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COLIN FRIELS: Outback Australia...
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...it doesn't get much harsher
than this.
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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( BIRDS SQUAWK )
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Yet in the middle of the desolation,
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thousands of cockatoos fly together
in a raucous, defiant mob.
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They don't just survive --
they thrive.
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Stretching across the continent.
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From the heat of the desert interior
to gum tree country...
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...and snow-covered mountains...
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...these outrageously colourful
and cocky parrots
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have defied the odds...
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...making Australia
the land of parrots.
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Before Australia had deserts,
rainforests covered the continent.
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Today, just a few isolated patches
remain.
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These lush pockets survive
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thanks to the tropical monsoons
that sweep along the far north coast,
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bringing torrential rain.
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In these forests,
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a brilliant array of parrots
adapted crafty beaks
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and dexterous toes
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to crack the rich bounty
of seeds and fruit.
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The tiniest of all, the fig-parrot,
gorges on fruit bigger than its head.
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The general rule for the blokes here
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is to be as colourful
as needs be to attract a mate
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without becoming
a neon lure to predators.
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The king-parrot is brash.
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While the green feathers
of the red-cheeked parrot
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blend into the foliage.
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He relies on his sexy red head
and bright beady eyes to get the girls.
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But one of the most amazing birds
in the world is the eclectus parrot,
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because it breaks virtually every
rule in the evolutionary rule book.
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The male is green,
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and the female, red.
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So strikingly different are they
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that for a long time
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people thought that the two
must be separate species.
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Scientist Rob Heinsohn
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set out to discover the secrets
of this rare creature.
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ROB: Eclectus parrots are
the pinnacle of parrot evolution.
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Their colouration
has gone into uncharted waters.
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They are so different,
and I just needed to know why.
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( BIRDS SQUAWK )
OK.
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Well, I've disturbed them now,
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but I had to do that just to see
if they were occupying the hollows.
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And one did indeed
come out of one of the hollows,
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so that's a very good sign
at this stage.
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And it does mean that
it's worth putting a line up
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and climbing the tree
and having a closer look.
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FRIELS: But there was
just one problem...
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ROB: I have a terrible,
terrible fear of heights.
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I was getting dizzier by the moment,
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but I was also driven by
an incredible desire
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to see what was
inside those hollows.
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So I overcame that fear.
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I forced myself to stay steady
on the rope and to keep climbing.
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Hey, Lindsay, we've got eggs.
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MAN: Oh, fantastic.
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That's absolutely fantastic.
It means they're breeding again.
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I'll just go up to the other hole
and see how they're doing.
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I went up 15m, 20m, 25m,
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and finally I reached
the nest hole I was looking for.
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I reached inside, had a look inside,
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and there were
two beautiful little chicks.
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( PARROT SQUAWKS LOUDLY )
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Yeah, we've got chicks in here.
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Oh, they're beautiful too.
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FRIELS: For the last eight years,
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Rob has studied the female and all
her chicks that live in this hollow.
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He measures and marks each one
and monitors their growth.
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This doesn't seem to upset the chicks
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or stop their mum
from nurturing them.
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ROB: Our number one female,
our star performer,
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she's just done what she typically does,
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is produces healthy little guys like this.
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They get a very good start for
their long life in the rainforest.
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FRIELS: A good hollow is hard to find.
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And the female guards hers fiercely.
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ROB: We've spent a lot of time just
watching her at the nest hollow.
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We built hides
in neighbouring trees
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and we spent a lot of time
in the treetops.
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And we just watch
the female's behaviour.
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( BIRD SQUAWKS )
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FRIELS: Rob's favourite female is
not taking any chances with her hollow
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and doesn't budge for the entire
9-month breeding season.
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She is totally reliant on the male
to bring her food.
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ROB: A bit like Meals on Wheels.
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She's acting like an invalid,
staying at home.
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The males are out there
doing all of the work.
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Coming and going all day long,
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purely for the right
to regurgitate some food to her.
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And, of course, they're hoping
to get sex in return.
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FRIELS: But this female wasn't
just being attended by one male.
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She was getting lots of attention.
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In fact, seven males
were lining up to feed her.
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And she was mating with all of them.
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ROB: And we worked out that this was,
in a way, a form of trickery.
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She was trying to give them the idea
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that they all had a chance
of being the dads.
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And that would give them
extra incentive
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to go off and find the food.
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FRIELS: But the DNA tests
on the chicks' feathers
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reveal something astonishing.
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Of the 24 young she's produced
in the last eight years,
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19 are from the same superstud male.
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To complete the picture,
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Rob wanted to know how far the males
were going on their feeding trips.
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ROB: We captured a whole lot of males and we put
transmitters on their tails.
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We mounted aerials
on the wings of the plane,
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and we set out and followed them
across country from the sky.
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FRIELS: Incredibly, the lovesick male
gathered food
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from a home range of up to
100 square kilometres.
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ROB: It also turned out that he was
attending more than one female.
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And some of them had
three or four different females
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that they were visiting and feeding,
and, indeed, mating with.
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So, by following them
around the landscape,
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we actually caught them out playing
a little mating game of their own.
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FRIELS: After visiting their girlfriends,
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the males fly back
to Rob's favourite female.
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ROB: The males often come back
to the nest tree at the same time.
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And when that happens,
there's a lot of argy-bargy.
