#birdblur

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[feridthesassygayfriend]

Hey Cockatiel Owners

I was wondering if any of you had two cockatiels, mate or otherwise, where one seems to have a very distinct and unique call / tweet for their partner / other birds. I’ve had like eight cockatiels, some pairs some not, and I’ve never seen this, but lately the two I live with started bonding more, and it is something really interesting I noticed.

The male will often explore around the room / house and leave the cage for a while where as the female tends to like to stay on top of the cage or in the cage, and a lot of the time when he flies to explore or is away from her, she will have this loud call similar to the flock call, but very distinct. I find she even does this in her cage sometimes when figuring out where they are sleeping or when eating.

It’s interesting and almost has me feeling it might be something similar to a name or nickname XD

Anyways, thoughts?

[wildfornaturebirds-blog]

Should have posted this as #2 in a series with my #birdblur #Cardinal picture earlier. This is my prize for chasing that #bucketlistbird 😊❤️🏆 #redbird #cardinalbird #bucketlist #red

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The fact some people see birds as just birds and not the greatest thing to exist on the world - beings far greater than humans and humanity could ever aspire - is beyond me. People should learn better.

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I love Lucy (Lucifer, my cockatiel) btw XD

My fiance was play rough housing with me and Lucy I think thought he was Actually Attacking me and did the alert call while panic swooping him and after when we stopped and were like "what its fine" my fiance pretended to sneak up on me to which Lucy alert yelled and swooped him and Im like

*crying sobbing and laughing*

He's trying to protect me from an assault

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Lovebird Observation Notes Day 1

I have never actually had or handled a lovebird specifically, cockatiels, parakeets, zebra finches, ducks, chickens - heck actually handled a macaw and cockatoo more than I did a lovebird. Though I have done a lot of reading and know a decent bit on them from an academic and "birder" community stand point.

Generally speaking, lovebirds are pretty hyperactive and tend to make really strong bonds either with their human or their forever bonded partner which was largely why I was pretty concerned when my neighbor said "You can have her, I honestly have two parrotlets and I like them better" - which I was originally pretty mad and annoyed about, and still am a bit even though I think it comes from the place of having done the very common issue of a stupid and uneducated purchase on a "cute and pretty pet"

Thankfully, I'm also very needy of a bird human that needs bird company and have a corner in our bedroom near my PC where my cockatiels get to be right up next to me and space on the desk for a second cage. Additionally, I ALSO have cockatiels that could live across the desk as a cage neighbor for her to passively socialize with when I'm not home (asked a professional semi-local rehabilitate their opinion on if I could / should take the lovebird and if I should get a second to give her company as I was thinking of adopting a second lovebird from an official rescue center if it would have been better for her)

I think shes a yellow mutant Fischer's specifcifcally, she overpreens and has a slightly over grown beak (though not so much I would consider it a health issue, but enough so that I notice it as an orange flag)

The cage she came in isn't the worst I seen as - for one lovebird - it does give her some space to fly and move around. Her toy selection is really not the best for a lovebird and looks more catered to a parakeets needs. She needs more stuff to shred to maintain her beak and her general behavioral needs and she does need more space to move to accomodate her hyper active nature. Her food was largely to be desired - millet and what I think was probably parakeet food or cheap lovebird food at best

She has a tendency to bang against the corner of the cage a lot which is probably due to it being 1) slightly too small 2) her having no real toys that she could destroyed and break.

She's pretty hesitant towards people but as far as birds that need rehabilitation or socialization, she's honestly pretty quick to warm up and trust at least to the point of being relatively close to me when in the cage and her also lowering her head for longer periods when eating without checking up on me.

She seems pretty curious and interested in my cockatiels as well which is pretty cool.

Lucy is curious as well but he is hesitant at this strange birds since I don't think hes really seen a non-cockatiel up close. He's actually decided to sit on my shoulder and watch her from a bit a far since I am safe but also closer.

I also appreciate him doing this cause he's basically also showing her that I absolutely am fine to jump on and climb over and trust (he's taking the time of being on me to preen me too XD He's not frequently a shoulder bird cause he's got an ego and would rather be a FREE boy who NEEDS no owner) but she seems to be warming up to the new location pretty quickly and well. I'm keeping her in the safety of the cage until I learn her better and she gets comfortable to lower the stress on her, me and my cockatiels (plus the risk - however low considering neither flocks seem to have any illnesses - of avian flu so good practice to keep them apart for a bit).

Tomorrow I'm gonna go see if I can get her a cheap but better sized cage and Lucy / Avery have been needing new toys anyways so getting them both some new toys - fixing some of the core basic physiological needs and issues before going off and trying to tame her and get her used to people.

I'd be willing to return her to her owner after she's tamed and all under the conditions she follows a list of welfare and care suggestions cause honestly, rehabilitating and helping parrots is just a fun pass time personally for me. I'm more than happy to do so XD

That plus she did seem well intended after getting more information on her situation and if she is willing to comply with care and welfare conditions and suggestions, it could probably also improve the life of her parrotlets as well.

