dipawali

Happy Diwali

Happy Diwali, Happy Deepavali, Happy Lakshmi Puja, Happy Kali Puja, and Happy Bhai Duj.

Since Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Diwali is really what the stock market needs.

Here are stories about Bhai Duj (or Bhai Dooj) below the fold. And below that, the details of the Five Days of Diwali.The fifth day of Deepavali or Diwali is celebrated as Bhaiya Dooj, popularly know as Bhai Dooj. The name itself denotes the day of the festival i.e it falls on Dooj, the second day after the new moon. This day Yamaraj went to his sister’s house who put an auspicious mark on his forehead for his welfare. Thus, on this day sisters perform puja for their brothers safety and well being. Brothers in return give gifts to their sisters as a token of love.

Another version is after killing Narakasur, Lord Krishna, went to his sister Subhadra who welcomed him in the traditional way by showing him a light and putting on his forehead a tilak of her sisterly protection. Another myth behind this begins as when Bhagawaan Mahavir found nirvana, his brother Raja Nandivardhan was distressed because he missed him and was comforted by his sister Sudarshana. Since then, women have been revered during this festival.

The festival of Diwali is not complete without “Bhaiyya-Duj” in the Hindi-speaking belt, “Bhav–Bij” in the Marathi-speaking communities, “Bhai Phota” to the Bengalees and in Nepal by the name of “Bhai-Tika”.

Diwali is a personal, people-oriented festival when enmities are forgotten, families and friends meet, enjoy and establish a word of closeness. Reflecting this essence, Bhai dooj has its own importance in continuing to maintain the love between brothers and sisters for it is the day of food-sharing, gift-giving and reaching out to the inner most depths of the hearts.

As a festival of light and beauty it encourages artistic expressions through home-decorations stage-plays, elocution competitions singing and dancing programmes, making gift items and making delectable sweets thereby discovering new talents of younger people. As a result innumerable communities with varying cultures and customs mingle together to make Bhai Dooj celebrations a very happy occasion for all. [From Diwalifestival.org]

The Five Days of Diwali:

Five Days Of Diwali

Deewali is a festival of joy, splendor, brightness and happiness. It is the festival of lights and is celebrated with great enthusiasm by all Indians all over the world. The uniqueness of this festival is its harmony of five varied philosophies, with each day to a special thought or ideal. People celebrate each of its five days of festivities with true understanding, it will uplift and enrich the lives.

The first day of Diwali: Dhanteras

The first day of Diwali is called Dhanvantari Triodasi or Dhanwantari Triodasi also called Dhan Theras. It is in fact the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksh, the dark forthnight of the month of Kartik. On this day, Lord Dhanwantari came out of the ocean with Ayurvedic for mankind. This day marks the beginning of Deepawali celebrations.

On this day at sunset, Hindus should bathe and offer a lighted deeya with Prasad (sweets offered at worship time) to Yama Raj, the Lord of Death and pray for protection from untimely death. This offering should be made near a Tulsi tree, the Holy Basil or any other sacred tree that one might have in their yard.

The second day of Diwali: Choti Diwali

The second day of Diwali is called Narak Chaturdasi. On this day Lord Krishna destroyed the demon Narakasur and made the world free from fear.

The third day of Diwali: Lakshmi Puja on Diwali

This is the day when worship unto Mother Lakshmi is performed. Hindus cleanse themselves and join with their families and their Pandit (priest) and they worship the divine Goddess Lakshmi to achieve the blessings of wealth and prosperity, the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.

The fourth day of Diwali: Padwa & Govardhan Puja

On this day, Govardhan Pooja is performed. Many thousands of years ago, Lord Krishna caused the people of Vraja to perform Govardhan Pooja. From then on, every year Hindus worship Govardhan to honour that first Pooja done by the people of Vraja.

The fifth day of Diwali: Bhai Duj

The fifth day of the Diwali is called Bhratri Dooj. This is the day after Goverdhan Pooja is performed and normally two days after Diwali day. It is a day dedicated to sisters. Many moons ago, in the Vedic era, Yama (Yamraj, the Lord of death) visited his sister Yamuna on this day. He gave his sister a Vardhan (a boon) that whosoever visits her on this day shall be liberated from all sins. They will achieve Moksha or final emancipation. From then on, brothers visit their sisters on this day to enquire of their welfare.

