Another one bites the dust

What a blog this is turning out to be. I should change its name to “The tradegies of life.”

I awoke a few days ago on Saturday, was enjoying my morning coffee and general school vacation feelings, when a dreadful announcement was made. My brother charged into the living room and cried, ” THE GUINEA PIGS ARE DEAD!”

There was a moment of silent horror, in which I thought it might be a prank. My mother and brother hurried off to the room. I followed. A dreadful sight met our eyes. The guinea pigs were lying stiff and cold in their cozy indoor cage. My brother was furious. He bought his guinea pig for himself, he took care of it, and here it was, dead. My mother was shocked and horrified and was intent on finding how they died. That’s when I noticed that there were only three. My little sister had taken out her guinea pig earlier today and was sitting on the couch with it.

Interrogations. Investigations. Soon we discovered the culprit. My youngest sister.

So far, this is what we could conclude from the situation:

Firstly, my five year old sister went and fetched her guinea pig. She accidentally left the door open to the room.

Shortly after my mom went to shower. My brother and I were still asleep and therefore unable to watch the children.

Then my youngest two year old sister sneaked into the room. She decided she also wanted to hold a guinea pig. All of them.

But since little children aren’t as in tune with their surroundings, she held them a little too tight. The rest is history.

Now, all who remains, is Rainbow Dash. The irony of the situation is that everyone supposed that if one of them died, it would be Rainbow Dash.

Alas, now Rainbow Dash must roam her runs and cages alone.

Poor Rainbow Dash…

A few days after, my brother and mother drove all the way to the next town to get another guinea pig. Guinea pigs are sociable creatures and need company. Unfortunately, the pet shop we bought our guinea pigs from was busy taking their guinea pigs to the vet.

Guinea pigs are experts at hiding injuries/disease. Turns out the Guinea pigs were sick. We’re still unsure whether our Guinea pigs died from disease or toddler, but Rainbow dash still lives. Alas we must wait for the pet shop to get more Guinea pigs, and until then Rainbow Dash will be alone.

Besides this, a quite recent tradegy occured.

Lady Lemon, prized breeding female budgie, became eggbound.

My prized pair, Mr Milkshake and Lady Lemon.

Since it was Sunday and the vet was on the other side of town and probably closing, I dashed over to my neighbor. Uncle Danie, who has a few decades of bird breeding experience behind him, swiftly got the egg out. Unfortunately, the day after, Lady Lemon passed to a higher plane of existence.

May Noot Noot Spaghet, Pinny Gig, Throckmorton, and Lady Lemon rest in peace.

The Aviary Mystery

As you all might have heard by now, I have suffered a great aviary tragedy. Something, or someone, pushed open the bottom part of the aviary door, which resulted in me losing half of my cockatiels. I got two of them back, but my precious speckled opalines and all sorts of fancies are gone forever.

I wondered what could have opened the aviary for a while. I have a large brick at the bottom of the aviary door I placed there due to the gap at the bottom. The gap was caused due to the fact that the wire hook I use to shut the door is at the top and cannot pull the entire door closed. So I put the brick at the bottom to keep the bottom part of the door closed and for extra security. But somehow, something pushed the brick aside, leaving the small gap open. The gap is just-just large enough for a cockatiel to slip through, and so 8 of my precious birds flew the coop.

The aviary before the Great Escape

I figured it was a dog, because a cat couldn’t do that… But after seeing a Maine coon larger than a Yorkie sneak up on my chickens, I knew. I don’t have any proof, no evidence, but I am pretty darn sure it was that Maine coon.

Maine Coon cat

But that’s not all, my dearest neighbor also has an aviary. He has stunning diamond doves and finches of all sorts, and a budgie.

A Diamond Dove

Sadly, the same horror has befallen him. Something burrowed underneath the ground by the side of his aviary, and hence most of his birds flew the coop. But Uncle Danie is sure he knows who or what the culprit is. He has seen a cat hang around his aviary, and he says he has seen it in our garden. Someone has a huge, fat, aggressive Maine coon with no manners. Uncle Danie has seen it stalk around his aviary, he knows who the owner is, and he has confronted the person about it.

