The tip of one of the older ones tail is a bit frayed (you can see in the photo) so I was concerned it might not have the feather quality for the rigors of migration. So I’ve stopped the wilding process as I want to make life easier for them in captivity. Really happy with their health and brightness otherwise.
I bring them in the sunroom once a day so they can zoom around and stretch their wings. They would sleep in this nightshade at night I’m sure.
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Here are a few observations for anyone that needs to care for woodswallows in the future.
Stuff they like to eat;
Crickets, mealworms, some ants, ant eggs, moths, earwigs, beetles, grasshoppers, flys, mossies.
Will take tiny bits of boiled crushed eggs, crushed arrowroot biscuit or will wait for an ant to come and get some so they can eat ant and food at same time.
Stuff they are not so keen on;
Termites, maggots, anything too sweet like recipes with sugar.
Putting a vitamin/ mineral supplement in their drinking water seems to be the best way to ensure they are getting what they need.
Calls:
They have a specific alarm call for things above –crows, magpies, galahs,rosellas.
Hearing the local wrens alarm call for the local goshawk scares the crap out of them and they will hide themselves in the aviary.
They have a specific alarm call for things below – lizards, snakes, hoses.
I've got a grasshopper and you haven’t Nah Nah call
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Let’s fly around together call.
Come and sit with me call that gets insistent at roosting time.
They don’t sit on a branch to roost and sleep at night. They like a spot where they can form a crush (bit like little bats).
Other behaviour;
Act like they would be territorial while nesting or once they have bonded to a site like an aviary.
I wouldn’t put them with a species smaller than themselves (they are about the size of sparrows) because they love chasing things.
Will feed each other, but will also have huge battles over a really good moth.
Trainable for free flight. Will easily pick up sounds like a specific whistle and respond to it.
Love playing with sticks and leaves, chasing each other and grooming each other.
Just as affectionate and love scratches as any hand raised cockatiel I’ve had.
Will have a burst of activity followed by a long rest.
Won’t take a bath in a dish but love washing in wet leaves.
Can definitely see hunting behaviour that is common in the family of magpies & butcherbirds.
The haven't developed waterproofing yet - getting caught in heavy rain would be very dangerous for youngsters.
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