This day marks the end of the five days of Diwali celebrations. This is also known as Bhai fota among Bengalis. Bhai fota is an event especially among

Dhanteras Sms In Tamil Marathi Telugu

Meri Paratna Hai Ke Ye Dhanters Apke Lye Naye Khawab,

Nayi Umeed Aur Kamyaabi Ke Naye Raste Laye,

Aur Apki Life Ko Yaadgaar Lamhaat Se Bhar De.

Apko Aur Apke Ghar Walon Ke

Dhanteras Ki Bohat Bohat Badhai Ho

happy diwali sms in marathi

Bengalis when the sister prays for her brother’s safety, success and well being.

indian

India’s Clean (and green) Revolution: Opportunities for

Flying to India

The main way to travel to India from furthest countries is flying. The shortest international flight to India is 148 miles. There are four main airports in India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, and plenty of minors, such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Calicut, Cochin, Coimbatore Airports and number of others. These airports are working with a lot of airlines (over 80 air companies) that provides their service for different prices, so if you want to get the cheap flight to India, you should take interest in special offers of air companies. In addition to this, the multiple airline flights are also the possibility to get cheap flights to India. There are event 354,672 weakly international flights to and from India.
Moreover, if you are looking for cheap flight to India, you should know that airports usually has their own fees, so sometimes flying from the smaller airport is the cheaper choice than taking the flight from the main airport in the country. By the way, it is observed that the cheapest tickets are some months before the flight and they are getting expense with every day closer to the date of departure. So the travel specialists advise to plan your travel to India as early as it is possibleCanadian entrepreneurs

By Vijender Trivedi

August 15, 2012

 

“India is a land of opportunities.” I’m sure you must have heard this numerous times, and I am also assuming that Canadian entrepreneurs are making the best use of it. If not, then this blog is an attempt to give a slight glimpse of what’s happening in India and why you (Canadian entrepreneurs) should expand your business to India.

Before I begin, let me share something that I’m happy about and proudly celebrating today—the 66^th Independence Day of India!

 I would like to start with a fact from a study: “By 2050, India is expected to be the world’s largest economy, surpassing the United States by 2040 and China by 2050.” Imagine how amazing it would be to have your business running in India then. But rather than look forward in time, let’s see what can be done now!

India’s GDP currently exceeds $1.5 trillion and although many of the industries like information and communications technology, biotechnology, cleantech, automotive, oil and gas and infrastructure are booming in India, I would like to draw your attention to the cleantech sector, which is hot at the moment as India is in the midst of a clean revolution and which entrepreneurs can immediately start tapping into with the right approach.

The cleantech opportunities in India include solar energy, biofuels, clean water, renewable power generation, green buildings, smart IT and more. In a power-starved nation, the solar, wind and bio-energy businesses are sure to excel. As a matter of fact, India had approximately $10.2 billion invested in cleantech in 2011 and to be more specific, grid-connected solar investments increased from $600 million in 2010 to $4.2 billion in 2011. Very recently, Gujarat, a state in India, commissioned 600 MW of solar energy projects in a span of just one year. The reason behind all this is very logical—the country is extensively populated with more than 1.2 billion people and a chunk of them have no access to grid electricity. Additionally, India has joined the green revolution and wants to reduce its growing greenhouse gas emissions.

Solar panels installed in the State of Gujarat.

Major US (even German and Chinese) solar panel manufacturers and project developers like SunEdison have already landed in India. But the supply doesn’t match the demand yet. Realizing this, a few startups from the US and Europe have started to enter the Indian renewable energy market, especially in the solar power industry. A few examples include Fenix International, a three-year-old San Francisco based cleantech startup; ToughStuff, a three-year-old UK startup; and MiaSolé, a Silicon Valley startup also targeting India with its copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar panels.

Canadian cleantech companies have all the knowledge and technical resources to enter a market like India and make the best use of the opportunity. I read somewhere that in Ontario alone, there are more than 2,800 environmental industry companies that generate about $7 billion in revenue and employ more than 65,000 people. There is no better time than now to expand cleantech business to India where even the local government is supportive in many ways—be it in subsidy or regulatory policies. Additionally, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada has been supporting and promoting this as well through expos, and firms like TaraSpan have dedicated themselves to accelerating and de-risking India market entry for Canadian technology companies.

