Peewees

[den]

Or Magpie-larks.

#5 is happy and eats anything that happens to move towards his mouth. #4 is a bit stroppy and has to be force-fed. He won't willingly take anything I offer. #3, who I thought would teach the others, has become confused, and sometimes takes the food i give him, and sometimes begs from the others.

#5 is much smaller than his sibling and only half the size of #3. I hope he makes it and doesn't get the "soft bone" syndrome that killed my first bird. Boosting the calcium doesn't work - peewees get kidney stones.

Comments

Re: Magpies

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

Wild magpies never talk. They squark and "carol" whch is a call somewhat like whistling a tune while gargling water. Tame magpies pick up all sorts of sounds. I knew one that called "PISS OFF!" to the wild magpies. Poor little bugger thought he was being friendly. Nature vs Nurture.

But these are magpie-larks, a different bird. They're only 1/2 the size of a magpie and won't poke holes in your head during breeding season.

"Parakeet" is an odd word, and it took me a while to work out You Yanks were referring to Budgerigahs. If you call budgies that here or in the UK you'd get a blank look, and people would think you'd confused parrots and lorikeets. Wild budgies are a dull olive green with brilliant yellow stripes on the wings. And they are NOT "Who's a pretty boy."

And poodles are disturbing at any size.