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( BIRDS SQUAWK )
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FRIELS: With such different lifestyles,
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the huge colour difference between
the sexes makes a lot of sense.
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ROB: The male's green --
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very important for them
to remain camouflaged
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when they go across country getting
food from the fruiting trees.
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Males seem to use the red
under their wings very judiciously
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to get the female's attention.
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In contrast, the female's red
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is the very conspicuous,
long-distance signal.
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She shines like a beacon,
but screams at other birds,
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especially females --
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"Keep away, this hollow is occupied.
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"Don't bother coming near
because I will beat you up."
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FRIELS: No other bird in the world
mates like this.
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It's a sex strategy
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that's been perfected
over an incredibly long time
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in these ancient forests.
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While the eclectus
were doing their thing,
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elsewhere on the continent
dramatic changes gave rise
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to a whole new range of parrots.
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Millions of years ago,
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most of Australia's rainforests
gradually dried
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and became open woodlands.
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Many parrots were able to adapt
to the new and tougher conditions.
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To survive on the desert edge,
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red-tailed black-cockatoos stick to
the few tree-lined watercourses.
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As the sun drops,
the birds arrive from all directions.
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With breeding hollows scarce,
most of these cockies are single.
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The local watering hole
is their pick-up joint,
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and the evening quickly turns into
a boisterous party.
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( BIRDS SQUAWK )
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Younger birds flirt by displaying
the colour banding on their tails
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and erecting their crests.
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These fancy pop-up crests
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are what distinguish cockatoos
from the other parrots.
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( BIRDS SQUAWK )
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These opportunistic cockies
thrived
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and spread out
as the continent dried.
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During the last ice age,
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winds lashed the land
and heaped sand into vast dunes.
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Grasses and shrubs
spread across the desert,
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producing an abundance of seeds.
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The galahs were quick to
take advantage of the new foods.
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They were not fussy eaters,
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and went just about everywhere
eating almost anything.
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Today, there's barely
a patch of Australia
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without these extroverted cockies.
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But the opportunistic galahs were
not the only ones to try new foods.
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The less common
Major Mitchell cockatoos
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have recently acquired a taste
for paddymelons.
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These inquisitive birds
have little trouble
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working out some fancy footwork
to break into the fruit.
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Their new cuisine arrived as part of
an exotic smorgasbord.
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150 years ago, cattlemen pushed
their way to the desert centre.
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And wherever they went,
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they brought a whole range of new
opportunities for parrots to exploit.
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Paddymelons were introduced to feed
the camels of the Afghan traders
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as they travelled the outback
supplying the isolated properties.
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It was a tough life
for the early pioneers.
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And frequent droughts
made it hard to make a living.
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Adding to the farmers' woes,
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the cockatoos soon worked out
that where there was stock...
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...there was stockfeed.
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All this free fast food
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made life pretty cushy
for generations of cockatoos
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and their numbers boomed.
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( BIRDS SQUAWK )
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And the good times kept on rolling
for the cockatoos and parrots...
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...when the settlers found underground
water and pumped it to the surface.
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Man-made waterholes helped parrots
spread and survive
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where they couldn't have done before.
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Ringneck parrots...
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...budgerigars...
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00:14:00,005 --> 00:14:04,045
...pale-headed rosellas all come in
to drink in family groups.
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00:14:05,525 --> 00:14:08,605
Mulga parrots can live in
waterless areas
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00:14:08,605 --> 00:14:11,565
but no-one in the outback
turns down a free drink.
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Rain rarely falls
in the Australian deserts.
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Droughts can last for over a decade.
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Waterholes turn to mud...
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...leaving a freshwater crayfish
exposed...
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...and an easy target.
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00:15:10,965 --> 00:15:13,765
The wildlife has adapted
to survive the times
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00:15:13,765 --> 00:15:15,845
when the rivers
vanish into puddles...
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...and the dams are turned to
cracked and useless crusts.
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The air crackles in the heat.
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Crops are wiped from the earth.
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And the parched interior waits
for rains that never seem to come.
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The first sign that
the drought might break
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can be a warming
of the western Pacific Ocean.
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00:16:03,165 --> 00:16:06,845
Cyclones form by sucking up
heat and moisture from the sea
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00:16:06,845 --> 00:16:09,165
as they power in towards the coast.
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00:16:15,325 --> 00:16:20,565
Winds of up to 250 km/h
shred the shoreline.
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As the cyclone heads inland,
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00:16:27,565 --> 00:16:31,085
it weakens and turns into
a huge rain depression.
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00:16:33,325 --> 00:16:35,685
The deluge sweeps
thousands of kilometres
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00:16:35,685 --> 00:16:38,005
across the centre of the continent.
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00:16:46,205 --> 00:16:48,885
And cockatiels celebrate
with a rain dance.
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( BIRDS SQUAWK )
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00:16:52,805 --> 00:16:57,205
Within hours, every riverbed
fills with life-giving water.
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The torrent charges through
the narrow gorges of the ranges
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eroding the land.
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00:17:16,525 --> 00:17:19,725
Ribbons of nourishment
snake across the continent
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00:17:19,725 --> 00:17:21,925
towards the parched centre.
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In the Channel Country,
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00:17:38,245 --> 00:17:42,085
the creeks fan out across
previously barren flood plains.