If this motivation was not enough, check out the report by The Climate Group, which reveals that the rate of increase of India’s private investment in clean energy will be 736% over the next 10 years, three times that of the US or China.

ravi shankar gupta

parrot

It is the lorikeets and lories, often placed in a subfamily [Loriinae] and sometimes considered their own family (e.g., Clements 1991), that are known for their brush-tipped, nectar-feeding tongues. This Rainbow Lorikeet (left, in a great shot by Murray Lord) is feeding on flowers with that adaptation. There are 53 species in a dozen genera, all confined to Australasia, eastern Indonesia, or remote South Pacific islands. Some are abundant and widespread, like the Rainbow Lorikeet, but many others are scarce and local. Other colorful small parrots in this region, by outside the Loriinae, include six species of pygmy-parrots (Micropsitta) — the smallest parrots in the world — found only in New Guinea and adjacent islands (the Moluccas to the Solomons); six species of fig-parrots in 3 genera, five of them restricted to New Guinea and adjacent islands (one barely reaches n.e. Australia) and the Guaiabero Bolbopsittacus lunulatus of the Philippines. One of the most ancient parrots may be Vulturine (Presquet's) Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus of New Guinea is in a monotypic tribe; it is a large and ungainly dark-headed, red-bellied parrot of the highlands, moving in small flocks, and is one of the highly sought-after species there by birders. It is often placed in its own subfamily or tribe.

Another tribe [Platycercini, according to Collar 1997] includes many of the famous Australasian parrots, including Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus from which the many varieties of pet "Budgies" have been bred. These are 37 species in 14 genera, and many are found in Australia's eucalyptus forest or the dry interior. Among these is the local Superb Parrot (right). The famed Paradise Parrot Psephotus pucherrimus of interior eastern Australia, once bred in termite mounds. It apparently went extinct about the mid 20th century; there are photos of wild birds, adding to the poignancy. The Night Parrot Geopsittacus occidentalis of the arid interior has also been thought to be near extinction, but there is recent evidence that it still survives.

Fortunately, many Australasian parrots are common and widespread, such as Crimson Rosella (left) in eastern Australia. At places like O'Reilly's, in Lamington Nat'l Park, Queensland, or Badger Weir park in Victoria, these wild rosellas have become very tame and will eat out of your hand (below). At the latter spot, so will Australian King Parrot (below on the girl's left hand), a species that shows strong sexual dimorphism. King parrots are listed in the tribe Psittaculini by Collar (1997), among a wide variety of parrots: 66 species in a dozen genera in Africa and Asia. Among this diversity are nine species of racquet-tail (genus Prioniturus), ranging from the Philippines to the Moluccas, and 8 species of Agapornis lovebirds in Africa, plus one on Madagascar (Gray-headed Lovebird, inset below).

The tribe Psittaculini includes the genus Psittacula (14 species), represented here by the Rose-ringed Parakeet (left) which has a wide distribution from sub-Saharan Africa to se. China. Parrots in this genus have reached the remote islands in the Indian Ocean; two have gone extinct (in the Seychelles and on Rodrigues) but the Mauritius Parakeet P. echo continues to cling to existence. In November 1992 we saw 8 of 20 birds still left in the wild. There is a small captive breeding program underway that adds some hope for the species' survival. Also in this group is the famous African Gray Parrot (inset below) of the Congo Basin to west Africa. It is considered the best "talking" parrot of them all. In truly wild country, African Grays gather in communal roosts for the evening; up to 10,000 have been counted in a roost in Gabon (Collar 1997). Just imagine that sound!

While the Old World has two subfamilies and 7 tribes of parrots, at least as arranged by Collar (1997), the New World has but a single tribe in a single subfamily [the Arini] yet among these 148 species is an astonishing variety in size, shape, and behavior. About 30 species are in the widespread New World genus Amazona; these include some of the Neotropics commonest parrots and some of the world's rarest species. "Amazon" parrots are often kept as pets; indeed, in past centuries explorers coming upon previously undiscovered native inhabitants often found they kept pet parrots in their villages. At right Rita is holding a Blue-fronted (or Turquoise-fronted) Amazon which was a pet of a local family in the Brazilian Pantanal; they had found it as a baby fallen out of its nest hole and raised it to adulthood. Such parrots can live 20-30 years. The evening flight of wild Blue-fronts in the Pantanal is truly an impressive spectacle.

