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Sturt National Park

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47-429: The Sturt National Park is a protected national park that is located in the arid far north-western corner of New South Wales , in eastern Australia . The 325,329-hectare (803,910-acre) national park is situated approximately 1,060 kilometres (660 mi) northwest of Sydney and the nearest town is Tibooburra , 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) away. Established in 1972, the park is named in honour of Charles Sturt ,

94-516: A land lease from the U.S. government , while Mackinac National Park was handed down to become the first of the Michigan state parks . As with national parks, facilities at state parks are often leased to concessionaires to operate. Breaks Interstate Park is operated under an interstate compact by Virginia state parks , although it is also one of the Kentucky state parks , straddling both sides of

141-459: A colonial explorer. The park features typical outback scenery of flat, reddish-brown landscapes. It was resumed from five pastoral properties. The Sturt National Park was featured in British documentary called Planet Earth . The Dingo Fence was built along the national park's northern boundary. Flora consists mostly of mulga bushland and arid shrubland, particularly Saltbush . After good rain

188-572: A few exceptions such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California, and Wood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska, the largest state park in the United States . In addition to preserving natural landscapes and providing recreational opportunities, many state parks also serve as important educational resources . They often offer guided tours, interpretive programs, and exhibits that help visitors learn about

235-683: A restaurant) for lodging at some parks. These typically use "Resort" in the name, such as "_____ Resort State Park" in West Virginia state parks and "_____ State Resort Park" in neighboring Kentucky state parks , which has 17 such resort parks, the most of any state. Other states use the Resort name inconsistently (like DeGray Lake Resort State Park , the only one out of three resorts in Arkansas state parks ), or have only one such park ( South Carolina state parks ' Hickory Knob State Resort Park ), or do not use

282-499: A source of fresh water, often choosing eucalyptus/gum trees. The hen lays 4-7 eggs, one every other day, which she incubates for 17–23 days. The chicks fledge after 5 weeks. Cockatiels are the only cockatoo species which may reproduce by the end of their first year. The cockatiel's average life span is 12 to 15 years, though in captivity and under appropriate living conditions, a cockatiel could be expected to live from 16 to 25 years. The oldest living and confirmed specimen of cockatiel

329-411: A successful hybrid between a cockatiel and a galah , another cockatoo species. The cockatiel's distinctive crest expresses the animal's emotional state. The crest is dramatically vertical when the cockatiel is startled or excited, gently oblique in its neutral or relaxed state, and flattened close to the head when the animal is angry or defensive. The crest is also held flat but protrudes outward in

376-559: Is a consequence of the decrease in size and accompanying change of ecological niche . Sequence analysis of intron 7 of the nuclear β - fibrinogen gene, on the other hand, indicates that it may yet be distinct enough as to warrant recognition of the Nymphicinae rather than inclusion of the genus in the Calyptorhynchinae . The cockatiel is now biologically classified as a genuine member of Cacatuidae on account of sharing all of

423-423: Is a popular colour; due to inbreeding, these cockatiels often have a small bald patch behind their crests. The cinnamon mutation, first seen in the 1950s, is very similar in appearance to the grey; however, these birds have a warmer, browner colouring. Pearling was first seen in 1967. This is seen as a feather of one colour with a different coloured edge, such as grey feathers with yellow tips. This distinctive pattern

470-423: Is derived from two pigments : melanin (which provides the grey colour in the feathers, eyes, beak, and feet), and psittacofulvins (which provide the yellow colour on the face and tail and the orange colour of the cheek patch). The grey colour of the melanin overrides the yellow and orange of the psittacofulvins when both are present. The melanin content decreases in the face of the males as they mature, allowing

517-505: Is needed after heavy rains. In the east of the park are flood plains, dotted with occasional trees which then give way to small rocky gorges and creek beds. Located here is Mount Wood, Gorge Lookout and the Mount Wood camping ground. Towards the middle of the park, The Olive Downs, or "Jump Up" country has flat topped mesas rising up to 150 metres (490 ft) above the surrounding plains, granite outcrops and flat valleys. The Jump Ups are

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564-682: Is on a bird's wings or back. The albino colour mutation is a lack of pigment. These birds are white with red eyes. Fallow cockatiels first appeared sometime in the 1970s. This mutation shows as a bird with cinnamon colouring with yellow sections. Other mutations include emerald/olive, dominant and recessive silver, and mutations exclusive to Australia: Australian fallow, faded (west coast silver), dilute/pastel silver (east coast silver), silver spangle (edged dilute), platinum, suffused (Australian olive), and pewter. Other mutations, such as face altering mutations, include whiteface, pastelface, dominant yellow cheek, sex-linked yellow cheek, gold cheek, cream face, and