Apparently she regularly takes them both to and from the office where they can fly around more freely which is such a good idea and concept so I do have respects there. The issue just is that its clear she didn't do her research before buying a lovebird nor did she really learn much on whats needed AFTER buying one. Either way, Imma give this lovebird therapy.

She's also like "You know shes not tame AT ALL" and "Are you SURE? I feel like I might just be over encumbering you"

And Im like one, I've lived with parrots my entire life, my two cockatiels here used to travel between living with me and living with a flock of 7-8 cockatiels at a time in the past. One lovebird more than my two cockatiels is not too much. And TWO, she's an untamed mild over-preener.

Avery over here was probably from a breeder mill where she was probably taken from her parents too soon and as a result doesn't know how to preen right, doesn't know how to bathe right, didn't know how to fly right, either has a neurological issue from crashing when young or from being inbred, and when we got her my mom gave up on her after a year plus of her biting her fingers off and flying off when anything that might LOOK like a hand was within 10 ft of her.

I think I can handle an untamed slightly stressed lovebird 😂 Plus I'm literally an animal behavioralist and work in animal research in two months I think I'm good.

*also im internally crying at the opportunity to save a mentally ill birb, its so theraputic and lowkey I think I've been mildly triggered since I havent been able to take her in even though I know shes a bird in need since I kept missing my neighbor*

Either way, she's looking very happy and pleased with the current situation which is A LOT more than I had expected, so I think she likes the casual companionship I've given her the past hour with my birds and me at my desk + the slightly improved food quality (let her have my cockatiel seeds, they rotate between two different pellets, a pretty good mix of seeds and get regular fresh fruit and veg whenever I put them in my meals which is near daily)

She's already sleeping and I've seen her happy fluff about this which considering this is a new home with new birds - I'm extremely shocked to hav- I HEARD HER BEAK GRIND IM GONNA CRY

Anyways, day one update on Raya the Lovebird.

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Also working on a new creature design that I call "I am flexing my knowledge of Avian anatomy" (this is a brainstorm)

Bonus points if you can tell what bird I modeled / inspired its design from

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Me: *super behind on uploading my bird photos to e-bird*

Me: *scrolling through them* Wow this is a lot less than I expected. Well lets go through and sift out the good shots from the bad ones

My Poor Computer: Moving 553 images

Me:

Me: oh

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Random bird fact, a lot of hummingbirds's courtship display involves the male flying back and forth in front of a female in a U shape then climbing REAALLLY high and dive bombing down towards her which creates a "peeeww" or "peep" sound (unique to the specific species) from the wind through the tail feathers

It's hard to find documentation of the Allen's or the Rufous's but Hummingbird mating displays are some of the cutest and favorite display behaviors imo

I do strongly recommend spending some time looking at your local hummingbirds (if you have them) if you see they are making noise cause its a really funny and nice sight to see a little guy the size of a grape flying 30 meters in the sky and dive bombing at 60+ mph

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Enjoy this bird

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Im fawning over my birds at the moment, but just a reminder bird “cages” are 100x not about “caging” your bird so much as giving them a home / nest / tree / place of their own. Your birds - at least parrots as those are the ones I know the most about - are not meant to ever be “caged”. Parrots still *do* need cages because they are arboreal animals and perches, closed spaces, covers, sticks, toys, etc give them great safety. 

If you have / want a bird - or at least a parrot - it is essential to both give them a high quality comfortable cage, but also to know that cage is not their confinement.

They are not decorative items or cute things that can learn to speak or sing to you - most don’t. They’re very intelligent, social and emotional creatures. Don’t treat them like an ornament

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I hate people who adopt parrots without realizing how much responsibilitybit is, how difficult they can be, and how long the commitment is.

But the thing I get even less are the people who recognize that a bird that lives 60-100 years, are very emotional intelligent beings, and strong bonding social animals are too much for them to care for - ths people that say "I could never imagine that much responsibility or commitment hahaha" and then proceed to have a child as if a child is any easier in terms of responsibility and commitment??

As if its different and less serious consequences to neglect and get tired of having a child than it is to neglect anx get tired of a parrot? Both are extremely long living, emotional, social, heavily bonded creatures, but the people that understand how bad it would be to misstreat a parrot and don't trust themselves with that responsibility but DO trust themselves with a baby and child???

No, I get there is a good few differences between a parrot and a child, one being that the child gets more mature - but that doesn't mean the parental job ends

I'm just so fucking sick of seeing this shit. Neglect is serious my guys. Parrots and people. Stop taking responsibility you aren't ready for.

If anyone wants me to ramble about parrots and that issue specifically I would love to when I'm not in a shitty mood

-Riku (Host)

[wildfornaturebirds-blog]

This one cracks me up. This is my first #Cardinal - a bucket list bird. being from the NW where there are no Cardinals, I was so excited. I was in Boston and walking the Freedom Trail when this red blur flew by. I gasped, snapped the shot and chased it (well off my route) for several blocks, until it thankfully landed. I was so thrilled. This photo truly depicts that first sighting and I love it ❤️ #red #redbird #bucketlist #bucketlistbird #birdblur