Other impressive spectacles are at the unique and local natural "salt licks" (salidas) that attract parrots early and late in the day to eroded cliff-faces along some South American rivers. This salt lick (above) — shot from a moving small boat on the Napo River, e. Ecuador — is full of the large, very pale-headed & pale-backed Mealy Parrots (with yellow tails); the small dark-green Blue-headed Parrots (with their all-blue heads); and the mid-sized medium-green Yellow-crowned Parrots (a few very similar Orange-winged Parrots were also present, but the photo is a bit too fuzzy to pick them out).

Man has had a long history of association with parrots. Obviously, keeping parrots as pets is a major hobby. Our fascination with parrots is not limited to their beauty and unique bill, but a number of species are good mimics and can be taught to "talk." The illegal trade in wild parrots has decimated some wonderful species. Spix's Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii became extinct in the wild when the last lonely male living in the wild in eastern Brazil disappeared in 2000. Fortunately, the trade in wild macaws is declining, and some populations are rebounding. Great Green Macaw (pair in flight, left), a Vulnerable species ranging patchily from Honduras to Ecuador, is now rebounding in eastern Costa Rica. Local naturalists are paying landowners to leave standing the huge wild almond (Dipteryx) trees where it nests, and have made poaching unfashionable. The macaws are responding with increased productivity.

Yet many species remain threatened by this commerce. The Red-and-blue Lory Eos histrio of islands north of Sulawesi is currently being "vacuumed" out of existence by a wild parrot trade. In one California-sized area of Bolivia, trappers in 1975-1984 essentially wiped out all large macaws. Collar (1997) has a fine summary of the impact on psittacines by illegal smuggling, plus the hope for the future with strengthened international laws and protocols. In the Caribbean, four species of Amazon parrots are making comebacks as the island nations find that parrots bring in tourists. especially the four species in the Lesser Antilles: single species on St. Lucia and St. Vincent, and two on Dominica. The latter two are limited to the primeval forest on Mt. Diablotins, where the Red-necked Amazon (right) occurs at lower elevations while the rarer Imperial Amazon Amazona imperialis is up higher in the cloud forest. There are perhaps only 150 birds remaining, but the population is no longer in steep decline. During our 1999 trip to Brazil, we also visited Rio Cristalino Lodge in the heart of the Amazon Basin. There we observed one of the newly described species of parrots — Kawall's or White-faced Amazon A. kawalli — which was only recognized as a different species in 1989. Along this rapidly-flowing blackwater stream it replaces Mealy Parrot, which is otherwise widespread in the steaming Amazon lowlands. And speaking of the newly-described Kawall's Parrot reminds me of Stap's (1991) book about the LSU expeditions by John O'Neill and the late, great Ted Parker to eastern Peru: A Parrot without a Name: The Search for the Last Unknown Birds on Earth. It tells a fascinating story of discovery, including a new parrotlet "without a name" on a 1985 adventure [eventually described to science as the Amazonian Parrotlet Nannopsittaca dachilleae (O'Neill et al. 1991)].

While my Neotropical parrot discussion has been dominated by macaws and big Amazona parrots, the New World tropics are full of a variety of parakeets, conures, and parrotlets. Parrots evolved in forests and remain closely linked to them today. Most species nest in hollow trees or old woodpecker holes (or the occasional cave in rocky habitat). A few species, though, both in the New World and in Australia, nest primarily in termite mounds (termitarias). The Peach-fronted Parakeet (left) is one of a pair using this huge arboreal termitaria in s. Brazil. These species have learned to dig their own nest holes into the (comparatively) soft substrate of the termite nest.

