Of the total of about 700 birds known to
live in Australia, about 530 are considered to be
endemic. Australia's bird population is distinguished
by being over 70% partly or entirely
insect eaters.
Australia's best known birds may be the flightless
but fast-running emu, and the
tropical cassowary.
Another famous
bird is the black swan, the only species
of swan native to Australia.
A special Australian bird is the
kookaburra, or great brown kingfisher.
This bird is often called the laughing jackass,
because of its rather unique wild laughing cry,
the sound you heard when the
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Australia is chief home to the
parrot family,
with 60 known species.
The cockatoo
is a member of the parrot family.
The sulfur-crested cockatoo may be the most
familiar of the family, and congregates
in large, noisy flocks. The largest of the
cockatoos is the black cockatoo
. These birds are found in Australia, the
east Indies, and the Phillipines. Characteristics
include erectile feathered crests, and powerful hooked
beaks. cockatoos feed on vegetation, and have been
known to damage crops. They are usually gregarious birds,
and nest in natural hollows in trees and rocks.
