Saved
from certain death ,
snuggled into a toy lamb
, the above fledgling Torres
Strait Pigeon is as happy
as Larry. It is
being looked after
in the same recovery ward
on Magnetic Island where Larry
the Lorikeet, named after Cyclone Larry in which he was injured , is
holidaying . Larry now
spends most of
his time sitting
on top of the pigeon’s
cage , talking , whistling . The young bird is
being fed each three hours by wildlife carer Tania , also known as the Queen of the Jungle . When this
photograph was taken the
bird was only
about 12 days old and
its feathers were
growing rapidly , a few
days earlier just like
quills .
Also known as the Nutmeg Pigeon , these birds arrive in flocks in Australia
during September and
October and return north in March
and April , some to New Guinea , even the Aru islands .
Their nests consist of a few
sticks . It is hoped
that Larry and the pigeon
will sail back to Mission Beach where the fully
fledged bird will be able to join flocks
heading
north.