Other people with chickens or birds also have complained about the cat, but the owner won’t do anything about it. As any other owner would say, they want photographic evidence of the cats crimes first.

I’m not sure if Maine Coons can burrow under aviaries or push aside bricks anyway, so I am a bit skeptical of this. But they are pretty big and muscly.

However, I am going to get to the bottom of this mystery if its the last thing I do. Until then, the aviary is being fortified and the door hook being replaced.

Please comment your thoughts on what sort of critter the culprit of these aviary disasters could be!

Oink, oink!

Oink, oink, GUESS WHAT?

We got guinea pigs! (As if we don’t have enough pets already!) You guessed it, we strolled past a pet shop, spotted the four fluffy tykes through the window, and couldn’t resist!

We’ve also been planning to buy some for a while, because my little sisters need pets too and biting budgies just won’t do. One of the four is my personal pet guinea pig, who seems to enjoy worming into my jacket already!

A rather blurry image of the gang piled-up together.

So far they have been named Rainbow Dash, Noot Noot, and Throckmorton. (Throckmorton is a temporary title until a replacement can be found.)

They are tiny, they are fluffy, and they are super cuddly!

Noot-Noot settling on my lap for a cuddle!

They are being housed in the aviary with the cockatiels, in a cardboard box. We’re building them better accommodation, but until then into the box they go.

Nibbles, nibbly as ever, seems to be a mite jealous of the attentions the guinea pigs are receiving. I gave him a snack, but he gave me a bite.

“THIS IS FOR CUDDLING SOMEONE ELSE!!”

I bought him a swing, so I hope that will help him get over it.

“OH RIGHT, BECAUSE A SWING IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE THIS ENTIRE SITUATION AND THE STING OF YOUR BETRAYAL SO MUCH BETTER!!”

The guinea pigs are nice and comfy in their new home, and the cockatiels have not been down to the aviary floor to investigate just yet. I think Nibbles is the only one who has noticed them so far.

I will keep you all updated about the little guinea pigs and their interactions with us and the cockatiels.

But we still need to name two of the guinea pigs, so feel free to comment some names!

Keeping urban chickens

Chickens are a wonderful addition to the family, and make great pets. Most people see chickens as only ‘those egg-layin’ birds that live on farms and taste delicious’. I’m not objecting, but chickens are far more than that. You can keep them in your backyard, you don’t need to live on a farm!

First of all, when raised by hand and tamed properly some have been known to take on the attributes of dogs. Literally. You can even put leashes on them.

Look at these stunning hens!

Chickens make great pets for children as well. The same as dogs, however, its important to get the right breed. Do some research before getting a chicken as a pet for you family. Another plus side, is that chickens are the only pets that give back. Sure, dogs are loyal and give protection depending on the breed, and cats…er…..

Anyways chickens lay eggs, so they sort of pay back all the effort you put into their care. Plus, having several egg-laying hens in the backyard is an awesome idea. Its not as difficult as it seems, chickens can thrive in backyard conditions as well as farms! If you’re considering getting a few, there are an important few things for you to note.

Look at these gorgeous backyard hens!

Is it illegal to keep chickens in your area? If so, don’t. I personally had done enormous amounts of research on keeping chickens before I got my first two hens. Proper care, management, and the local regulations on keeping chickens. I even went as far as to personally visit all my neighbors and ask for their permission to keep chickens! Funnier still, I was only going to get two hens, but I wanted to be sure the neighbors wouldn’t mind. I was dead serious about this matter, because if my hens were to bother the neighbors I might have lawsuits to deal with. What can I say? I’m a slightly paranoid person.

However, despite the ridiculousness of this, I advise you to do the same. I recommend not getting a rooster. Hens lay eggs perfectly fine without a rooster, and it would go down better with the neighbors if you don’t have rooster screaming at four am. It would certainly be best to keep no more than six hens, as that is the perfect total for an urban flock.

Some people enjoy hearing roosters crow, but at 4 am? Nah.

