Blue Faced Parrot Finch Attacked - This Means War!!!

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VinceS
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Joined: 19 Mar 2012, 21:54
Location: Newcastle

Today a BFPF lucked out and got seriously hurt. At least it had a stroke of luck and I saw it otherwise it would have expired overnight for sure. If anyone has had experience getting injured birds through their recuperation, if it is possible, I would be interested to hear if there is anything else I should be doing. Currently it is in a small shielded budgie cage with a terrarium heater under half the floor, external water bowl for humidity and has seed scattered, a piece of rocket and egg & biscuit vitamin food. Currently covered for the night.

I am almost dead sure this damage has been wrought by a feral honey-eater style bird as they returned today and were clamping onto the wire on the side of the cage and acting aggressively jumping all over it before I shooed them away. I got this little bloke out and put him in the cage on the back "alfresco" area (OK, so they were bleeding verandahs before the home building game went "posh") and left it in the sunshine to recuperate for a while and this bird lands on the table and hassles it. The BFPF perks right up, don't let anyone think you're ill and starts hopping round like a mad thing, fully tuckered out after that it was! I didn't see this but heard a noise, undoubtedly scaring off the honey-eater because I was just watching the BFPF hopping about thinking that maybe the injury wasn't so bad when the honey-eater lands 2m away, so I figured what had happened and took the bird indoors.

From the injuries it probably happened about 3 hours before I saw it, so around 10am today. The little tyke in the mean time has taken a swan dive into the calcium vitamin bowl and was covered in white powder down one side, took more than a glance to figure out what type of bird it was under the mess. When I finally caught it (took half an hour to find the hiding spot after I missed twice then was easy to catch in a corner) it was still quite strong and I could see it has torn its skin badly around its neck on the left side. Which is what I presume the red stuff is, dried blood. I wasn't game to poke at it much as didn't want to exacerbate the injury.

Tried for photos which is hard and only got this:
P1090428a.JPG
the eye was shut but the other one was open:
P1090432a.JPG
an hour later it looked a little better:
P1090458.JPG
but this is the front shot to show how deceptive cameras are, wouldn't think this bird had long to live (maybe it doesn't):
P1090455a.JPG
So, care of the bird aside, I need to deal with the problem. It seems the owl scarers only have a defined life, about 3 weeks. Maybe concentrated air propelled Pb is the answer, dunno - not strictly kosha!

I don't suppose it is possible the bird could do this to itself, as in fly into wire that hard playing their chasing games? This one appears to be female so it would be the chasee, but I am yet to get a proper handle on sexing BFPF's.

In auditing the bird stock I sighted everything bar one BFPF, so I'm hoping it was just hiding, which they do spend a lot of their time doing. But until I know I don't know if this was victim one or two.........?
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Some days are Diamonds some days are Zebs. Sometimes the coccidiosis won't leave me alone. Sometimes a cold wind blows a chill in my Gouldians. But any day with my finches is a day without stones.
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Tintola
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What size mesh do you have on the aviary? As this does look like self inflicted damage from fleeing a predator not a suitor.
OH LORD, SAVE ME FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS!Image
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Jayburd
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if it were a butcherbird or currawong (or possibly large honeyeater) I suspect it would be minus it's head. probably as tint said flew into something trying to escape.
Julian

Birdwatcher and finch-keeper.

Feel free to check out my photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewinsrail/
And my birding antics here: http://worthtwointhebushbirding.blogspot.com.au/
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VinceS
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Joined: 19 Mar 2012, 21:54
Location: Newcastle

the wire is the 12mm square weldmesh from WhitesWire. I wouldn't think there is any possibility the head could have been stuck through enough to take out the neck on one side. My assessment is that a long pointy beak took a stab at the bird.

When I lived in the Blue Mtns it was common enough for currawongs to bite through the wire and typically injure the neck just sufficiently to kill the bird, and what I saw under the feathers today looked a lot what I have seen in the past, 40 year memory gap aside! That is why the roof is double wire, and this predator is doing it from the side, might not get such a good shot at it.