611-427: Is primarily grey with prominent white flashes on the outer edges of each wing. The face of the male is yellow or white, while the face of the female is primarily grey or light grey, and both sexes feature a round orange area on both ears, often referred to as "cheddar cheeks". This orange colouration is generally vibrant in adult males, and often quite muted in females. Visual sexing is often possible with this variant of

658-650: The Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales . The equivalent term used in Canada, Argentina, South Africa, and Belgium, is provincial park . Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies. State parks are thus similar to national parks , but under state rather than federal administration. Similarly, local government entities below state level may maintain parks, e.g., regional parks or county parks . In general, state parks are smaller than national parks, with

705-571: The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration . Cockatiel Psittacus hollandicus Kerr , 1792 Leptolophus hollandicus The cockatiel ( / ˌ k ɒ k ə ˈ t iː l / ; Nymphicus hollandicus ), also known as the weero / weiro or quarrion , is a medium-sized parrot that is a member of its own branch of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia . They are prized as household exotic bird pets and companion parrots throughout

752-691: The University of New South Wales and Ecological Horizons , in collaboration with the Office of Environment and Heritage and Taronga Conservation Society , the project is using large fenced exclosures to assist with the reintroduction. The species being reintroduced include the Crest-tailed Mulgara , Greater Bilby , Western barred bandicoot , Burrowing bettong , Greater stick-nest rat , Golden bandicoot and Western quoll . State park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at

799-544: The inland dotterel , stubble quail , Australian pratincole and spotted nightjar . 13 species of parrot, which rely on tree hollows for nesting, have also been recorded in the park. These include flocks of cockatiels , galahs , corellas and less frequently budgerigars that appear after rain events. A wide variety of birds of prey are also present in the park, including the wedge-tailed eagle , black-breasted buzzard , Grey falcon , Australian hobby and nankeen kestrel . The Ramsar-listed Lake Pinaroo , present within

846-514: The Australian yellow cheek. Cockatiel colour mutations can become even more complex as one bird can have multiple colour mutations. For example, a yellow lutino cockatiel may have pearling – white spots on its back and wings. This is a double mutation. An example of a quadruple mutation would be cinnamon cockatiel with yellowface colouring with pearling and pied markings. Breeding is triggered by seasonal rainfall. Cockatiels nest in tree hollows near

893-530: The back when the cockatiel is trying to appear alluring or flirtatious. When the cockatiel is tired, the crest is seen positioned halfway upwards, with the tip of the crest usually curling upward. In contrast to most cockatoos, the cockatiel has long tail feathers roughly making up half of its total length. At 30 to 33 cm (12 to 13 in), the cockatiel is the smallest of the cockatoos, which are generally larger at between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 in). The "normal grey" or "wild-type" cockatiel's plumage

940-470: The bird. Most wild cockatiel chicks and juveniles look female, and are virtually indistinguishable from the time of hatching until their first moulting . They display horizontal yellow stripes or bars on the ventral surface of their tail feathers, yellow spots on the ventral surface of the primary flight feathers of their wings, a grey coloured crest and face, and a dull orange patch on each of their cheeks. However some modern-day mutations are sex linked and

987-425: The cockatoo family's biological features, namely, the erectile crest, a gallbladder , powder down , suppressed cloudy-layer (which precludes the display of blue and green structural colours), and facial feathers covering the sides of the beak, all of which are rarely found outside the family Cacatuidae. This biological relation to other cockatoos is further supported by the existence of at least one documented case of

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1034-731: The country's state parks. The NASPD further counts over 43,000 miles (69,000 km) of trail, 217,367 campsites, and 8,277 cabins and lodges across U.S. state parks. The largest state park system in the United States is Alaska State Parks , with over 100 sites encompassing 3.3 million acres. Many states include designations beyond "state park" in their state parks systems. Other designations might be state recreation areas , state beaches, and state nature reserves . Some state park systems include long-distance trails and historic sites . To encourage tourism in rural areas, several states have simple lodges, inns, hotels, or motels (usually with

