Parrot admires its reflection in Australian traffic camera

On a wing and a stare: Parrot admires its reflection in Australian traffic camera

  • The parrot obstructed a surveillance camera by checking out its own reflection
  • The Corella bird started pecking on the camera lens on a gantry above the road
  • Nicknamed Ralph, the bird entertained camera operators in Perth, Australia

A cheeky parrot brought hilarity to an Australian motorway by checking out its reflection in a surveillance camera. 

The curious corella bird started pecking on the camera lens on a gantry above the highway in Western Australia last week.   

It hogged the limelight from passing cars and would-be traffic offenders as it tried to peek inside the lens of the camera, before several other corellas joined their friend and flew away.

The bird, a type of cockatoo, has been nicknamed ‘Ralph’ after it amazed traffic camera operators on Perth’s Kwinana Freeway. 

Life on the road: This curious parrot obstructed a traffic camera on an Australian motorway after perching itself on a gantry

Life on the road: This curious parrot obstructed a traffic camera on an Australian motorway after perching itself on a gantry 

Approach: The traffic camera had the perfect view as the cockatoo spread its wings and landed on the gantry above the Kwinana Freeway

Approach: The traffic camera had the perfect view as the cockatoo spread its wings and landed on the gantry above the Kwinana Freeway 

Three types of corella – the little corella, the long-billed corella and the western corella – are native to Australia.  

All of them have short crests, patches of blue-grey skin around the eye, brown eyes and pale yellow under the wings and tail, according to the Western Australian Museum.  

Little corellas are known to entertain themselves by sliding down roofs, dropping off the edge and then flying back to the top again. 

Australia also has a population of sulphur-crested cockatoos with yellow crests and a larger wingspan, which are also found in New Guinea and nearby islands. 

There are thought to be around 800 bird species in Australia, of which nearly half are endemic because of the continent’s long isolation from the rest of the world.  

Staring straight ahead: The parrot looked at its reflection in the camera lens as cars drove past far below

Staring straight ahead: The parrot looked at its reflection in the camera lens as cars drove past far below 

Closer view: The curious corella bird leaned in to get a better look and tried to peck at the lens of the surveillance camera

Closer view: The curious corella bird leaned in to get a better look and tried to peck at the lens of the surveillance camera 

Eye to eye: The bird obstructed the view of cars and would-be traffic offenders as it gazed curiously at the camera

Eye to eye: The bird obstructed the view of cars and would-be traffic offenders as it gazed curiously at the camera 

Entertainment: The bird, a type of cockatoo, has been nicknamed 'Ralph' after it amazed traffic camera operators on the Kwinana Freeway

Entertainment: The bird, a type of cockatoo, has been nicknamed ‘Ralph’ after it amazed traffic camera operators on the Kwinana Freeway

source: dailymail.co.uk