# oh god, help please...another little bird



## Luke1 (Dec 19, 2008)

hello all,
yea i live in the bush and all, i was with my dad this morning getting ready to o abit of work with him and i saw a bird on the ground, it was a king parrot and they are pretty tame near us (we feed them see etc) and we when i went up to it, it had a clipped wing and couldn't fly and was still small and anything but tame....we got some work gloves (the rubber ones) and the little bugger bit straight though...
ok so i have him in a bucket in my room up high and im keeping him quiet.....so what do i do, the vets said there isn't much they can do because his wings were already clipped so has probably had alot of human contact.....they said they would probably euthenais (spelling) him...or i could try look after him.....
so atm we're looking after him.....
i no they are seed eaters and all but since he has a clipped wing, how big a cage will i need? i have a friend how may have a spare one i could use but i may have to buy one....

so anyone with advice on king parrots...please help

Luke


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## missllama (Dec 19, 2008)

sorry i just woke up so i dont no if i am misreading something but is there something wrong with him for the vet to say they would euth him????
post an add on petlink in the bird section saying u need a cage asap someone should be able to help u also post on gumtree 
if u think he is someones pet try advertising him as found in the paper but since people always try to claim whats not theres u could just say Fount large clipped parrot or something and let the people tell u what it is thats missing
if he is clipped and friendly u could either get him a smaller cage for inside that u can have him out alot play with him etc and put him in at night to sleep, or u could get a avairy and let him have room to fly etc (which atm he cant i gather) 
my friends have king parrots but they have an adult pair in a avairy and a tame male in a cage thats probably 1 and a half meters sq because he is out most of the day


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## slim6y (Dec 19, 2008)

Well it couldn't have gone far if its wings are clipped... Someone local?


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## justbrad (Dec 19, 2008)

Why would you euthanaise a king parrot that has a clipped wing? it's obviously some one's pet!! Just advertise like what missllamathuen said.... Thats the best option.... hope all go's well... Cheers, Brad.


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## Ristof (Dec 19, 2008)

Seeing it's wing has been clipped and it is tame it must have an owner somewhere
WIth a clipped wing it wouldn't get far

Goto to this bird forum and see if anyone is missing it
http://smileysbirds.proboards26.com/index.cgi


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## PhilK (Dec 19, 2008)

If it IS wild, you can't just take it from the wild and keep it can you?


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## Ristof (Dec 19, 2008)

No you can't - if it is wild then you need to contact a wildlife rescue office and pass it to them
If you don't know of one then the Vet should be able to point you in the direction of one.


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## Wild_Insights (Dec 19, 2008)

Ristof said:


> if it is wild then you need to contact a wildlife rescue office and pass it to them



Ristof is right, you really should get in contact with a wildlife carer, if only to figure out how to best look after it until the owner is found - a pet parrot is often not fed the same foods as a wild parrot and a wildlife carer will be able to provide the right information and care.

You could try contacting WIRES for your local carer / rescue organization.

Hope that helps


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## missllama (Dec 19, 2008)

oh ps king parrots are on permits here in s.a im pretty sure... i know if they are that they are on a baisic permit

i am unsure on ur state but if u are considering keeping it if u cant find its owner make sure u check on the whole permit thing 

good luck mate


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## Noongato (Dec 19, 2008)

It took close to a year for my galah's wings to grow back, and i really regretted clipping them at all. Thanks to the bird care books out there that recommend wing clipping, my galah was terrified of everything cos he was completely defenseless.

I dont know how long it will take a king parrots wings to grow back, but even after that, somehow its wing muscles would have to be execised before releasing it into the wild or else it wont keep up.
Plus if the bird is kept in a medium size cage they tend to ruin their feathers rubbing them on the wire...


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## Ristof (Dec 19, 2008)

I don't clip my birds wings so if it does ever feel threatened it can get away.
For a bird that size you would be besk with a larger cage but then again it want have an flying room unless put in an avairy or let out of the cage every day.