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00:17:46,605 --> 00:17:50,405
And for a brief time
the desert is given the kiss of life.
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00:18:00,805 --> 00:18:04,765
In a flash, desert plants
produce vast quantities of seed.
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00:18:11,725 --> 00:18:14,325
Somehow waterbirds
sense the transformation
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00:18:14,325 --> 00:18:16,445
and travel vast distances.
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00:18:22,005 --> 00:18:24,365
Fish breed up
in the newly formed lakes
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00:18:24,365 --> 00:18:26,765
providing a feast
for growing cormorants.
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00:18:35,485 --> 00:18:38,925
Brolgas arrive in search of
the roots of sedges.
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00:18:43,605 --> 00:18:46,605
( BIRDS SQUAWK )
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00:18:56,565 --> 00:18:58,805
And when native grasses
start to seed,
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00:18:58,805 --> 00:19:03,285
the scene is set for the arrival of
the stars of the Australian desert...
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00:19:05,925 --> 00:19:07,405
...the budgerigar.
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00:19:09,005 --> 00:19:10,925
We keep them in cages,
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00:19:10,925 --> 00:19:14,325
but in the wild,
budgies roam the vast outback.
242
00:19:14,325 --> 00:19:18,165
When it rains, flocks swoop in
from everywhere.
243
00:19:20,005 --> 00:19:22,325
No-one knows how they navigate.
244
00:19:22,325 --> 00:19:23,805
Perhaps they home in on
245
00:19:23,805 --> 00:19:25,925
the low-frequency sounds
of thunderstorms
246
00:19:25,925 --> 00:19:27,525
thousands of miles away.
247
00:19:33,005 --> 00:19:36,645
Their aim is to breed furiously
while the conditions are right.
248
00:19:39,805 --> 00:19:42,245
Along the gorges of
the Central Ranges,
249
00:19:42,245 --> 00:19:46,005
every tree hollow is alive with
the flutterings of courtship.
250
00:19:46,005 --> 00:19:49,005
( BIRDS CHIRP )
251
00:19:49,005 --> 00:19:51,245
The river bank is perfect
for a dinner date.
252
00:20:00,885 --> 00:20:02,445
In the budgie mating game,
253
00:20:02,445 --> 00:20:05,565
you need to be camouflaged
while feeding on the ground,
254
00:20:05,565 --> 00:20:08,365
but still spunky enough
to impress a potential mate.
255
00:20:10,565 --> 00:20:12,725
And the way budgies see
each other's feathers
256
00:20:12,725 --> 00:20:14,845
is different to the way we see them.
257
00:20:20,005 --> 00:20:22,405
We see in red, green and blue.
258
00:20:22,405 --> 00:20:24,685
But budgies have
a fourth cell in their eye
259
00:20:24,685 --> 00:20:27,445
that enables them to see ultraviolet.
260
00:20:28,925 --> 00:20:32,045
When UV rays hit some parts
of the budgie's plumage,
261
00:20:32,045 --> 00:20:33,885
they give off a reflective glow.
262
00:20:39,005 --> 00:20:42,885
It's a fair bet the female will
choose the brightest, sexiest male.
263
00:20:50,805 --> 00:20:53,085
Especially if he can fight too.
264
00:20:53,085 --> 00:20:56,085
( BIRDS SQUAWK )
265
00:21:17,805 --> 00:21:19,445
With his rival dispatched,
266
00:21:19,445 --> 00:21:22,085
the male can now get down
to the serious business
267
00:21:22,085 --> 00:21:23,565
of wooing the female.
268
00:21:28,605 --> 00:21:31,885
Not only do budgies have highly
reflective UV markings...
269
00:21:32,885 --> 00:21:35,845
...some parts of their plumage
actually become fluorescent.
270
00:21:37,445 --> 00:21:39,725
Their necks and heads in particular.
271
00:21:44,965 --> 00:21:46,485
The feathers don't lie.
272
00:21:46,485 --> 00:21:51,285
To make sexy feathers, the male
must be healthy and parasite-free.
273
00:21:51,285 --> 00:21:56,365
These markings announce,
"My genes are great. Choose me."
274
00:22:11,005 --> 00:22:14,125
And if she does,
he treats her to a slap-up meal
275
00:22:14,125 --> 00:22:16,325
by regurgitating food into her mouth.
276
00:22:25,005 --> 00:22:27,405
Over a few days,
she'll lay about six eggs
277
00:22:27,405 --> 00:22:29,765
that will hatch
in just a couple of weeks.
278
00:22:34,205 --> 00:22:38,565
She feeds her blind, naked chicks
a rich milk-like liquid.
279
00:22:38,565 --> 00:22:40,365
They grow rapidly.
280
00:22:51,285 --> 00:22:54,285
Within 12 days
their wing feathers come through.
281
00:23:02,005 --> 00:23:03,925
And after only four weeks,
282
00:23:03,925 --> 00:23:05,925
they're almost ready
to leave the nest.
283
00:23:12,005 --> 00:23:15,005
Incredibly, these chicks
will be ready to breed
284
00:23:15,005 --> 00:23:18,285
in just 60 days after hatching.
285
00:23:18,285 --> 00:23:20,245
It's a superquick turnaround
286
00:23:20,245 --> 00:23:22,925
to get the young out of the nest
while the going is good.
287
00:23:29,405 --> 00:23:31,685
But it could all be over
in an instant.
