Western Illinois zoo now home to several new bird species

COAL VALLEY, Ill. (AP) - Several new bird species have joined a western Illinois zoo in time for the 2017 season.

The (Moline) Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/2rQ6CDE ) parakeets, lorikeets and a laughing kookaburra are now among the birds on display at Niabi Zoo's Australian Outback aviary.

Parakeets are native to Australia and feed primarily on seeds. Guests will be able to see the birds up close and feed them.

Visitors can also spot two species of lorikeets. The coconut lorikeet hails from the Eastern Indonesian rainforest, New Guinea and nearby islands. Rainbow lorikeets are found in the rainforest of tropical Eastern Australia.

The laughing kookaburra gets its name from the laugh-like call it makes. It inhabits dry forest areas in Eastern Australia and New Zealand.

The zoo has also added new reptiles, mini-donkeys, Bactrian camels and a giant tortoise.

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Information from: The Dispatch - The Rock Island Argus, http://www.qconline.com