Most parrots pair for life, and form monogamous pair bonds. Courtship displays often include vocalizations and tail-fanning; the impressive Red-fan Parrot Deroptyus accipitrinus of the Amazon Basin has an erectile ruff that frames the head with bright red and blue bands. Throughout the world's tropical forests, parrots amuse and amaze. One is often awe-struck by their beauty amidst a backdrop of jungle: check out this Blue-naped Parrot (right) on the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. I can do little more here than encourage you to seek them out and to enjoy as harbingers of the wild.

It is the lorikeets and lories, often placed in a subfamily [Loriinae] and sometimes considered their own family (e.g., Clements 1991), that are known for their brush-tipped, nectar-feeding tongues. This Rainbow Lorikeet (left, in a great shot by Murray Lord) is feeding on flowers with that adaptation. There are 53 species in a dozen genera, all confined to Australasia, eastern Indonesia, or remote South Pacific islands. Some are abundant and widespread, like the Rainbow Lorikeet, but many others are scarce and local. Other colorful small parrots in this region, by outside the Loriinae, include six species of pygmy-parrots (Micropsitta) — the smallest parrots in the world — found only in New Guinea and adjacent islands (the Moluccas to the Solomons); six species of fig-parrots in 3 genera, five of them restricted to New Guinea and adjacent islands (one barely reaches n.e. Australia) and the Guaiabero Bolbopsittacus lunulatus of the Philippines. One of the most ancient parrots may be Vulturine (Presquet's) Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus of New Guinea is in a monotypic tribe; it is a large and ungainly dark-headed, red-bellied parrot of the highlands, moving in small flocks, and is one of the highly sought-after species there by birders. It is often placed in its own subfamily or tribe.

Another tribe [Platycercini, according to Collar 1997] includes many of the famous Australasian parrots, including Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus from which the many varieties of pet "Budgies" have been bred. These are 37 species in 14 genera, and many are found in Australia's eucalyptus forest or the dry interior. Among these is the local Superb Parrot (right). The famed Paradise Parrot Psephotus pucherrimus of interior eastern Australia, once bred in termite mounds. It apparently went extinct about the mid 20th century; there are photos of wild birds, adding to the poignancy. The Night Parrot Geopsittacus occidentalis of the arid interior has also been thought to be near extinction, but there is recent evidence that it still survives.

Fortunately, many Australasian parrots are common and widespread, such as Crimson Rosella (left) in eastern Australia. At places like O'Reilly's, in Lamington Nat'l Park, Queensland, or Badger Weir park in Victoria, these wild rosellas have become very tame and will eat out of your hand (below). At the latter spot, so will Australian King Parrot (below on the girl's left hand), a species that shows strong sexual dimorphism. King parrots are listed in the tribe Psittaculini by Collar (1997), among a wide variety of parrots: 66 species in a dozen genera in Africa and Asia. Among this diversity are nine species of racquet-tail (genus Prioniturus), ranging from the Philippines to the Moluccas, and 8 species of Agapornis lovebirds in Africa, plus one on Madagascar (Gray-headed Lovebird, inset below).

The tribe Psittaculini includes the genus Psittacula (14 species), represented here by the Rose-ringed Parakeet (left) which has a wide distribution from sub-Saharan Africa to se. China. Parrots in this genus have reached the remote islands in the Indian Ocean; two have gone extinct (in the Seychelles and on Rodrigues) but the Mauritius Parakeet P. echo continues to cling to existence. In November 1992 we saw 8 of 20 birds still left in the wild. There is a small captive breeding program underway that adds some hope for the species' survival. Also in this group is the famous African Gray Parrot (inset below) of the Congo Basin to west Africa. It is considered the best "talking" parrot of them all. In truly wild country, African Grays gather in communal roosts for the evening; up to 10,000 have been counted in a roost in Gabon (Collar 1997). Just imagine that sound!

While the Old World has two subfamilies and 7 tribes of parrots, at least as arranged by Collar (1997), the New World has but a single tribe in a single subfamily [the Arini] yet among these 148 species is an astonishing variety in size, shape, and behavior. About 30 species are in the widespread New World genus Amazona; these include some of the Neotropics commonest parrots and some of the world's rarest species. "Amazon" parrots are often kept as pets; indeed, in past centuries explorers coming upon previously undiscovered native inhabitants often found they kept pet parrots in their villages. At right Rita is holding a Blue-fronted (or Turquoise-fronted) Amazon which was a pet of a local family in the Brazilian Pantanal; they had found it as a baby fallen out of its nest hole and raised it to adulthood. Such parrots can live 20-30 years. The evening flight of wild Blue-fronts in the Pantanal is truly an impressive spectacle.