288
00:23:34,965 --> 00:23:38,725
At two metres, the perentie
is Australia's largest lizard.
289
00:23:56,005 --> 00:23:59,005
( BIRDS SQUAWK )
290
00:24:02,005 --> 00:24:06,085
A tireless predator, it covers
great distances in search of food.
291
00:24:20,365 --> 00:24:22,485
The perentie tracks its prey by sight
292
00:24:22,485 --> 00:24:26,045
and by detecting scent molecules
that it picks up on its tongue.
293
00:24:51,725 --> 00:24:53,245
( BIRDS SQUAWK )
294
00:24:58,325 --> 00:25:01,205
In the air,
they're not nearly so vulnerable.
295
00:25:36,005 --> 00:25:39,885
Synchronised squadrons fly low
between the mulga trees.
296
00:25:39,885 --> 00:25:43,765
The colours on their backs
camouflage them against the grasses.
297
00:25:56,565 --> 00:26:00,325
Where the budgies go,
the birds of prey follow.
298
00:26:26,005 --> 00:26:29,285
What the hunter is looking for
is a weak link.
299
00:27:02,005 --> 00:27:04,885
But it's not always life and death
for Australia's parrots.
300
00:27:07,005 --> 00:27:09,965
Galahs seem to have plenty of time
for clowning around.
301
00:27:36,365 --> 00:27:39,645
In some years, budgies breed up
into such numbers
302
00:27:39,645 --> 00:27:43,245
that they become, for a time,
Australia's most numerous parrot.
303
00:27:57,725 --> 00:28:00,845
Accounts by early settlers
tell of flocks so big
304
00:28:00,845 --> 00:28:02,565
that they blackened the sky.
305
00:28:29,725 --> 00:28:32,485
But the good times
can only last for so long.
306
00:28:33,485 --> 00:28:37,885
And as the country dries out again,
breeding comes to a halt.
307
00:28:40,805 --> 00:28:44,725
Having raised several generations,
the budgies disperse,
308
00:28:44,725 --> 00:28:46,765
resuming their nomadic life
in the desert
309
00:28:46,765 --> 00:28:49,285
waiting for the next big rains.
310
00:28:53,485 --> 00:28:54,965
Whenever that may be.
311
00:29:05,965 --> 00:29:09,045
In contrast to the unpredictable
droughts of the interior,
312
00:29:09,045 --> 00:29:13,085
the seasons along the southern edge
of Australia are far more regular.
313
00:29:15,965 --> 00:29:19,045
In winter, Antarctic blasts
of cold air
314
00:29:19,045 --> 00:29:21,645
bring snow to Australia's
highest mountains.
315
00:29:27,685 --> 00:29:29,765
Wombats can forage in any weather.
316
00:29:34,805 --> 00:29:37,165
But it's not great weather
for parrots.
317
00:29:37,165 --> 00:29:41,365
There is one that manages
to survive above the snowline.
318
00:29:43,565 --> 00:29:48,365
Green rosellas fuel up on alpine
berries against the winter blizzards.
319
00:29:59,245 --> 00:30:03,805
Down at sea level, the cold fronts
bring gale-force winds.
320
00:30:03,805 --> 00:30:05,285
Great for surfers...
321
00:30:06,645 --> 00:30:08,765
...treacherous for
almost anything else.
322
00:30:13,325 --> 00:30:14,845
If you're a rock parrot,
323
00:30:14,845 --> 00:30:17,565
you must learn to like your plants
heavily salted.
324
00:30:25,005 --> 00:30:27,805
Living in the salt-spray zone
is not an easy life,
325
00:30:27,805 --> 00:30:30,325
but these hardy parrots are battlers.
326
00:30:35,725 --> 00:30:39,085
Things get a little easier
in the nearby coastal heath.
327
00:30:40,085 --> 00:30:43,885
This environment is richer,
attracting gang-gang cockatoos.
328
00:30:48,005 --> 00:30:51,205
Like most cockatoos,
gang-gangs are left-footed,
329
00:30:51,205 --> 00:30:55,485
gripping onto their wind-blown perch
with their right leg,
330
00:30:55,485 --> 00:30:57,805
while holding the seed pod
with their left.
331
00:31:11,005 --> 00:31:14,165
Yellow-tailed black-cockatoos
also favour their left foot
332
00:31:14,165 --> 00:31:18,045
when tackling the large seed-bearing
cones of the banksia tree.
333
00:31:20,685 --> 00:31:23,685
It's a tricky operation
that combines brute force
334
00:31:23,685 --> 00:31:25,965
to slice through the tough exterior,
335
00:31:25,965 --> 00:31:30,885
and a delicate touch to extract
and shell the seeds that lie within.
336
00:31:37,325 --> 00:31:40,645
But the very plants
that these parrots need to survive
337
00:31:40,645 --> 00:31:42,965
must be burnt in order to regenerate.
338
00:31:45,965 --> 00:31:48,725
All this takes is a thunderstorm.
339
00:31:48,725 --> 00:31:51,725
( THUNDER RUMBLES )
340
00:31:58,405 --> 00:32:01,965
And the Australian bush
burns astonishingly fiercely.
341
00:32:03,965 --> 00:32:07,925
Banksia fruits need intense heat
to release their seeds.
342
00:32:11,005 --> 00:32:12,605
Hakea cones split.
