Alright. Well I got my pair of Amethyst Starlings yesterday evening.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... 20starling
They are just the most beautiful and inquisitive birds. They came from a large (up/down) flight with a mixture of other softbills (Dacnis, Honey Creepers, and Tanagers) as well as Seedeaters, Mannikins, Waxbills, and Parrot finches. They were really well-behaved with even the smaller birds so I'm not foreseeing any issues with them at my house. I have them housed in a 6 foot double flight cage with one pair of Bourke Parakeets, a pair of Diamond Doves, and a pair of Javas.
I was going to take pictures of them last night but it was late when I got home and I was trying to multi-task (cook dinner and get them set up and moved) so I didn't mess with pictures as the recipe I was cooking was on my phone. lol The male's head is plucked and/or he's molting. Apparently when the starlings molt they drop their head feathers at an alarming rate. I'm hoping that his feathers grow in faster now that the mean little honey creeper isn't with them. lol He also bumped his bill/ceres pretty well against the wire in the flight when the breeder caught him so I may hold off until he's back to his beautiful self.
They are eating Pretty Bird Mini Pellets, Zupreem XS Fruit Blend, Roudybush Nibbles, and another colored pellet I'm drawing a blank on. They also enjoy powdered Lory nectar, as well as Bugs n' Fruit, and fresh fruit like papaya and banana. I'm going to try to limit their fresh food (hopefully limiting the amount of fruit poo) if they readily eat the pellets in place of the fresh fruit, although they will still get several slices a day. I'm also curious to see if they enjoy my eggfood or the mealworms and Phoenix worms I ordered yesterday.
She never tried breeding them, but I'm hoping to have success. I need to order a few wooden nest boxes and I'm hoping to find one that would be suitable for them. As easy as European Starlings breed I'm hoping these guys are at least not picky about their nesting site.
After I released them into the flight the Bourkes were completely terrified of them. The doves didn't even bat an eye. The pair just sat on their nest calmly watching the newcomers. The Javas were unimpressed from their perch as well. Once the Bourkes settled down and stopped hanging from the front of the cage they decided the new additions weren't that scary after all.
This morning before work the male was still a bit flighty preferring the highest back corner opposite of where I was. The hen just sits on the center bars in the dead middle of the flight where she can watch everything. It's also a "well-planted" area so perhaps she feels safe and like I can't see her. lol
@delray - Actually I almost did bring a pair of those home with me last night on a whim but I'm going to think on that one a bit more. You might be on the right track looking at
Sally 's signature. lol
@lovezebs - I asked the breeder if they were very vocal and she said not at all. I'd think it would be amazing if they picked up on some sounds or words but I'm not going to hold my breath. While I was cooking last night I heard a few "new" calls from the bird room so I think the pair was vocalizing a bit as all my birds were busily welcoming them.
And I already have Gold-breasted Waxbills even if the silly things don't do anything but lay gobs of eggs and not incubate them. I just moved them into their own private breeding cage in hopes with one nest perhaps they'll get their act together without any other distractions.
@Rox - I wish. I love the Pekin Robins. They are beautiful. But I fell in love with the Amethyst Starlings years ago so when the opportunity popped up to get some I just couldn't help myself. Now I need to find another pair so I can pair up unrelated birds.
Have you ever seen them in the wild? Information online is rather limited although someone sent me a 35 page pdf file on their care. I'm curious about preferred nesting sites (the size box and entrance hole I should offer) and other stuff like that. I'm thinking she's a bit to big to stuff herself into the parakeet box. So a cockatiel or one of those boot shaped parrot/gouldian style boxes would be good.
Some unexpected arrivals included a pair of very old zebra finches who will live out their days beeping and meeping with all of mine. As well as a lovely Albino Shaft-tail hen. She had an accident that caused her to lose her leg from about the knee down. So she joined my Normal Pied male last night who also has one leg. If they make babies that'd be great (as I really want some babies from this Pied male to see if that's truly what it is) but at least he can have a friend now who won't pick on him. All my other Shafties are mean to him. And none of the girls like him because he prefers to stay comfortable on the ground or on a wide surface. But now he'll have a love interest that hopefully prefers the same things.
The new finches you're all still guessing on should be coming home next weekend (hopefully).