A Tame Tuipara Parrakeet.



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A TAME TUIPARA PARRAKEET.


By the Rev. Hubert D. Astley, M.A.


Whether most of the individuals of this species—which is

also called the Golden-fronted Parrakeet ( Brotogerys tuipara ')—

are naturally tame I do not know, but the one I had (for I have

given it away as a present) is most extraordinarily so.


Soon after its arrival it became extremely affectionate,

allowing me to take it out of its cage and handle it as if it had

been a puppy-dog, being moreover evidently ill at ease when not

with me. If I put it on the back of a chair and then walked to

the other end of the room, the little bird would immediately take

flight with a short shriek and alight on my shoulders. He would

not even sit on a chair close to me of a morning when my

shaving was in progress, but would fly on to my shoulder as fast

as I tried to laud him back on the chair. So with such mani¬

festations of affection I was curious to try him in the garden : a

small garden on the Normandy sea coast, where I was staying

for a few weeks. I put the Tuipara on the back of a garden-seat,

and walked away. When about twenty yards distant from him,

off he flew like an arrow on to my shoulder. I repeated the

experiment (very rash !) and that time he seemed to become

alarmed, for although he made straight for me, he circled round,

each circle becoming wider and wider until at last he went quite

away to the other side of the small valley where there are large

gardens full of trees, amongst which the villas are dotted. Oft

I went in search, only to finally return crestfallen and saying,

“ You’ve no one to blame but your stupid self! ” Then suddenly

I heard the little shrill sharp cry of my Tuipara in the far

distance. I called and whistled. Again ! back I went until I

had at last traced his calls to a garden, over the palings of which

I peered from the road. I whistled and the Tuipara answered.

At last a gardener walked across the lawn, and I in my best

French (I say my best!) “ Pardon ! Have you seen a little green

parrakeet ? ” “ Mais oui Monsieur,” was the answer, “ he is here


at the top of a high tree.” “ Please let me come in,” I said, “ and

please let me approach him all alone.” When the little Tuipara

saw me he redoubled his cries, he stretched himself out, he