343
00:32:15,605 --> 00:32:17,725
Gumnuts drop to the forest floor.
344
00:32:27,005 --> 00:32:30,645
Oil in the eucalyptus leaves
is as explosive as petrol.
345
00:32:40,765 --> 00:32:43,845
No other continent burns
so dramatically as Australia.
346
00:32:50,125 --> 00:32:53,085
Some fires consume
millions of hectares.
347
00:32:56,205 --> 00:32:57,685
But within hours...
348
00:32:59,205 --> 00:33:01,525
...currawongs are poking through
the ashes.
349
00:33:04,845 --> 00:33:08,045
And crimson rosellas
that survived the inferno
350
00:33:08,045 --> 00:33:10,765
are feasting on
roasted eucalypt seeds.
351
00:33:20,765 --> 00:33:24,805
Just a few days later
eucalypts sprout green shoots.
352
00:33:36,005 --> 00:33:38,325
Within a few years
the forests recover.
353
00:33:48,605 --> 00:33:50,405
And there's plenty of food.
354
00:33:50,405 --> 00:33:53,885
So it's time for crimson rosellas
to start breeding again.
355
00:33:57,725 --> 00:33:59,365
With their bright plumage,
356
00:33:59,365 --> 00:34:02,365
parrots seem to be screaming out
to potential predators,
357
00:34:02,365 --> 00:34:04,365
"Free food -- come and get it."
358
00:34:07,245 --> 00:34:11,085
But whether you're a budgie,
an eclectus, a rosella,
359
00:34:11,085 --> 00:34:12,605
or just about any other parrot,
360
00:34:12,605 --> 00:34:16,045
you have to take colourful risks
in the mating game.
361
00:34:35,765 --> 00:34:38,845
Sometimes you can have
the best of both worlds.
362
00:34:40,125 --> 00:34:42,005
These gaudy birds are, in fact,
363
00:34:42,005 --> 00:34:45,885
safely camouflaged by their
leaf-like shape and green backs.
364
00:34:56,445 --> 00:34:59,605
Although they haven't
quite mastered a disguise
365
00:34:59,605 --> 00:35:01,085
for the Australian suburbs.
366
00:35:03,005 --> 00:35:04,485
Ever since Australians
367
00:35:04,485 --> 00:35:06,605
started planting native trees
in their cities,
368
00:35:06,605 --> 00:35:08,085
food is laid on.
369
00:35:10,685 --> 00:35:13,605
And parrots happily accept
the invitation.
370
00:35:18,885 --> 00:35:21,605
Some overstay their welcome.
371
00:35:21,605 --> 00:35:23,845
With too much time on its hands,
372
00:35:23,845 --> 00:35:26,405
this cockatoo gets stuck into
an electric insulator.
373
00:35:31,805 --> 00:35:35,485
While the maniacal corella
will attack everything in its path.
374
00:35:37,765 --> 00:35:39,245
Even bitumen road.
375
00:35:42,365 --> 00:35:45,125
And then the neighbour's lawn.
376
00:35:47,365 --> 00:35:49,005
But such destructiveness is minor
377
00:35:49,005 --> 00:35:51,245
compared with
what they do to farmers.
378
00:35:55,005 --> 00:35:58,125
And the cockatoos love
the modern cropping practices.
379
00:36:07,005 --> 00:36:10,125
A generation ago, Lakeland
was open to intensive farming.
380
00:36:14,845 --> 00:36:17,525
It was ideal country
for maize and peanuts.
381
00:36:18,525 --> 00:36:20,245
And as the crops grew,
382
00:36:20,245 --> 00:36:22,285
the sulphur-crested cockatoos
moved in.
383
00:36:40,765 --> 00:36:45,405
In just a week the birds can inflict
tens of thousands of dollars damage
384
00:36:45,405 --> 00:36:47,765
to the maize of farmer
Darryn Hoskins.
385
00:36:47,765 --> 00:36:49,245
(Darryn whistles) Suzie.
386
00:36:49,245 --> 00:36:51,765
DARRYN: The numbers have
bred up over the years.
387
00:36:51,765 --> 00:36:54,645
The main reason for that is
'cause in their natural habitat
388
00:36:54,645 --> 00:36:57,605
they haven't got a good amount
of food all year round.
389
00:36:57,605 --> 00:36:59,725
Where, in the valley here
in Lakeland,
390
00:36:59,725 --> 00:37:02,845
even in the driest part of the year,
in August, September,
391
00:37:02,845 --> 00:37:06,605
when it's extremely dry, there's
still crop residue on the ground.
392
00:37:06,605 --> 00:37:09,925
And the birds have
got a feed all year round.
393
00:37:09,925 --> 00:37:13,005
With that they can continue to breed
12 months of the year,
394
00:37:13,005 --> 00:37:14,485
no problems at all.
395
00:37:14,485 --> 00:37:17,925
There's food and there's water here
on hand, so they've got it laid on.
396
00:37:17,925 --> 00:37:19,405
They think it's terrific.
397
00:37:21,085 --> 00:37:22,765
FRIELS: When they've finished
with the maize,
398
00:37:22,765 --> 00:37:24,365
the cockies head for
the peanut fields
399
00:37:24,365 --> 00:37:26,645
where they pick apart the hay bales.