The rest of the research you should go do on your own, but it’s important to make sure your neighbors don’t mind. Chickens tend to be noisy and stinky and not all people will bear it. You of course, would certainly bear it, but since the neighbors probably won’t get the satisfaction of chicken cuddles and fresh eggs, you should ensure they approve. If you sense unease among the neighbors, handing out baskets of fresh eggs is a great way to appease them.

Chickens tend to be a lot of work as well, but despite all these negative points, its worth it. Keeping chickens is a real pleasure, especially egg-laying hens. They earn their keep!

Chickens lay eggs, and who doesn’t like a freshly-laid egg for breakfast?

People these days are really into the ‘organic’ and ‘free-range’ stuff, so its rather easy to make an egg-selling business. Even if you decide to get two or three chickens just as pets, they are still amazing to have. They might appear dull and uninteresting, but once you have them you’ll discover have amazing personalities and unique traits.

Honestly, I really recommend getting chickens as pets. Sure, other animals are cool, but chickens are the only pets that poop breakfast! How cool is that?! Chickens are worth far more than that however, and make excellent companions.

A tame hen chilling indoors!

Keeping urban chickens is a real responsibility as with any other pet, but the results of your labor is worth it!

Of course, before you even consider it, research, research, research!

Mythological Birds

Whilst surfing the web the other day, I happened to discover the two coolest mythological birds I’ve ever seen. I wonder if these mythological birds might be based on real birds, so if anyone knows of any real life equivalents, let me know in the comments!

Forget griffins or phoenixes, get ready for the allicanto!

THE ALLICANTO

The Alicanto or Allicanto is a mythological bird of the desert of Atacama, pertaining to Chilean mythology.

Legend says that the alicanto’s wings shine at night with beautiful, metallic colors, and their eyes emit strange lights. Gorgeous! Alicantos bring luck to any miner who sees them because they live in small caves containing minerals and feed on gold and silver. How cool is that? Sadly, there isn’t much about this bird on the internet. But they sound pretty darn awesome! I wonder if they hoard precious stones like dragons??

A gold eating bird?!

Of course, as with any legend, there’s an evil plot twist to this bird. If the lucky miner follows an alicanto without being caught, they can find silver or gold. But, if the alicanto discovers them, the bird will guide the greedy miner off a cliff and cause them to fall to their death.

Angry bird….

If anyone knows of a real-life golden desert-dwelling cave bird, let me know in the comments!

THE BOOBRIE.

The boobrie? What? WHO NAMES THESE THINGS?! Now, don’t get confused with the blue-footed booby, this bird is way more dangerous.

Sorry blue-footed booby. Its not.

The boobrie is a shape-shifting bird from the mythology and folklore of the Scottish Highlands. Rather than using its wings to fly, it prefers to act like a penguin and used them to swim through the lakes and wells where it hunts. Unlike the alicanto, this one sounds slightly more believable at this point.

Well-known as a mimic, the boobrie will often imitate the cries of an injured baby animal, grabbing and drowning any adult animal curious enough to come close and investigate. It prefers cattle and sheep, but will also eat otters if needed. Otters? Nope. I prefer the allicanto already.

Found this on the internet. Boobries are pretty terrifying.

The boobrie also has the ability to shape-shift into a horse and walk on water in this form, and it can also turn into an insect to suck the blood from horses. I honestly don’t understand some of these legends, but the shape shifting bit is awesome!

This makes me wonder if boobries are based on an extinct kind of penguin or puffin.

There are tales of hunters who have sworn they have seen a water-horse—another mythical creature of Scottish folklore—but upon closer inspection of the tracks left behind, they see the distinctive, antler-shaped tracks unique to the boobrie.

Here’s a link if you want to check out a water horse!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiL9JLwy8LhAhVGqxoKHbFDC6wQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=%2Furl%3Fsa%3Di%26source%3Dimages%26cd%3D%26ved%3D%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffunnyhorse.pictures%252Fmythical-horses%252Fkelpie%252F7-kelpie-pictures%252Fdetail%252F74-celtic-water-horse%26psig%3DAOvVaw0juQkmTe85zUzzqtE7rkAo%26ust%3D1554884911846662&psig=AOvVaw0juQkmTe85zUzzqtE7rkAo&ust=1554884911846662

According to eyewitnesses, the boobrie has a long white neck, wide wingspan, long beak, short legs, massive partially-webbed feet, and a cry that sounds like a bull.