Before I tried the owl scarers I tried putting pond cover mesh over the side, pointless they just bounced off and then jumped round the ends. The first owl scarer on the roof seemed to work except on Sat saw birds landing just out of sight of it so bought two more on Sun and put one sitting in the corner on the ground full of sand. This morning I saw a honeyeater on the wire 1m away from the owl, so I guessed owls mustn't sit on the ground. Actually it was an hour later when I was going to relocate the owl that I saw the BFPF in difficulty so it was all about them then, eventually the owl got relocated and I'll see how that goes tomorrow, plus hopefully get the other one up on the lower roof section, it takes a bit of time to make up a suitable hanging frame.
Some days are Diamonds some days are Zebs. Sometimes the coccidiosis won't leave me alone. Sometimes a cold wind blows a chill in my Gouldians. But any day with my finches is a day without stones.
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Jayburd
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Owl scares have to be moved every evening, otherwise the wild birds wise up very quickly.
Julian

Birdwatcher and finch-keeper.

Feel free to check out my photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewinsrail/
And my birding antics here: http://worthtwointhebushbirding.blogspot.com.au/
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Finchman1
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Joined: 03 Apr 2011, 18:59
Location: Sydney

I have found those owls dont work.I have a silver reflective cut out of a hawk strung up with fishing line above the aviaries,moves around alot with the slightest wind,seems to work well
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djb78
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Vince she does look bet up pretty bad. Heat as you have done and a quiet place, electrolyte drink (BB has posted a home made formula if spark isn't available) and seed with some comfort food. I would leave her for tonight and not attempt anything just yet as the stress of injuries and extra handling could tip her for the worst. If she looks more sprightly tomorrow you could wile the wound with antiseptic lotion to stop any infection.
As for the aviery is placing netting on an angle possible, acts like double wiring.
Danny
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Mortisha
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Joined: 05 Nov 2011, 11:05
Location: Bathurst, NSW

I've seen birds recover from far worse injuries.
warmth & quiet
fluids
by the look of the beak area I'd supply easy to eat soft food like egg & biscuit mix as it could be painful to break hard seeds
maybe put it's mate in the recovery cage too for company & calming.

good luck
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VinceS
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Joined: 19 Mar 2012, 21:54
Location: Newcastle

It was quite a struggle to find the electrolyte formula reference because of the typo in the topic, so here it is for anyone else looking: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=6897" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and of course bb = blue butterfly

I hadn't heard of Spark so will see if can get that, there are 3 produce stores within 5km here so surely will get lucky. I did like the suggestion at the end of the electrolyte topic although no-one commented on it, ie to use this:
http://www.unahco.com/global/module.php ... 0952528802" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For antiseptic lotions are there any particular products or just what works? In use on humans I have found nothing is more reliable than a bandaid with Phisohex on it. No stinging and no infection. Ever! But it has to stay on. For the bird I was going to put a shallow bowl bath tub in and see if it has the energy / interest to clean itself, obviously can't put Detol / whatever in that as may drink it!

I did put the netting on at an angle, a 6m x 5m pond cover from the big green shed - but how I did it was to put it over the main roof section and diagonally down the sides, which left a triangle section at the ends they could get in. I was hoping this would be enough to be inconvenient and give a trapped feeling but didn't happen. If I just did it on the sides I could probably seal it properly, but did it on the roof as well 'cause I didn't want those thumping great poops they do in the aviary either. A separate issue is it is just plain ugly! But I don't want my birds to get eaten. Might look in the ancient software pile for a few cd's that might like to spin outside for a while, never to play again!
Some days are Diamonds some days are Zebs. Sometimes the coccidiosis won't leave me alone. Sometimes a cold wind blows a chill in my Gouldians. But any day with my finches is a day without stones.
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VinceS
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Joined: 19 Mar 2012, 21:54
Location: Newcastle

Mortisha wrote:I've seen birds recover from far worse injuries.
Well that's good news, thanks.

One achilles heel in this aviary is I didn't think of a feed box trap system, and there is bugger all chance of catching a healthy bird, let alone picking which BFP is which - there are 3 others, only two of which I have spotted this arvo when I was looking for other possible victims. Maybe I will put the hospital cage in the main cage for a few hours of sunshine and see if there is a special friend, or maybe that would just be torture!
Some days are Diamonds some days are Zebs. Sometimes the coccidiosis won't leave me alone. Sometimes a cold wind blows a chill in my Gouldians. But any day with my finches is a day without stones.
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