400
00:37:26,645 --> 00:37:29,645
( BIRDS SQUAWK )
401
00:37:36,085 --> 00:37:38,645
Red-tailed black-cockatoos
join in the fun.
402
00:37:48,605 --> 00:37:50,925
So, how does the farmer
try and control them?
403
00:37:50,925 --> 00:37:53,245
DARRYN: Basically,
just driving around
404
00:37:53,245 --> 00:37:56,805
and shooting at 'em
with a high-powered rifle.
405
00:37:56,805 --> 00:38:00,325
Just the noise alone is enough to
scare 'em, or even toot the horn.
406
00:38:00,325 --> 00:38:05,005
But it's a full-time job for two,
three months of the year nonstop.
407
00:38:06,845 --> 00:38:09,205
Basically, all you're doing is
just driving around
408
00:38:09,205 --> 00:38:11,565
following the cockatoos
from one paddock to another
409
00:38:11,565 --> 00:38:13,045
until the day warms up.
410
00:38:13,045 --> 00:38:16,565
It gets too warm for 'em, so they
go back and roost in the trees.
411
00:38:16,565 --> 00:38:19,405
Then they come back again
and commence their feeding.
412
00:38:19,405 --> 00:38:21,405
Then we commence to chasing again.
413
00:38:21,405 --> 00:38:23,405
Which is bloody annoying.
414
00:38:23,405 --> 00:38:27,285
(Cocks gun and fires)
415
00:38:32,845 --> 00:38:35,845
( BIRDS SQUAWK )
416
00:38:44,845 --> 00:38:46,805
FRIELS: Further south,
in the wheat country,
417
00:38:46,805 --> 00:38:48,445
it's a different cockatoo.
418
00:38:49,445 --> 00:38:50,925
But it's the same story.
419
00:38:54,485 --> 00:38:58,685
In small doses, little corellas are
a delightful and entertaining bird.
420
00:39:04,365 --> 00:39:07,445
But when flocks of
up to 30,000 marauding birds
421
00:39:07,445 --> 00:39:09,045
descend on your harvest,
422
00:39:09,045 --> 00:39:12,925
well, you can understand why
a farmer might be a little upset.
423
00:39:15,125 --> 00:39:19,365
The grain is stored in giant bunkers
and protected by thick canvas.
424
00:39:19,365 --> 00:39:22,285
But the canvas is no match
for their sharp beaks.
425
00:39:38,285 --> 00:39:40,245
And having feasted on
the main course,
426
00:39:40,245 --> 00:39:43,325
it's off to the nearest vineyard
for a spot of dessert.
427
00:39:53,245 --> 00:39:57,005
For lychee farmers,
rainbow lorikeets are the enemy.
428
00:39:57,005 --> 00:39:59,845
The farmers spend every daylight hour
patrolling their orchard
429
00:39:59,845 --> 00:40:01,725
to keep the birds at bay.
430
00:40:07,925 --> 00:40:11,725
Like children with cupcakes,
they take a bite from each one,
431
00:40:11,725 --> 00:40:13,485
spoiling them for everybody else.
432
00:40:24,205 --> 00:40:28,365
For the farmer, it's a race to see
who gets to the ripest fruit first.
433
00:40:33,765 --> 00:40:35,245
And the birds are winning.
434
00:40:37,405 --> 00:40:40,365
But not all farmers
are at war with parrots.
435
00:40:44,405 --> 00:40:46,245
A Queensland cattle station
436
00:40:46,245 --> 00:40:49,965
has become an unlikely refuge
for a rare turquoise beauty...
437
00:40:51,605 --> 00:40:53,725
...the golden-shouldered parrot.
438
00:40:59,405 --> 00:41:02,085
Last century, bird fanciers
trapped these prized parrots
439
00:41:02,085 --> 00:41:03,725
and robbed their nests.
440
00:41:05,965 --> 00:41:09,125
This plunder left the species
hanging on by a thread.
441
00:41:13,125 --> 00:41:14,845
To make matters worse,
442
00:41:14,845 --> 00:41:18,805
these picky parrots have very
particular lifestyle requirements.
443
00:41:20,805 --> 00:41:24,805
For a start, a broody couple
need an airconditioned termite mound
444
00:41:24,805 --> 00:41:26,565
to burrow into and make a nest.
445
00:41:30,725 --> 00:41:33,685
They've made Sue Shephard's
cattle property home.
446
00:41:39,405 --> 00:41:42,085
And every breeding season
for 30 years
447
00:41:42,085 --> 00:41:44,365
she's been riding
hundreds of kilometres
448
00:41:44,365 --> 00:41:46,325
checking every mound for chicks.
449
00:41:56,005 --> 00:41:57,565
In half the occupied mounds,
450
00:41:57,565 --> 00:42:00,605
Sue has found the nest floor
covered with a grub
451
00:42:00,605 --> 00:42:03,645
that is unique to the nests
of golden-shouldered parrots.
452
00:42:07,485 --> 00:42:09,445
The grub belongs to a moth
453
00:42:09,445 --> 00:42:13,285
that synchronises the hatching of
her babies with that of the chicks.
454
00:42:14,285 --> 00:42:16,565
The grubs eat the chicks' poo,
455
00:42:16,565 --> 00:42:18,525
which seems to suit everyone.
456
00:42:26,365 --> 00:42:29,245
Meanwhile, the chicks' parents
go looking for food together.
