Glossy Black-Cockatoo An uncommon sight in the eastern states of Australia is the Glossy Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami) also known as the Casuarina Cockatoo as it feeds on She-oak (Casuarina) cones. They are unobtrusive but large (46-51cm...
Couch potato cats love nothing more than spending time relaxing with you. Our pick of the best couch potatoes is in the March issue of Burke
Taxidermy Australia has world champions in many fields, but some receive more recognition than others. For example few people are aware that at the 1999 World Taxidermy Championships held in Illinois, USA, Australian Gary Pegg won ‘Best in World’ with his...
White-tailed Spider Over the years white-tailed spider bites have been blamed for severe skin deterioration and ulceration in some victims. Dr Julian White believes that for most people the bite of a white-tailed spider is a very minor affair, and that a range...
Kookaburras The rollicking call of the Laughing Kookaburra is one of the most enduring sounds of the Australian bush. Most people think that the birds are happily chuckling away, but nothing could be further from the truth – their calls are really serious...
Luke’s Pet Pug Last February Luke Smale was a passenger in a car which crashed and caught fire. He was trapped, and suffered serious burns and other injuries which led to the amputation of both his legs below the knees. Luke is in the difficult recovery phase...
Mud Dauber Wasps Mud daubers are large, solitary wasps. The females collect mud and use it to construct nests or brood chambers, which can often be seen attached to buildings or under the eaves of houses. They are bottle shaped with a tunnel entrance, and look just...
Pat Parelli – Horse That Can’t Be Caught Pat Parelli is world famous for his ability to teach people what horses want and need them to know – savvy. He says that if you can try to understand why horses act the way they do, you’re on the way to...
Pat Parelli – Horse Won’t Float Pat Parelli’s theory of horsemanship is based on the prey-predator concept. Horses evolved as prey animals and their best defence against predators was to run, or in other words, the flight response. Pat says that if...
Penguin Rescue Burke’s Backyard visited Taronga Zoo’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, where thirteen Little Penguins have been recuperating. The penguins were found in the Sydney region from Bondi to Palm Beach, and taken to the zoo by caring members of...