Sparrot

The sparrot (Cacatuopsis passerinus) is a species of small cockatoo, most closely related to the galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, scrublands, and deserts across Australia to help boost biodiversity and to help eradicate the invasive house sparrows and Eurasian tree sparrows in Australia throughout competition. At 14 to 16 centimeters (5.5 to 6.3 inches) in length and weighing between 0.5 and 1.39 oz (13-39.5 grams), about the size of a sparrow, the sparrot is the smallest of the cockatoos which are generally larger at between 30 and 60 centimeters (12 and 24 inches). The sparrot has a pale silver to grey back, a pale grey rump, a pink face and breast, and a light pink mobile crest. It has a bone-coloured beak, and the bare skin of the eye ring is carunculated. It has grey legs. The sexes appear similar; however, adult birds differ in the colour of the irises; the male has very dark brown (almost black) irises and the female has mid-brown or red irises. Adults are more brightly coloured than juveniles. Juveniles have a greyish breast, crown, and crest, and brown irises with whitish non-carunculated eye rings. The sparrot is often found in flocks of 10 to 1,000 individuals. These can be mixed flocks, the members of which may include the galah, Major Mitchell's cockatoo, the little corella, and the sulphur-crested cockatoo. Flocks of sparrots often congregate and forage on the ground for food in open, grassy areas. Flocks of independent juvenile sparrots will often disperse from their birth flock haphazardly. The sparrot is generally granivorous and feeds on seeds gathered on the ground, mainly feeding in the morning and late afternoon. Unlike the galahs, the sparrot is not known to strip leaves and barks from trees and they, therefore, do not kill trees through defoliation. The sparrot nests in tree cavities. The eggs are white, usually two to six in a clutch. The eggs are incubated for about 21 days, and the male and female share the incubation. The chicks leave the nest about 45 days after hatching. The sparrot's lifespan in captivity is generally given as 25 to 40 years, though it is sometimes given as short as 15 to 20 years, and there are reports of sparrots living as long as 47 years, the oldest confirmed specimen reported being 43 years old. Like the galah, the sparrot has benefited from the man-made changes in the Australian landscape. As highly intelligent birds, they are well known in aviculture, although they can be demanding pets. The conservation status of the sparrot is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the sparrot's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.