457
00:42:32,805 --> 00:42:36,565
When they return, Dad flies to
the mound to check that all is safe.
458
00:42:40,965 --> 00:42:43,765
(Chirps)
459
00:42:44,765 --> 00:42:47,085
And to let the young ones know
that it's mealtime.
460
00:42:50,805 --> 00:42:53,965
He stands guard while the female
comes down to feed the chicks.
461
00:42:58,005 --> 00:43:00,285
( CHICKS SQUAWK )
462
00:43:00,285 --> 00:43:04,365
An exhausting schedule when your
chicks need four or five feeds a day.
463
00:43:19,365 --> 00:43:22,885
Dad's job is to coax
the 5-week-old chicks
464
00:43:22,885 --> 00:43:26,765
out of their cosy nest
and into the big, bad world.
465
00:43:43,965 --> 00:43:45,445
It's the dry season,
466
00:43:45,445 --> 00:43:47,565
which means it's hard
for the young birds
467
00:43:47,565 --> 00:43:49,405
to find food in the thick grass.
468
00:43:50,965 --> 00:43:52,845
So Sue helps nature along,
469
00:43:52,845 --> 00:43:55,965
burning the bush
and exposing the next meal.
470
00:44:14,405 --> 00:44:18,205
Sue's property is a haven
for the golden-shouldered parrot,
471
00:44:18,205 --> 00:44:23,165
and her efforts may be the only thing
standing between them and extinction.
472
00:44:30,965 --> 00:44:35,285
Even further north, in the remote
woodlands of Cape York Peninsula,
473
00:44:35,285 --> 00:44:38,405
there's a parrot that's
intrigued scientists for a century.
474
00:44:44,365 --> 00:44:48,165
Steve Murphy came here as
a young biologist 10 years ago.
475
00:44:49,565 --> 00:44:52,125
His quest was to
unlock the secrets
476
00:44:52,125 --> 00:44:55,725
of the world's
most spectacular cockatoo --
477
00:44:55,725 --> 00:44:57,445
the palm cockatoo.
478
00:45:18,005 --> 00:45:20,405
Few people have ever seen this bird.
479
00:45:20,405 --> 00:45:22,525
STEVE: Look here. Here he comes.
480
00:45:25,365 --> 00:45:28,365
FRIELS: The palm cockatoo dates back
tens of millions of years
481
00:45:28,365 --> 00:45:31,485
to when Australia
was covered in rainforest.
482
00:45:31,485 --> 00:45:33,565
He's the grandaddy of them all.
483
00:45:36,085 --> 00:45:38,685
Little was known
of this mysterious bird
484
00:45:38,685 --> 00:45:40,885
until Steve Murphy began his study.
485
00:45:45,965 --> 00:45:49,805
And the only way to find them in this
rainforest is to mimic their calls.
486
00:45:49,805 --> 00:45:53,005
(Calls)
487
00:45:53,005 --> 00:45:55,205
(Squawks)
(Squawks)
488
00:45:57,845 --> 00:46:00,325
(Mimics call)
489
00:46:00,325 --> 00:46:01,845
(Calls)
490
00:46:01,845 --> 00:46:04,245
(Whistles)
491
00:46:05,245 --> 00:46:06,725
(Whistles)
492
00:46:12,285 --> 00:46:15,805
STEVE: They've got a huge repertoire
of calls that they use in display.
493
00:46:15,805 --> 00:46:17,845
(Calls)
494
00:46:17,845 --> 00:46:20,805
The 'hello' call they make
is part of the display.
495
00:46:20,805 --> 00:46:22,765
It seems to be made almost as if
496
00:46:22,765 --> 00:46:25,565
they're saying hello
to their partner
497
00:46:25,565 --> 00:46:27,725
or their neighbouring cockatoos.
498
00:46:31,165 --> 00:46:35,045
FRIELS: Unlike other cockatoos,
palm cockatoos don't live in flocks.
499
00:46:36,365 --> 00:46:39,645
They pair up with a mate
and seem to stick with them for life.
500
00:46:43,845 --> 00:46:47,285
And they can live for up to 90 years.
501
00:46:47,285 --> 00:46:52,365
One cockatoo in captivity
had her first chick at 54.
502
00:46:57,925 --> 00:46:59,405
But to get the girl,
503
00:46:59,405 --> 00:47:01,005
the male must be
a man of property
504
00:47:01,005 --> 00:47:03,365
with a portfolio
of good nesting hollows.
505
00:47:03,365 --> 00:47:05,885
And if he wants any chance of mating,
506
00:47:05,885 --> 00:47:07,885
she must be persuaded
that he's strong enough
507
00:47:07,885 --> 00:47:10,245
to build her
several magnificent nests.
508
00:47:12,525 --> 00:47:15,405
STEVE: All the elements
of a palm cockatoo display
509
00:47:15,405 --> 00:47:18,685
are designed to draw attention to
that massive beak.
510
00:47:19,685 --> 00:47:22,285
The blushing of the cheek patch,
the wing spreading --
511
00:47:22,285 --> 00:47:23,765
which makes them bigger --
512
00:47:23,765 --> 00:47:28,445
it's all designed to show
other cockatoos that they're strong.
513
00:47:28,445 --> 00:47:32,045
And the pinnacle of their strength
is in their beak.