Other impressive spectacles are at the unique and local natural "salt licks" (salidas) that attract parrots early and late in the day to eroded cliff-faces along some South American rivers. This salt lick (above) — shot from a moving small boat on the Napo River, e. Ecuador — is full of the large, very pale-headed & pale-backed Mealy Parrots (with yellow tails); the small dark-green Blue-headed Parrots (with their all-blue heads); and the mid-sized medium-green Yellow-crowned Parrots (a few very similar Orange-winged Parrots were also present, but the photo is a bit too fuzzy to pick them out).

Man has had a long history of association with parrots. Obviously, keeping parrots as pets is a major hobby. Our fascination with parrots is not limited to their beauty and unique bill, but a number of species are good mimics and can be taught to "talk." The illegal trade in wild parrots has decimated some wonderful species. Spix's Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii became extinct in the wild when the last lonely male living in the wild in eastern Brazil disappeared in 2000. Fortunately, the trade in wild macaws is declining, and some populations are rebounding. Great Green Macaw (pair in flight, left), a Vulnerable species ranging patchily from Honduras to Ecuador, is now rebounding in eastern Costa Rica. Local naturalists are paying landowners to leave standing the huge wild almond (Dipteryx) trees where it nests, and have made poaching unfashionable. The macaws are responding with increased productivity.

Yet many species remain threatened by this commerce. The Red-and-blue Lory Eos histrio of islands north of Sulawesi is currently being "vacuumed" out of existence by a wild parrot trade. In one California-sized area of Bolivia, trappers in 1975-1984 essentially wiped out all large macaws. Collar (1997) has a fine summary of the impact on psittacines by illegal smuggling, plus the hope for the future with strengthened international laws and protocols. In the Caribbean, four species of Amazon parrots are making comebacks as the island nations find that parrots bring in tourists. especially the four species in the Lesser Antilles: single species on St. Lucia and St. Vincent, and two on Dominica. The latter two are limited to the primeval forest on Mt. Diablotins, where the Red-necked Amazon (right) occurs at lower elevations while the rarer Imperial Amazon Amazona imperialis is up higher in the cloud forest. There are perhaps only 150 birds remaining, but the population is no longer in steep decline. During our 1999 trip to Brazil, we also visited Rio Cristalino Lodge in the heart of the Amazon Basin. There we observed one of the newly described species of parrots — Kawall's or White-faced Amazon A. kawalli — which was only recognized as a different species in 1989. Along this rapidly-flowing blackwater stream it replaces Mealy Parrot, which is otherwise widespread in the steaming Amazon lowlands. And speaking of the newly-described Kawall's Parrot reminds me of Stap's (1991) book about the LSU expeditions by John O'Neill and the late, great Ted Parker to eastern Peru: A Parrot without a Name: The Search for the Last Unknown Birds on Earth. It tells a fascinating story of discovery, including a new parrotlet "without a name" on a 1985 adventure [eventually described to science as the Amazonian Parrotlet Nannopsittaca dachilleae (O'Neill et al. 1991)].

While my Neotropical parrot discussion has been dominated by macaws and big Amazona parrots, the New World tropics are full of a variety of parakeets, conures, and parrotlets. Parrots evolved in forests and remain closely linked to them today. Most species nest in hollow trees or old woodpecker holes (or the occasional cave in rocky habitat). A few species, though, both in the New World and in Australia, nest primarily in termite mounds (termitarias). The Peach-fronted Parakeet (left) is one of a pair using this huge arboreal termitaria in s. Brazil. These species have learned to dig their own nest holes into the (comparatively) soft substrate of the termite nest.

Most parrots pair for life, and form monogamous pair bonds. Courtship displays often include vocalizations and tail-fanning; the impressive Red-fan Parrot Deroptyus accipitrinus of the Amazon Basin has an erectile ruff that frames the head with bright red and blue bands. Throughout the world's tropical forests, parrots amuse and amaze. One is often awe-struck by their beauty amidst a backdrop of jungle: check out this Blue-naped Parrot (right) on the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. I can do little more here than encourage you to seek them out and to enjoy as harbingers of the wild.

