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Mousebirds

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:06 am
by monotwine
So I went to visit my friend that works for a vet and walked out with an abandoned baby mousebird than needed to be hand reared.
Successfully reared it with the help of my 1.5yr old daughter, who is besotted with Babe Bird - as she called it.

So my first attempt at hand rearing a mousebird has been successful except for one thing...
THEY STAY TAME! Rox warned me they can become very tame so even pre empting this with limited contact etc was to no avail.

I even got a friend for Babe Bird from a fellow rehabber which didn't trust me and was much older.... instead of the wilder one influencing the tame one it went the opposite way. Now I have two tame birds. They are adorably affectionate and cuddly. Following us around the aviary. They are very nice birds as a pet - I must be honest, but a little on the messy poop side as they are frugivores, although neither has ever pooped on me. All the benefits of a hookbill without the noise.

Babe Bird
This was a few weeks after I have been hand-rearing. I can't seem to find the first picture I took of him/her. They are quite ugly ducklings when they have no feathers.
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My daughter and Babe bird have a special bond too.
BBB.jpg
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This is about one of the best pictures I can get with my phone these days... Babe bird likes to land on the mobile instead of posing.
Babetail.jpg
Babetail.jpg (102.74 KiB) Viewed 9232 times

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:08 am
by monotwine
Red-faced-mousebird (Urocolius indicus) this is the species the mousebirds are. They are quite stunning up close:

This is Babe Birds friend Laurie:
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Laurie2.jpg
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Babe bird is now almost indistinguishable between them, though remains the tamer of the two.

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 10:50 am
by Sheather
These are interesting looking birds, they resemble an intermediate form between a hookbill and a finch. They look very soft too.

I have read about these and they are well recommended as pets, though very, very rare in my country.

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 3:12 pm
by Sally
monotwine Congrats on the two Mousebirds! I have wanted one of this species ever since nixity posted about hers. I am planning on moving this year, and most likely I will have to downsize drastically. Perhaps one of these would work better as a pet in the future. We do have one breeder on the west coast of US who works with this species.

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 3:16 pm
by nixity
So cute!

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:51 pm
by Featheredfluffkins
I’ve always wanted one... they’re very rare where I live! Congrats! They’re quite lovely!!!

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 3:59 pm
by Maleficum
Read an article about this cute birds in the bird magazine and they sounded really interesting!
Lucky you to have the opportunity to have been able to help them and keep them!

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 3:35 pm
by lovezebs
monotwine

They are lovely Monique, just keep them and enjoy them.

I am sure your little one is just loving them :-BD :-BD :-BD

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 10:30 am
by Babs _Owner
monotwine

That is adorable!! Love it!! <3

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 6:34 am
by monotwine
Bebe bird (8).jpg
This is the last pic I have of our beloved Babe bird. He was out and about in the garden with my daughter, as usual one Sunday. He flew off, which he regularly did, but then didn't return. As he was a wild bird and never destined for a life in a cage I always gave him an option to be free.

I feared the worst and was very concerned. Sent out notices for a lost tame mousebird on our community forum and he was located a few blocks up from my place. He was however not landing on people or flying into their homes so none could catch him. My daughter and I walked about calling him to no avail. I have subsequently seen him in the gardens and wild conservation area near my home so I know he is safe and after a month out obviously managing to forage. There is a wild flock of 15 mousebirds in the area with a previous hand reared female in the group that was housed with Babe. It would seem he became a "man" and the urge to go wild took over.

The time we had with him was special to many. Our family and the local park kids who would play with him. Some even overcame their fear of birds because of him. Go well Babe - fly free as you were meant to be.

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 11:25 pm
by wildbird
A beautiful bird! He is enjoying his freedom and may some day return for a visit. Though you will miss him, you gave him a good life with you and now he may be starting his own bird family.

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 2:00 am
by monotwine
wildbird indeed. I saw him an his new little family yesterday evening. He called and chatted but had no inclination to come to us which is fabulous. This really is the best outcome for him. So glad he could get rehabilitated to the wild as he was so incredibly tame. Just shows you that when nature calls that sex drive can overcome any taming.

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:18 am
by Sally
monotwine Such a wonderful story!

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 8:53 am
by Babs _Owner
monotwine

Wonderful news!! Perhaps a feeder with his favorites would tempt him to bring his fledglings in for visits.

Re: Mousebirds

Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 10:28 am
by monotwine
Babs done since he flew off. The wild frugivores are dining in style, but the mouse birds seem not to visit. This is all ok though. Wild and independent is good.