Any idea what the real life equivalent of this awesome bird might be? Maybe its an extinct species of puffin or penguin that was very elusive and rare, and so it became a topic of folklore and superstition?

Let me know in the comments!

Its bird vacation!

When one breeds birds, there is one important thing all breeders know; your birds should be allowed to go on break. From finches to parrots to pigeons, any bird you breed should not have to constantly be nesting. Hence my once-every-2-3-clutches-break-time policy.

A rather blurry image of my more mature female and her most recent clutch.

This month I’m putting my pairs on break. My cockatiels are officially out of the breeding business for a long time, as they have been breeding insanely for the past few years. But my budgies are still nesting away, and some of my pairs are due for breaks. One stunning pair of mine, on the mature side but excellent in the breeding cage, are only allowed one or two clutches before break time. Other pairs, like the younger more new to the breeding birds, are usually allowed two or three clutches before I put away the nest boxes. Currently, the pair of more mature birds are on a break. The other two pairs are still nesting, as one still has eggs and the other I just put together recently.

So, its kinda dull here.

Cocketiels enjoying their vacation….

But, despite my parrot-like birds being on a luxurious vacation, there is no peace in the coop. My hens, although not laying eggs, are nonetheless determined to keep themselves busy with other things. Namely kicking up dirt and straw into their water and food bowls whenever they can. Also, Koeksister and Beentjies are having dominance show downs along the chicken wire wall between their separate homes. Its a terrible thing, knowing that they would not hesitate to try and kill each other if they get the chance. But its also kind of adorable watching them attempt to rear up to twice their size and fluff out their feathers. I should’ve actually taken some photographs when they were at it this morning. I can occasionally hear them screaming at each other, probably yelling profanities and insults in Chickenese. Good thing I have a fence between them, or else there would be..er….violence.

THE BATTLE RAGES!

However, I am sure things will quiet down soon, because Koeksister pretty much got over her disdain for the other new chooks. But until then, the fence battle will rage. Hopefully none will sustain injuries from launching themselves at the fence!

Oddly enough, Koeksister is starting to seem almost…..rooster-like. Maybe the ‘being the boss’ stuff has gone to her head. I won’t be surprised if she tries to crow…

Kakapo?

The Kakapo is probably the most adorable parrot ever to grace this earth.

The kakapo (:Maori: kākāpō, meaning night parrot), also called owl parrot (Strigops habroptilus), is a species of large, flightless, nocturnal ground-dwelling parrot of the super-family Strigopoidea, endemic to New Zealand. Oh, and their also the ONLY flightless parrot. Like, ever. So these guys are pretty unique.

It has finely blotched yellow-green plumage, a distinct facial disc, a large grey beak, short legs, large feet, and relatively short wings and tail. Those huge beaks of theirs give them a special owly look as well. A combination of traits make it unique among its kind; it is the world’s only flightless parrot, the heaviest parrot, nocturnal, and herbivorous. It is also possibly one of the world’s longest-living birds. Sadly, these adorable sweetie pies are going endangered or something. Terrible.

A male Kakapo called Sirocco

Like many other New Zealand bird species, the kakapo was historically important to Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, appearing in many of their traditional legends and folklore; however it was also heavily hunted and used as a resource by Maori, both for its meat as a food source and for its feathers, which were used to make highly valued pieces of clothing. Who would eat them, though?! Kakapo were also occasionally kept as pets. And boy, do I wish I could have one of these. JUST LOOK AT THEM!! They are giving my bird loving heart butterflies.

The kakapo is critically endangered; as of February 2019, the total known adult population was 147 living individuals, all of which are named. I have 32 birds and they all have names too. Because of the introduction of predators such as cats, rats, ferrets, and stoats during European colonization, the kakapo was almost wiped out. Conservation efforts began in the 1890s, but they were not very successful until the implementation of the Kakapo Recovery Programme in 1995. Same story with the dodo, and the African Penguins. People bring cats, rats, pigs, and stuff and they eat everything. Bummer really. Humans should stop destroying nature.