It is the lorikeets and lories, often placed in a subfamily [Loriinae] and sometimes considered their own family (e.g., Clements 1991), that are known for their brush-tipped, nectar-feeding tongues. This Rainbow Lorikeet (left, in a great shot by Murray Lord) is feeding on flowers with that adaptation. There are 53 species in a dozen genera, all confined to Australasia, eastern Indonesia, or remote South Pacific islands. Some are abundant and widespread, like the Rainbow Lorikeet, but many others are scarce and local. Other colorful small parrots in this region, by outside the Loriinae, include six species of pygmy-parrots (Micropsitta) — the smallest parrots in the world — found only in New Guinea and adjacent islands (the Moluccas to the Solomons); six species of fig-parrots in 3 genera, five of them restricted to New Guinea and adjacent islands (one barely reaches n.e. Australia) and the Guaiabero Bolbopsittacus lunulatus of the Philippines. One of the most ancient parrots may be Vulturine (Presquet's) Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus of New Guinea is in a monotypic tribe; it is a large and ungainly dark-headed, red-bellied parrot of the highlands, moving in small flocks, and is one of the highly sought-after species there by birders. It is often placed in its own subfamily or tribe.

Another tribe [Platycercini, according to Collar 1997] includes many of the famous Australasian parrots, including Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus from which the many varieties of pet "Budgies" have been bred. These are 37 species in 14 genera, and many are found in Australia's eucalyptus forest or the dry interior. Among these is the local Superb Parrot (right). The famed Paradise Parrot Psephotus pucherrimus of interior eastern Australia, once bred in termite mounds. It apparently went extinct about the mid 20th century; there are photos of wild birds, adding to the poignancy. The Night Parrot Geopsittacus occidentalis of the arid interior has also been thought to be near extinction, but there is recent evidence that it still survives.

Fortunately, many Australasian parrots are common and widespread, such as Crimson Rosella (left) in eastern Australia. At places like O'Reilly's, in Lamington Nat'l Park, Queensland, or Badger Weir park in Victoria, these wild rosellas have become very tame and will eat out of your hand (below). At the latter spot, so will Australian King Parrot (below on the girl's left hand), a species that shows strong sexual dimorphism. King parrots are listed in the tribe Psittaculini by Collar (1997), among a wide variety of parrots: 66 species in a dozen genera in Africa and Asia. Among this diversity are nine species of racquet-tail (genus Prioniturus), ranging from the Philippines to the Moluccas, and 8 species of Agapornis lovebirds in Africa, plus one on Madagascar (Gray-headed Lovebird, inset below).

The tribe Psittaculini includes the genus Psittacula (14 species), represented here by the Rose-ringed Parakeet (left) which has a wide distribution from sub-Saharan Africa to se. China. Parrots in this genus have reached the remote islands in the Indian Ocean; two have gone extinct (in the Seychelles and on Rodrigues) but the Mauritius Parakeet P. echo continues to cling to existence. In November 1992 we saw 8 of 20 birds still left in the wild. There is a small captive breeding program underway that adds some hope for the species' survival. Also in this group is the famous African Gray Parrot (inset below) of the Congo Basin to west Africa. It is considered the best "talking" parrot of them all. In truly wild country, African Grays gather in communal roosts for the evening; up to 10,000 have been counted in a roost in Gabon (Collar 1997). Just imagine that sound!

While the Old World has two subfamilies and 7 tribes of parrots, at least as arranged by Collar (1997), the New World has but a single tribe in a single subfamily [the Arini] yet among these 148 species is an astonishing variety in size, shape, and behavior. About 30 species are in the widespread New World genus Amazona; these include some of the Neotropics commonest parrots and some of the world's rarest species. "Amazon" parrots are often kept as pets; indeed, in past centuries explorers coming upon previously undiscovered native inhabitants often found they kept pet parrots in their villages. At right Rita is holding a Blue-fronted (or Turquoise-fronted) Amazon which was a pet of a local family in the Brazilian Pantanal; they had found it as a baby fallen out of its nest hole and raised it to adulthood. Such parrots can live 20-30 years. The evening flight of wild Blue-fronts in the Pantanal is truly an impressive spectacle.