Wild birds don't normally have their wings cliped so my bet is it is a pet
Which area did you find it in


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## Luke1 (Dec 19, 2008)

answers/coments in red...



missllamathuen said:


> sorry i just woke up so i dont no if i am misreading something but is there something wrong with him for the vet to say they would euth him???? not that i no of, he looks pretty good, however spending a bit of time with him hes scared of humans...he goes ape anytime you get within 2m of the cage
> post an add on petlink in the bird section saying u need a cage asap someone should be able to help u also post on gumtree  i borrowed one from a friend...hes a bit of a bird guy and had several cages lying around...
> if u think he is someones pet try advertising him as found in the paper but since people always try to claim whats not theres u could just say Fount large clipped parrot or something and let the people tell u what it is thats missing i would, but to be truely honest, the bird is horribly scared of people, and truth be told its not the first bird ive found on the road near me with clipped wings and scared of poeple! i have found one of the those big white cockatoos and a lorrikeet too.....somethings not right?!?!
> if he is clipped and friendly u could either get him a smaller cage for inside that u can have him out alot play with him etc and put him in at night to sleep, or u could get a avairy and let him have room to fly etc (which atm he cant i gather) eh, parents dontwant him at all, and as mentioned...NOT FRIENDLY :shock:
> my friends have king parrots but they have an adult pair in a avairy and a tame male in a cage thats probably 1 and a half meters sq because he is out most of the day


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## RedEyeGirl (Dec 19, 2008)

You need a license to keep KIng parrots. Just telling you. It's basiclly like a reptile license!


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## Luke1 (Dec 19, 2008)

RedEyeGirl said:


> You need a license to keep KIng parrots. Just telling you. It's basiclly like a reptile license!


all ready estabilished that..........


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## RedEyeGirl (Dec 19, 2008)

K.......


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## kakariki (Dec 19, 2008)

You will need to get him into an aviary. He will stress to the max & die if you keep him in a small cage (or even a parrot cage seeing as he is terrified of people). The aviary will need to be at least 8 feet wide and 15 feet long. The higher the better, but 8 ft is good. Kings will eat fruit & veg as well as seed & if it is wild then you have to get the correct permits beside the usual keep & sell. Have you got a pic of him?


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## Luke1 (Dec 19, 2008)

nah soz, the thing goes nuts...dont wanna scare him! 
i can hapily say hes asleep atm! which is nice

is there anyone on here around hornsby that has a wires licence thingy?


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## elapid66 (Dec 19, 2008)

that vet is a nob and has no idea


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## missllama (Dec 19, 2008)

Luke this is what i would do like kak said he needs an avairy if he is that terrified of humans, i once had a cockatiel... well its still alive its 17 yrs old or more now, i was playing soccer and these little kids were kicking something around i ran off and grabbed this poor lil cockatiel that they were harrasing off the ground on the field, he was a bit freaked out by people for a while but now is a calm beautiful bird that likes kids and everyone at my rents house

might just take him a while to get use to people if somethings happend or if he simply isnt that tame

if not theres nothing wrong with having him as an avairy bird, iinstead of a tame pet if u are able to get one in ur yard talk to ur parents about it and call up the place who deals with ur permits in ur state explain the situation that the birds wings are clipped u have taken it to a vet etc and they should be able to help u out, also in june or when ever it is the people might have a good idea whos bird it is if it was on permit because someone in ur area would be one less now on there books

im sure u will be able to get it put onto ur permit given the situation it is simply unrelaseable and it wont do the bird any good traveling in a car and going to someone elses house eg. a fauner rescue person to freak it out even more, last thing it needs is person after person after person being around it and it going from house to house


ps once again im half asleep so if this makes no sence just let me no and ill re word it when i wake up lol


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## Luke1 (Dec 20, 2008)

missllamathuen said:


