I am a sucker. Can you please help ID my rescue bird?
So hey, I think I'm overdue for a post here, and I come bearing photos. I'm (temporarily!!!!) host to another small parrot...Because I'm a bleeding heart sucker...and I would like some support.
A friend gave this bird to mom several months ago; when I met him, he was living in a rat cage (really) with a seed diet, no toys and one dowel perch. Knowing that my mom is both stubborn and overextended, and lacks the time and resources she needs to tend a parrot, I tried to educate her as much as I could, directed her to the local rescue and otherwise attempted to stay out of it. She planned to sell the bird (I know, I know) and of course couldn't get what she decided he was worth. Now she's moving and can't keep him, and there is a psittacula quarantining in Gavin's old cage. (To my mom's credit, she did get him on a partially pellet diet, though it was Hartz brand, and when I got him, he at least had a toy in the rat cage, though it wasn't species-appropriate). Bleeding. Heart.
He ain't stayin', although that treacherous little voice is saying "maaaybe, if he settles down and gets along with your others enough to be on playgyms at the same time..." But no. The little sucker is too loud and I don't need three parrots: no, no, and no. I am hoping to get him used to handling enough that he can be transferred from his cage to a play area and isn't completely terrified of hands, and then find him a home. There is hope; he's relatively bold in the cage, and though letting him loose resulted in lots of flailing, once I got him onto the tree that is his for the duration of quarantine, he was willing to step up onto a dowel. That's a big first step.
Anyway, you want pictures. I think he's an Indian Ringneck, but I'm not certain. I would LOVE a positive ID as to species; one of the pet stores my mom tried to sell him to told her that he was an African ringneck (which I've never heard of) and someone else again told her he was an Australian parakeet (which I know is wrong). The pink collar denotes masculinity, right? Psittacula people, what can you tell me about gaining the trust of one of these lovely little guys?
His Temporary! name is The Osbick Bird, or Oz/Ozzie. The reference is from the book he's about to chew on in this pic.
He's really, really beautiful. Feathers are neon!
Poor scared thing on my bicycle. I finally had to towel him to get him back into his cage.
The shot I have been trying to get forever! Gavin and Kaya preen and preen one another, but of course they always stop as soon as the camera comes out. One day, I'll even get a shot in decent lighting.
My lovely birds. I really need to scrub down their trees today.
Kaya! (3/4 Meyer's, 1/4 Senegal, for the curious)
Kaya has figured out this foraging toy. I need to forage for new ones for them. :P This pic was taken with my shiny new camera!
Pretty girl.
Gavinface! His chest feathers are growing back, but I really wish he wouldn't pluck them prior to every molt. :(
Flight shot. They are clipped, but can still fly just fine, in terms of turning midair, taking off from the ground and getting about half way across the room. They can't get enough momentum to hurt themselves if they hit the window (I hope) and aren't dangerously all over the house like they were when they were fully flighted. I found that I had to keep them locked up far more when they were unclipped, which they hated. I'm glad that this works as a compromise.
A friend gave this bird to mom several months ago; when I met him, he was living in a rat cage (really) with a seed diet, no toys and one dowel perch. Knowing that my mom is both stubborn and overextended, and lacks the time and resources she needs to tend a parrot, I tried to educate her as much as I could, directed her to the local rescue and otherwise attempted to stay out of it. She planned to sell the bird (I know, I know) and of course couldn't get what she decided he was worth. Now she's moving and can't keep him, and there is a psittacula quarantining in Gavin's old cage. (To my mom's credit, she did get him on a partially pellet diet, though it was Hartz brand, and when I got him, he at least had a toy in the rat cage, though it wasn't species-appropriate). Bleeding. Heart.
He ain't stayin', although that treacherous little voice is saying "maaaybe, if he settles down and gets along with your others enough to be on playgyms at the same time..." But no. The little sucker is too loud and I don't need three parrots: no, no, and no. I am hoping to get him used to handling enough that he can be transferred from his cage to a play area and isn't completely terrified of hands, and then find him a home. There is hope; he's relatively bold in the cage, and though letting him loose resulted in lots of flailing, once I got him onto the tree that is his for the duration of quarantine, he was willing to step up onto a dowel. That's a big first step.
Anyway, you want pictures. I think he's an Indian Ringneck, but I'm not certain. I would LOVE a positive ID as to species; one of the pet stores my mom tried to sell him to told her that he was an African ringneck (which I've never heard of) and someone else again told her he was an Australian parakeet (which I know is wrong). The pink collar denotes masculinity, right? Psittacula people, what can you tell me about gaining the trust of one of these lovely little guys?
His Temporary! name is The Osbick Bird, or Oz/Ozzie. The reference is from the book he's about to chew on in this pic.
He's really, really beautiful. Feathers are neon!
Poor scared thing on my bicycle. I finally had to towel him to get him back into his cage.
The shot I have been trying to get forever! Gavin and Kaya preen and preen one another, but of course they always stop as soon as the camera comes out. One day, I'll even get a shot in decent lighting.
My lovely birds. I really need to scrub down their trees today.
Kaya! (3/4 Meyer's, 1/4 Senegal, for the curious)
Kaya has figured out this foraging toy. I need to forage for new ones for them. :P This pic was taken with my shiny new camera!
Pretty girl.
Gavinface! His chest feathers are growing back, but I really wish he wouldn't pluck them prior to every molt. :(
Flight shot. They are clipped, but can still fly just fine, in terms of turning midair, taking off from the ground and getting about half way across the room. They can't get enough momentum to hurt themselves if they hit the window (I hope) and aren't dangerously all over the house like they were when they were fully flighted. I found that I had to keep them locked up far more when they were unclipped, which they hated. I'm glad that this works as a compromise.
