Banyula's Angry Birds Get Mean

On sunset, an orange-red sun dipped behind Craggy Rock in the west. A flock of yellow-crested cockatoos flew to the wattle tree to feed on black seed pods.

A young male Gang Gang cockatoo, with beautiful, dove-grey feathers, black eyes and a red plume pecked at pods on the ground.

‘Why is he eating off the ground, not from the tree?’ Katie Kookaburra watched the bird eat quickly, glancing nervously around.

The cockatoos flew in circles, taunting him. He clung to the tree trunk and hung his head. Two of the bolder birds flew close, pulling at his feathers. Then they flew away, seeking a tree for the night.

Freya Frill Neck watched the gang-gang fade into the sunset, trailing behind, trying as hard as he could to keep up. Behind her, to the north, Purple Mountain glowed with soft red hues.

Freya had trouble falling asleep. Visions of the lost Gang Gang flitted through her dreams and she awoke tired and unsettled.