1081-474: The designation at all (such as the lodges of Georgia state parks ). The term "lodge" may also refer to a hiking lodge , essentially a large cabin for hikers rather than a large facility with private rooms and a restaurant. Other lodging may include yurts and tipis . Not all parks owned by a state are necessarily part of its state-park system, such as Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta. Some Texas state parks are

1128-418: The experience of one of the earliest groups of Europeans to see the birds in their native habitat ; the travellers thought the birds were so beautiful that they named them after mythical nymphs . The specific name hollandicus refers to New Holland , a historical name for Australia. Its biological relationships were for a long time uncertain; it is now placed in a monotypic subfamily Nymphicinae, but

1175-413: The female has a grey head. Juveniles tend to look like females with pinker beaks. The pied mutation first appeared in California in 1949. This mutation is a blotch of colour on an otherwise solid-coloured bird. For example, this may appear as a grey blotch on a yellow cockatiel. Lutino colouration was first seen in 1958. These birds lack the grey of their wild counterparts and are white to soft yellow. This

1222-509: The harsh landscape is transformed by the growth of wildflowers including Sturt's desert pea . At least 31 species of mammal have been recorded in the park. The most obvious to visitors include the red kangaroo , western grey kangaroo , eastern grey kangaroo and Euro . Other terrestrial mammals found at Sturt NP also include the dingo , stripe-faced dunnart , paucident planigale , narrow-nosed planigale , dusky hopping mouse and desert mouse . Nine species of bat have also been recorded in

1269-484: The local flora , fauna , geology , and cultural history of the area. These programs are designed not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to promote conservation awareness and encourage responsible enjoyment of natural resources. There are 6,792 state park units in the United States, according to the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD). There are some 813 million annual visits to

1316-404: The male and female chicks are easily distinguishable as soon as their feathers come in. Adult cockatiels with common coloring (grey body with yellow head) are sexually dimorphic , though to a lesser degree than many other avian species. This is only evident after the first moulting, typically occurring about six to nine months after hatching: the male loses the white or yellow barring and spots on

1363-449: The northwestern corner of Western Australia . They are absent from the most fertile southwest and southeast corners of the country, the deepest Western Australian deserts, and Cape York Peninsula . Cockatiels can be very vocal and learn many spoken words and phrases by mimicking. Usually, males are faster to learn speech, mimicking or singing; their calls are also more varied. Cockatiels can also be taught to sing specific melodies, to

1410-410: The park include the common yabby and freshwater crab , while populations of shield shrimp can commonly be found in temporary water pools after rain events. The park contains aboriginal middens and stone relics. There are many walking trails and an extensive network of roads. Most roads in the park are gravel with some sandy stretches and can be driven on with a conventional vehicle. A 4WD vehicle

1457-457: The park is named, spent a year in the area. Fort Grey is sited on the edge of the ephemeral, and Ramsar-listed , Lake Pinaroo - an important breeding and drought refuge for waterbirds when it contains water. The Mount Wood Station is a heritage-listed former cattle station in the national park. The Wild Deserts program is an ongoing program aiming to reintroduce 7 locally extinct mammals back into Sturt National Park. A partnership between

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1504-500: The park, also acts as an important stopover and drought refuge for at least 40 species of waterbird, including several threatened species, such as the Australian painted-snipe . Other waterbird species also include the Freckled duck , Blue-billed duck and Caspian tern . Ants, termites, native bees and spiders are all common within the park, however existing knowledge of species and interactions are poor. The aquatic invertebrates found in

1551-454: The park, including the eastern long-eared bat , little broad-nosed bat , yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat , inland forest bat and little pied bat . Several introduced pest species occur, including the European fox , European rabbit , feral cat , feral goat and feral pig . Several mammal species that previously occurred prior to the arrival of Europeans are also being reintroduced into

1598-459: The park, such as the Interior blind snake and woma python . Several frog species can also be found in the park, including the desert tree frog , common around the residential and accommodation areas, the burrowing frog and the water-holding frog . At least 197 bird species have been recorded in the park, with the most obvious to visitors being the emu . Significant ground-nesting birds include

1645-516: The park. These include the Crest-tailed Mulgara , Greater Bilby , Western barred bandicoot , Burrowing bettong , Greater stick-nest rat , Golden bandicoot and Western quoll . At least 67 species of reptile have been recorded in the park. Commonly found species include the central bearded dragon , shingleback , tree dtella and Bynoe's gecko . The Gould's goanna , ringed brown snake , whip snake and mulga snake are also common, but less likely to be seen. Several cryptic species also inhabit