> Luke this is what i would do like kak said he needs an avairy if he is that terrified of humans, i once had a cockatiel... well its still alive its 17 yrs old or more now, i was playing soccer and these little kids were kicking something around i ran off and grabbed this poor lil cockatiel that they were harrasing off the ground on the field, he was a bit freaked out by people for a while but now is a calm beautiful bird that likes kids and everyone at my rents house
> 
> might just take him a while to get use to people if somethings happend or if he simply isnt that tame
> 
> ...


 
its gonna be hard talking my parents into it but i might be able to...if i cant keep it then what? i dont know where i could get/put a decent size avairy, there is one spot up i dunno...:?...when they get back from work i will show them this because you seem to know what our talking about! thanks!

dont worry it made sense :lol:


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## missllama (Dec 20, 2008)

lol i hope i make sence i seem to be on here when im half asleep alot atm lol

well, if u dont have the size for a huge avairy put the biggest up that u can and he will be more settled then a small cage inside, u might find he just chatters to other birds and doesnt freak out as much i know my birds love it when there outside squarking away with the other birds lol

and on the odd chance ur parents dont let u keep it after reading all this, try asking the place u deal with ur permits if they can track someone down who has them on there permits in ur area that can re home him or u might end up having to advertise him to go to someone who can give him what he needs

but like i said the less he moves around the better let ur parents no its best that he isnt being moved around with lots of different people etc

good luck


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## Rainbow-Serpent (Dec 20, 2008)

http://www.parrot-haven-aviary.com.au/king.htm
That should help you out, also, post adds on petlink, petpages, gumtree, trading post, herp community and aps!


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## Luke1 (Dec 20, 2008)

missllamathuen said:


> lol i hope i make sence i seem to be on here when im half asleep alot atm lol
> 
> well, if u dont have the size for a huge avairy put the biggest up that u can and he will be more settled then a small cage inside, u might find he just chatters to other birds and doesnt freak out as much i know my birds love it when there outside squarking away with the other birds lol
> 
> ...


 
hey,
i showed my parents and my dad sort of understands but hasn't said much....i think, not sure but think im allowed to keep....if this is the case, im gonna sell my blueys to get a bit of money, my friends going to a bird auction tomorrow and he said there might be avairys there.....i dunno how much they'll be


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## missllama (Dec 20, 2008)

look at avairys on ebay u look under the pets etc then click within "how many" Km's of ur postcode and all the avairys will pop up

and also look in the messenger, the trading post and the advertiser, and post an urgent avairy needed add on ehre u might be able to find a cheap or free one alot of people give away avairys when they dont need them coz of the space etc

good luck


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## Jay84 (Dec 20, 2008)

As for the clipped wings...... i know its not nice to do but for the birds longterm sanity and to prevent it launching from a perch to get away from you and inadvertently hurting itself it will need to be able to fly. if it was tame then by all means keep them clipped.

the way to get them to grow back is to pluck the clipped feathers. hold the bird firmly by the body, and also at the wing where the feathers join the skin. get a firm grip at the base of the feather and a quick tug will pluck it cleanly. the new feathers will start to grow back very quickly and within 4 to 6 weeks should be fully grown back and the poor bird will be able to fly.

food wise 'small parrot mix' is perfect, this along with some greens (endives, milk thisle and grass seeds) will keep him healthy.

let us know what happens to him. good luck


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## Luke1 (Dec 20, 2008)

well i just thought i would let you know i finally got in contact with wires and i said they couldnt have him if they were going to euthenais him and they said they would have a look at him when they come around (tomoz) and then they will see what they can do. i said he looks fine and is eating well, eating all the seeds and loves apple, and the only problem is the hes crazy from most likey a bad experience and has clipped wings and tail feathers


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## Jay84 (Dec 20, 2008)

why would anyone clip tail feathers? or the wings of an erratic bird? poor thing, like someone previously post, if they arent already tame the poor things just freak out!

i hope he settles down for you. if you are able to get him an aviary and when he can fly, you will be surprised how quick he will calm down for you.


