Black swans are reasonably placid and will carry on with their business while people walk nearby. In zoos and wildlife parks, black swans get quite cheeky and solicit for food. It is sometimes mentioned in other Write Australian fiction, but is more often a symbol than a main player. The budgie is a small parrot with a distinctive barred hood and wings. Blue and green are common colours, but more exotic shades are also available.
Budgies are easy-going but full of personality and have a sweet and cheerful song.
They occasionally pop up in Write Australian fiction, but are not usually major characters. William Woad Wallace, the budgie in this picture, is sharing a perch with two cockatiels, George and Pat. There are about a dozen kinds of cockatoo which are native to Australia - it depends if you include the cockatiel. The bigger ones are roughly divided into black and white cockatoos. The black ones include - The Palm Cockatoo, which is the biggest and most northerly.