THE STORY OF HOW THE COCKATOO ARRIVED IN SICILY IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY

There are a lot of people who like bird watching vacations, and the cockatoo is a fascinating creature that is on their bucket list. At first, it was considered that the bird arrived in Europe in the late fifteenth century. Andrea Mantegna painted a picture in 1496 that depicted an australasian cockatoo, which was supposed to be a representation of the bird’s arrival on the continent. The cockatoo may have arrived in Europe several years earlier, according to the findings of further study that has just been conducted. During the thirteenth century, a manuscript about falconry was produced either by or for King Frederick II of Sicily. The University of Turku in Finland was responsible for doing research in order to get a better understanding of the pictures that were included inside the text. De arte venandi cum avibus, often known as “the art of hunting with birds,” is an ancient book that was composed between the years 1241 and 1248. It provides the key to understanding the history of birds. consists of nine hundred photographs that were all in Frederick II’s possession and that were related to falconry as well as other animals. Frederick’s text contains references to or illustrations of a significant number of the species that modern-day nature enthusiasts who go on bird watching vacations nowadays are able to identify. Several of the pictures that were included in the book portrayed a “crested white parrot,” which was said to have been a gift from the Sultan of Babylon to the Emperor of Babylon. During the thirteenth century, it was common practice for kings to give each other animals as presents. For the most part, the most prized creatures were those that were uncommon, enormous, and deadly. It was in the year 1251 when the King of Norway presented Henry III of England with a polar bear as a gift. the actual tale of the cockatoo in Europe Frederick II was fascinated by uncommon animals and the publications that chronicled their existence. He found it enjoyable to learn about these more unique and exotic species. Egyptian’s fourth Ayyubid Sultan, who was well aware of Frederick’s passion in unusual birds, thought that an exotic “white parrot” would be the perfect present for the Roman Emperor. Frederick was delighted by the gift. The text, which was considered to be the key to finding the narrative behind how this uncommon bird originally made its way to Europe, was considered to be more than 250 years older than the image of the cockatoo that was unearthed in Mantegna. Back at the university of Turku, more work was started in order to gain a formal identification of the cockatoo that was shown in Frederick II’s text. This effort included doing a detailed investigation of the crest and coloring the picture. There were a lot of other details that were discovered. It was determined by the researchers that the cockatoo was a female and that it was either a triton or a member of one of the several subspecies of the yellow-crested cockatoo. The conclusion that was reached after considering all of this evidence was that the bird that was sent to Frederick II came from either Indonesia, the most northern point of the Australian peninsula, New Guinea, or the islands that are located off of New Guinea. The voyage of this cockatoo from these remote places to Sicily was the longest travel ever taken, and it provided a fascinating topic for future investigation. There were several merchants who bought and sold uncommon birds and animals, including the cockatoo, along the trade routes that went across the oceans leading to northern Australia. These routes were prospering during that time. Numerous artifacts, papers, and documents have supplied evidence that during the early thirteenth century, such commerce may have included the “white parrots” that are mentioned in Frederick’s text. This evidence has been presented by a variety of different sources. The king’s cockatoo, as it is known now, provides a fascinating look into the world of the thirteenth century, which was characterized by bustling commerce and worldwide connections. …and, of course, the history of a bird that continues to captivate fans who are on vacations to observe birds in Italy and all over the globe. publisher’s plate Marissa Ellis-Snow is a wildlife writer who works independently and has a particular passion for butterflies and birds. The expert-led bird watching holidays that are organized by naturetrek are the ones that Maria chooses to go on because she has a strong interest in rare avian species. These holidays have provided her with unforgettable sightings of a wide variety of flora and fauna in some of the most breathtaking regions on the planet.