1692-503: The remains of an ancient mountain range . The park's second camping site called Dead Horse Gully camping ground is located here. Amongst the boulders north of Tibooburra is another camping ground. All camp grounds have toilets, gas barbecues and water provided. In the far west of the national park, the gibber plains are replaced by sandhills of the Strzelecki Desert . Cameron Corner is a remote but popular tourist destination where

1739-484: The smallest subfamily of the Cacatuidae (cockatoo family). Cockatiels are native to Australia, favouring the Australian wetlands, scrublands, and bushlands. There are many different mutations of this bird. Originally described by Scottish writer and naturalist Robert Kerr in 1793 as Psittacus hollandicus , the cockatiel (or cockateel) was moved to its own genus, Nymphicus , by Wagler in 1832. Its genus name reflects

1786-469: The state line. Other multi-state parks are legally two separate parks with the same name and more informal cooperation between them. The title of oldest state park in the United States is claimed by Niagara Falls State Park in New York , established in 1885. Several public parks previously or currently maintained at the state level pre-date it. Indian Springs State Park has been operated continuously by

1833-454: The state of Georgia as a public park since 1825, although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931. In 1864 Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were ceded by the federal government to California until Yosemite National Park was proclaimed in 1890. In 1878 Wisconsin set aside a vast swath of its northern forests as "The State Park" but, needing money, sold most of it to lumber companies within 20 years. Mackinac National Park

1880-506: The states of New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland meet. Also in this part of the park is Fort Grey—the fourth camp ground and a heritage site. The holding yards visible here and a remnant from the explorer Charles Sturt. The fort is a stockade that was built to protect Sturt's supplies and prevent the exploration party's sheep from wandering away. While searching for a fabled inland sea , Captain Charles Sturt, after whom

1927-497: The sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential. There are state parks under the administration of the government of each U.S. state , some of the Mexican states , and in Brazil . The term is also used in

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1974-452: The underside of his tail feathers and wings. The grey feathers on his cheeks and crest are replaced by bright yellow feathers, while the orange cheek patch becomes brighter and more distinct. The face and crest of the female will typically remain mostly grey with a yellowish tint, and a less vibrant orange cheek patch. Additionally, the female commonly retains the horizontal barring on the underside of her tail feathers. The colour in cockatiels

2021-432: The world and are relatively easy to breed compared to other parrots. As a caged bird, cockatiels are second in popularity only to the budgerigar . The cockatiel is the only member of the genus Nymphicus . It was previously unclear whether the cockatiel is a crested parakeet or small cockatoo; however, more recent molecular studies have assigned it to its own subfamily, Nymphicinae . It is, therefore, now classified as

2068-737: The yellow and orange psittacofulvins to be more visible, while an increase in melanin content in the tail causes the disappearance of the horizontal yellow tail bars. In addition to these visible characteristics, the vocalisation of adult males is typically louder and more complex than that of females. But like most things this is not a hard and fast rule. Worldwide there are currently 22 cockatiel colour mutations established in aviculture , of which eight are exclusive to Australia. Mutations in captivity have emerged in various colours, some quite different from those observed in nature. Wild cockatiels are grey with visible differences between males and females. Male grey cockatiels typically have yellow heads while

2115-468: Was established in 1875 as the second U.S. national park before being converted to a state park in 1895. The first state park with the designation of "state park" was Itasca State Park in Minnesota , established in 1891. Many state park systems date to the 1930s, when around 800 state parks (and several national ones) across the country were developed with assistance from federal job-creation programs like

2162-635: Was reportedly 36 years old. Cockatiels are native to Australia, where they are found largely in arid or semi-arid country but always close to water. Largely nomadic, the species will move to where food and water is available. They are typically seen in pairs or small flocks. Sometimes, hundreds will flock around a single body of water. Wild cockatiels typically eat seeds, particularly Acacia , wheat , sunflower and Sorghum . To many farmers' dismay, they often eat cultivated crops. Cockatiels may be observed in and around western New South Wales and Queensland , Alice Springs , The Kimberley region and

2209-488: Was sometimes in the past classified among the Platycercinae , the broad-tailed parrots. This issue was settled with molecular studies. A 1984 study of protein allozymes signalled its closer relationship to cockatoos than to other parrots, and mitochondrial 12S rRNA sequence data places it among the Calyptorhynchinae (dark cockatoos) subfamily . The unique, parakeet (meaning long-tailed parrot) morphological feature

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