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## kakariki (Dec 20, 2008)

Jay84 said:


> As for the clipped wings...... i know its not nice to do but for the birds longterm sanity and to prevent it launching from a perch to get away from you and inadvertently hurting itself it will need to be able to fly. if it was tame then by all means keep them clipped.
> 
> the way to get them to grow back is to pluck the clipped feathers. hold the bird firmly by the body, and also at the wing where the feathers join the skin. get a firm grip at the base of the feather and a quick tug will pluck it cleanly. the new feathers will start to grow back very quickly and within 4 to 6 weeks should be fully grown back and the poor bird will be able to fly.
> 
> ...



Pulling feathers should NOT be done by anyone who has limited experience! The bleeding which can result is horrific, Luke, don't even attempt that please! And sorry Jay but small parrot mix is not adequate. Large parrot mix is better for Kings ( more variety of seed type) and before feeding apple, remove the seeds as the have a r s enic & can kill birds. Our Kings love carrots, pumpkin, pineapple ( small amounts ) rockmelon, in fact, they try most fruit & veg ( broccoli is another fav!) And make sure any greens you feed isn't sprayed! We also put gum branches in, they strip it in no time and chew on any nuts or flowers that are on it.
Take a walk around your local township & look for unused aviaries & ask about them. Some people are happy to get rid of them if you go in & remove them. We picked up a couple that way!
Pic is of one of our pairs of Kings. Male on left, female on right ( foreground)


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## Jay84 (Dec 20, 2008)

kakariki said:


> Pulling feathers should NOT be done by anyone who has limited experience! The bleeding which can result is horrific,)



sorry..... probably shouldnt have advised that to someone with little experience. I have done it with a few birds given to me with clipped wings. I never experienced any bleeding tho? the only bleeding i did experience was when they launched themselves from a perch and snapped the quills of the already clipped feathers 

your Kings and kakariki look gorgeous by the way. what other birds do you keep?


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## kakariki (Dec 20, 2008)

Thanks Jay. We have Regents, Eastern Rosella, Red Rumps, Cockatiel, Superbs, Corella, Galahs, Princess & a couple of very cheeky Kakariki. 
I am not a fan of clipping wings. The 2 inside birds we have are unclipped. The Galah ( Corky) can fly but apart from the odd lap of the house, he prefers to be on a shoulder. He can get up too much more that way, lol!. And the Sulphur is terrified of flying, lol. She prefers to walk or stay up on her play tray!


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## Jay84 (Dec 21, 2008)

HAHAHA... your cocky sounds hilarious. one question..... i have some princess parrots and am after some foster parents for the first clutch, so they can go down again without it being taxing and burning out the female princess. I have heard that red rumps are good for fostering? have you tried this? if so, what has your experiences been?


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## kakariki (Dec 21, 2008)

I haven't tried it Jay but I have heard they are good foster-parents. You could also try an incubator & handraise the babies. Princess are fantastic when they are h/r.


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## Luke1 (Dec 21, 2008)

well the bird is now in good hands of a person from wires.....


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## Jay84 (Dec 22, 2008)

kakariki said:


> I haven't tried it Jay but I have heard they are good foster-parents. You could also try an incubator & handraise the babies. Princess are fantastic when they are h/r.



im handrearing 2 at the moment.... not thru choice tho, the female abandoned the babies for unkown reason, they are her first clutch. so we had to pull them and handrear them. they are fledged now and weaning well!

good to hear Luke that the bird is in good hands.


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## xander (Dec 22, 2008)

To be honest, with the "clipped wings and tail"it sounds more like Psitticine beak and feather disease.....


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## Luke1 (Dec 22, 2008)

xander said:


> To be honest, with the "clipped wings and tail"it sounds more like Psitticine beak and feather disease.....


 
i dont think so, only one wing is clepped and its definetly clipped! how ever the tail is a disaster! its horrible!


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## Ristof (Dec 23, 2008)

The tail could have been caused by the fact it's wing was clipped
It may have been dragging on the ground or from hitting the ground when the bird was trying to fly

Was the tail always like this or was it from it trying to fly around the cage you have it in. I'm not saying it is your fault, a lot of birds in cages have this happen.


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