Most kakapo are kept on two predator-free islands, Codfish / Whenua Hou and Anchor, where they are closely monitored, and Little Barrier / Hauturu Island is being trialled as a third home for the species.

Anyways, these little guys are absolutely stunning! If you ever need a good old ‘AAAWWW!!’, feel free to check out these links:

JUST LOOK AT THIS!! ITS ADORABLE!!

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Flookaside.fbsbx.com%2Flookaside%2Fcrawler%2Fmedia%2F%3Fmedia_id%3D417326760595&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsiroccokakapo%2F&docid=jBLEI8_DxmpAmM&tbnid=An4Jq85JOSH9vM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwj5tqjLmq3hAhVZDWMBHZfAB44QMwh5KA4wDg..i&w=960&h=960&safe=active&bih=938&biw=1920&q=kakapo&ved=0ahUKEwj5tqjLmq3hAhVZDWMBHZfAB44QMwh5KA4wDg&iact=mrc&uact=8

THIS. THIS. THIS.

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.earthtouchnews.com%2Fmedia%2F1946232%2Fkakapo-chicks_2016_08_04.jpg%3Fwidth%3D710%26height%3D474%26mode%3Dcrop%26upscale%3Dfalse&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.earthtouchnews.com%2Fconservation%2Fsuccess-stories%2Fbaby-boom-for-one-of-the-worlds-rarest-parrots&docid=xn5qjBi9z7568M&tbnid=jJPSEpDIuNh3kM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwj5tqjLmq3hAhVZDWMBHZfAB44QMwh9KBIwEg..i&w=640&h=518&safe=active&bih=938&biw=1920&q=kakapo&ved=0ahUKEwj5tqjLmq3hAhVZDWMBHZfAB44QMwh9KBIwEg&iact=mrc&uact=8

Words cannot begin to describe how much I want this.

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nzgeo.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F1970%2F01%2F56_Kakapo_body07-1600×1110.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nzgeo.com%2Fstories%2Fkakapo-bird-on-the-brink%2F&docid=6hl9Je8Lxz6-CM&tbnid=YD4tCOB5NZaZ2M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwj5tqjLmq3hAhVZDWMBHZfAB44QMwjCAShKMEo..i&w=1600&h=1110&safe=active&bih=938&biw=1920&q=kakapo&ved=0ahUKEwj5tqjLmq3hAhVZDWMBHZfAB44QMwjCAShKMEo&iact=mrc&uact=8

So fluffy!

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.nationalgeographic.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F03%2FAlisha-Sirocco_courtesy-of-Kakapo-Recovery-Program-720×575.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.nationalgeographic.org%2F2018%2F03%2F22%2Fhappy-hatchday-21-years-of-conservation-success-for-the-kakapo%2F&docid=UzEB0WfOKGIcTM&tbnid=kHJnkHQCQ-LBAM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwj5tqjLmq3hAhVZDWMBHZfAB44QMwjXAShfMF8..i&w=720&h=575&safe=active&bih=938&biw=1920&q=kakapo&ved=0ahUKEwj5tqjLmq3hAhVZDWMBHZfAB44QMwjXAShfMF8&iact=mrc&uact=8

LOOK HOW HUGE THEY ARE THOUGH!!

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.buzzfeed.com%2Fbuzzfeed-static%2Fstatic%2F2014-03%2Fenhanced%2Fwebdr08%2F6%2F9%2Fenhanced-buzz-17898-1394116204-4.jpg%3Fdownsize%3D700%3A*%26output-format%3Dauto%26output-quality%3Dauto&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeed.com%2Fsimoncrerar%2Fmeet-the-kakapo-flightless-parrot-facing-extinction&docid=qtHiofrCPM2PfM&tbnid=qtpmxN1uYZ5x7M%3A&vet=12ahUKEwi8gP3nmq3hAhWuyoUKHS0WBFA4ZBAzKA8wD3oECAEQEA..i&w=600&h=413&safe=active&bih=938&biw=1920&q=kakapo&ved=2ahUKEwi8gP3nmq3hAhWuyoUKHS0WBFA4ZBAzKA8wD3oECAEQEA&iact=mrc&uact=8

They are so big and beautiful I WISH I HAD ONE.