514
00:47:33,085 --> 00:47:37,325
FRIELS: Essentially, he is trying to prove
that he is a blue-chip investment,
515
00:47:37,325 --> 00:47:41,525
and that she can feel comfortable
putting all her eggs in his basket.
516
00:47:49,685 --> 00:47:53,725
STEVE: They join up every morning
and afternoon at these nest hollows.
517
00:47:56,365 --> 00:47:58,445
And they catch up on
the day's events,
518
00:47:58,445 --> 00:48:01,725
and it really does sound like
you're listening to
519
00:48:01,725 --> 00:48:03,885
an old married couple sometimes.
520
00:48:09,005 --> 00:48:10,485
I mean, the analogy continues.
521
00:48:10,485 --> 00:48:12,005
It's just like humans
522
00:48:12,005 --> 00:48:15,245
and the pride that humans have
in their houses.
523
00:48:15,245 --> 00:48:17,165
Palm cockatoos are exactly the same.
524
00:48:21,525 --> 00:48:23,405
But the most amazing display of all
525
00:48:23,405 --> 00:48:27,725
is when males bring back to the nest
a small stick.
526
00:48:27,725 --> 00:48:30,645
And they actually
drum on the side of the nest.
527
00:48:32,965 --> 00:48:35,405
FRIELS: Maybe it's because
palm cockatoos live so long
528
00:48:35,405 --> 00:48:37,805
that they have time to learn so much.
529
00:48:41,405 --> 00:48:43,965
But it's a rare thing
anywhere in the animal world
530
00:48:43,965 --> 00:48:46,845
to see a tool being used
quite this deliberately.
531
00:48:49,565 --> 00:48:51,485
STEVE: I think it's very likely
532
00:48:51,485 --> 00:48:54,125
that the female
watches these drumming displays
533
00:48:54,125 --> 00:48:57,165
and can tell something about
either the male
534
00:48:57,165 --> 00:49:00,205
or the nest tree
at which he's performing.
535
00:49:02,005 --> 00:49:03,605
You know, there's something that
she's picking up
536
00:49:03,605 --> 00:49:07,205
in the way that the drumming sound
resonates inside the hollow.
537
00:49:07,205 --> 00:49:11,005
We don't really know, but,
I mean, she watches very intently.
538
00:49:14,965 --> 00:49:18,085
FRIELS: The choosy males will try
two or three different drumsticks
539
00:49:18,085 --> 00:49:20,885
before they settle on one
that they really like.
540
00:49:31,045 --> 00:49:35,005
STEVE: When they actually perform
the drumming display at the nest,
541
00:49:35,005 --> 00:49:36,685
it does seem to have a rhythm.
542
00:49:42,885 --> 00:49:44,365
But when he's finished with it,
543
00:49:44,365 --> 00:49:47,725
he'll often sit at the edge of
the hollow and splinter up the stick
544
00:49:47,725 --> 00:49:50,365
and add it to the nesting platform
that's inside the hollow.
545
00:49:52,005 --> 00:49:53,485
FRIELS: If the female is impressed,
546
00:49:53,485 --> 00:49:56,645
she will walk down and join him
at the entrance of the nest
547
00:49:56,645 --> 00:49:58,845
to see if it's good enough
to breed in.
548
00:50:05,605 --> 00:50:09,405
With the hollow approved, they can
fly off to have a morning snack.
549
00:50:17,965 --> 00:50:20,765
The local birds gather at trees
that are in fruit.
550
00:50:24,685 --> 00:50:28,445
STEVE: That really powerful beak
that palm cockatoos have,
551
00:50:28,445 --> 00:50:32,085
which is by far the biggest beak
of any of the cockatoos,
552
00:50:32,085 --> 00:50:35,405
it allows them to eat foods
that other cockatoos
553
00:50:35,405 --> 00:50:38,725
and other animals in general
just simply can't access.
554
00:50:41,125 --> 00:50:45,085
I think palm cockatoos
are very intelligent.
555
00:50:46,205 --> 00:50:48,885
You've only gotta watch a pair
courting at their nest,
556
00:50:48,885 --> 00:50:51,325
or a male fashioning a drumstick
557
00:50:51,325 --> 00:50:54,285
to realise that there is
complicated thought
558
00:50:54,285 --> 00:50:56,325
going in that big head of theirs.
559
00:50:57,965 --> 00:51:02,085
FRIELS: Of course, these regal palm cockatoos are not
the only clever ones.
560
00:51:03,085 --> 00:51:04,685
All parrots are smart.
561
00:51:06,205 --> 00:51:08,725
Whereas most birds
only learn when they're young,
562
00:51:08,725 --> 00:51:11,405
parrots continue, through long lives,
563
00:51:11,405 --> 00:51:14,365
to accumulate knowledge
and pass it on to their mob.
564
00:51:17,205 --> 00:51:21,165
Combine this brain power with
their crafty beaks and agile toes,
565
00:51:21,165 --> 00:51:23,325
and it's almost as though parrots
566
00:51:23,325 --> 00:51:25,845
were preadapted
for this changing continent.
567
00:51:28,805 --> 00:51:32,485
From the drying of the land
to the arrival of Europeans,
568
00:51:32,485 --> 00:51:35,005
these brightest of birds
have thrived...
569
00:51:36,125 --> 00:51:39,685
...making Australia
the land of parrots.
45057
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