Other impressive spectacles are at the unique and local natural "salt licks" (salidas) that attract parrots early and late in the day to eroded cliff-faces along some South American rivers. This salt lick (above) — shot from a moving small boat on the Napo River, e. Ecuador — is full of the large, very pale-headed & pale-backed Mealy Parrots (with yellow tails); the small dark-green Blue-headed Parrots (with their all-blue heads); and the mid-sized medium-green Yellow-crowned Parrots (a few very similar Orange-winged Parrots were also present, but the photo is a bit too fuzzy to pick them out).

Man has had a long history of association with parrots. Obviously, keeping parrots as pets is a major hobby. Our fascination with parrots is not limited to their beauty and unique bill, but a number of species are good mimics and can be taught to "talk." The illegal trade in wild parrots has decimated some wonderful species. Spix's Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii became extinct in the wild when the last lonely male living in the wild in eastern Brazil disappeared in 2000. Fortunately, the trade in wild macaws is declining, and some populations are rebounding. Great Green Macaw (pair in flight, left), a Vulnerable species ranging patchily from Honduras to Ecuador, is now rebounding in eastern Costa Rica. Local naturalists are paying landowners to leave standing the huge wild almond (Dipteryx) trees where it nests, and have made poaching unfashionable. The macaws are responding with increased productivity.

Yet many species remain threatened by this commerce. The Red-and-blue Lory Eos histrio of islands north of Sulawesi is currently being "vacuumed" out of existence by a wild parrot trade. In one California-sized area of Bolivia, trappers in 1975-1984 essentially wiped out all large macaws. Collar (1997) has a fine summary of the impact on psittacines by illegal smuggling, plus the hope for the future with strengthened international laws and protocols. In the Caribbean, four species of Amazon parrots are making comebacks as the island nations find that parrots bring in tourists. especially the four species in the Lesser Antilles: single species on St. Lucia and St. Vincent, and two on Dominica. The latter two are limited to the primeval forest on Mt. Diablotins, where the Red-necked Amazon (right) occurs at lower elevations while the rarer Imperial Amazon Amazona imperialis is up higher in the cloud forest. There are perhaps only 150 birds remaining, but the population is no longer in steep decline. During our 1999 trip to Brazil, we also visited Rio Cristalino Lodge in the heart of the Amazon Basin. There we observed one of the newly described species of parrots — Kawall's or White-faced Amazon A. kawalli — which was only recognized as a different species in 1989. Along this rapidly-flowing blackwater stream it replaces Mealy Parrot, which is otherwise widespread in the steaming Amazon lowlands. And speaking of the newly-described Kawall's Parrot reminds me of Stap's (1991) book about the LSU expeditions by John O'Neill and the late, great Ted Parker to eastern Peru: A Parrot without a Name: The Search for the Last Unknown Birds on Earth. It tells a fascinating story of discovery, including a new parrotlet "without a name" on a 1985 adventure [eventually described to science as the Amazonian Parrotlet Nannopsittaca dachilleae (O'Neill et al. 1991)].

While my Neotropical parrot discussion has been dominated by macaws and big Amazona parrots, the New World tropics are full of a variety of parakeets, conures, and parrotlets. Parrots evolved in forests and remain closely linked to them today. Most species nest in hollow trees or old woodpecker holes (or the occasional cave in rocky habitat). A few species, though, both in the New World and in Australia, nest primarily in termite mounds (termitarias). The Peach-fronted Parakeet (left) is one of a pair using this huge arboreal termitaria in s. Brazil. These species have learned to dig their own nest holes into the (comparatively) soft substrate of the termite nest.

Most parrots pair for life, and form monogamous pair bonds. Courtship displays often include vocalizations and tail-fanning; the impressive Red-fan Parrot Deroptyus accipitrinus of the Amazon Basin has an erectile ruff that frames the head with bright red and blue bands. Throughout the world's tropical forests, parrots amuse and amaze. One is often awe-struck by their beauty amidst a backdrop of jungle: check out this Blue-naped Parrot (right) on the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. I can do little more here than encourage you to seek them out and to enjoy as harbingers of the wild.