(Warning: I just grabbed these off the internet… )

If you think these guys ARE TOO ADORABLE FOR WORDS, you should drop a comment!

For the bird nerds

Look! It’s a…a…. rainbow bird!! (aka Eastern Rosella)

Okay, so, I have a lot of birds.
A lot. As a matter of fact, birds are my passion.

Bird watching, bird breeding, bird conservation, BIRDS. So, this is a shout out to all my bird lovers out there.

I’m not going to tell you how amazing birds are. You already know that!

But I will tell you what you can do to enjoy them more, and maybe even help them!

Bird conservation. Get into the local endangered species. Learn about them. Do research! Get involved in Bird conservation groups. There are already so many birds that have gone extinct. Recently, in fact!

Bird watching. I am saying this because its the best way to enjoy birds. Get a bird book and some binoculars and observe the local birds in you area! It might sound boring, but really, its great!

Media. Get on the internet, check out website, go on YouTube! Or, make websites and photograph birds and all sorts of other thing!

Get a pet bird. This, my friends, is HIGHLY recommended. Doesn’t matter what type, shape, color, or personality. GET. A. BIRD. They are absolutely marvelous pets and you will learn a lot about birds you didn’t know!

Read books! There are hundreds of AWESOME novels about birds. Or even just plain old boring bird encyclopedias! Reading is a great way to learn more about birds.

Get some bird art! Okay, I just said that because a painting or two of birds in your house really brightens it up. Give it a shot!

And lastly, KEEP LOVING BIRDS!!

That’s all for now!

Pet Birds

Budgies, one of the most popular pet birds.

As a child, you don’t really think much of birds. Your main interests in animals are usually the furry ones, like dogs, cats, horses, and rodents. Most of the time you probably end up with one of those as a childhood pet. But if you get a bird, you will be introduced to a wonderful creature you have been ignoring for too long. Birds are absolutely amazing creatures, if you take the time to study them. Even if it is a simple observation of the pigeons on your wall, you will find that birds are special. From the smallest sugar bird to the ginormous ostrich, every bird is unique and wonderful in its own way. The variety in birds is absolutely breathtaking.

But pet birds? Even more so. The most common pet birds are those of the parrot-like type, but canaries, finches, and pigeons are just as lovely. The most well known and popular bird is probably the budgie. Second in popularity? I’d say the cocketiel. And for good reason too! Budgies, cocketiels and other parrots are remarkably intelligent and make great companions. There are hundreds of kinds of parrots. Some are known for their beauty, others for intelligence, others for their companionship, and the most extraordinary thing about parrots: their mimicking. From budgies to macaws, most parrots can mimic. Some can only manage whistle tunes and maybe the odd word or two, while others have a vocabulary of a thousand words or more!

Parrots aside, canaries are also known as lovely pet birds. But these sweet little yellow seed-eaters, originating from the Canary Islands, are more famously known for their song. These birds emit the most melodious song in cage birds ever to exist. In my opinion at least…. The combination of their sweet singing and their beauty has made them a popular show bird and household pet. A canary is also a gorgeous addition to an outdoor garden aviary.

Of course racing pigeons and such can’t really be categorized as a ‘pet bird’, but in my experience pigeons are amazing companions. A pigeon reared from a chick, will bond with you to such an extent that it will consider you its parent. They are lovable companions. But probably the more well known thing about a pigeon is its remarkable navigational talents. Racing pigeons, homing pigeons, wild pigeons, all have the ability to return straight back to their home. No matter how far they go, they always return. Back in the ‘old days’, pigeons were used as messengers, carrying important information to and fro.

Yes, pet birds, in all their variety and beauty, are a well loved animal.

For the love of birds…brings great pleasure.