perhaps they are not allowed here?

Love those beautiful, goofy big beaks!

 

[lene1949]

Those beaks looks just like the alexandrines beaks...

 

[BillsBirds]

Interesting! Never saw or heard of them. Anyway, all my parrots are Great Bill Parrots. I'm Bill. I & they are great. They're my parrots!

 

[MollyGreenCheeks]

Stunning birds!

 

[MonicaMc]

They aren't very common in captivity, period...

I think I've only seen one, in person, in the USA and it was a breeding hen being sold to pair up with a male.

Might call them a "dying species" in captivity since hardly anyone knows about them, and if no one knows about them, there wont be a lot of breeders wanting to breed them since there will be no market for them....


"Bee bee" parrots were going the same way, but they've been making a comeback!

 

[mtdoramike]

They are supposed to be on the endangered species list I believe. They are related to the Eclectus, but look more like a parrakeet to me. I did a little checking on them because a fellow has one for sale on Craigslist in my area.

 

[Loyal]

They are supposed to be on the endangered species list I believe. They are related to the Eclectus, but look more like a parrakeet to me. I did a little checking on them because a fellow has one for sale on Craigslist in my area.

I noticed that post (I'm in Daytona) and it seemed a little odd to me. I almost wanted to respond to it just to check the bird out in person...

 

[Karigan]

So they're an Australian bird then?

 

[MonicaMc]

Not quite... they can be called "Astralasian" parrots... (as per Lexicon of Parrots - Australia/Asian islands?) they do remind me of Alexandrines, but I've also heard they are more closely related to Eclectus than other species. Don't know the relation, since I've heard eclectus being referred to as the "grand lory". Here's an article about eclectus that mentions great bills, muellers, eclectus and lorikeets that you might find interesting!

The Grandest Lory of Them All - by Dale R. Thompson

 

[FutureDVM]

There is a local breeder only about 30 minutes from where I live who breeds these parrots. I had the opportunity to meet one about a month ago and they are really beautiful in person! They definitely aren't very common and I believe they are quite expensive. If anyone is interested in the breeder information, I can PM it to you.