Bird caught in fake plants

[managermania]

I came downstairs a few days ago and found my Male Schlegel's Twinspot hanging upside down with his leg/foot caught in a fake plant. It was caught in the joint of the plant where the two stems come together. The leg was distended, swollen, and not much blood flow. I kind of freaked out and jumped in the cage and removed him. Of course when I was going through the process of removing him, the CB’s and Lavenders flew out of the flight through the open door. So I got the Twinspot and his leg did not look good at all. No telling how many hours he was hanging there. I decided to try splinting it in way so that it was in “normal perching position”. Long story short…after about a day he started managing pretty well with the splint. It looked like the blood flow had started to come back after the second day so I removed the splint. You can tell it bothers him just a tad bit, but he is doing great. No trouble perching, flying, or anything!

This is the second bird this has happened to (in a diff. flight) so I am switching all of my fake plants out to ones that do not have the “V” shaped joints.

[gsjohnson]

Can you supply a pic of the plant V joint that caused this?

[wellingtoncdm]

Wow. Sorry to hear that. Hope he's ok.

[managermania]

I will take a pic tomorrow.

[EyesofFreedom]

wow and I was looking at some fake plants or actually to be more specific vines but didnt get them and now that I read this I am glad I didnt...

Hope your bird fully recovers...

[managermania]

I am a big proponent of plants especially when breeding to conceal nests. I just need more of the right kind. The Twinspot is a very pretty bird. I don't see a lot of them around here.

[EyesofFreedom]

that is exactly why I was looking at the vines... I wanted to place them around the nest so they would feel a little more secure... the only place in my house for them is kind of in a high traffic area and sometimes when a kid comes down the stairs it startles them and they launch out the nest...

its so wierd cause when I moved them to other places they seemed depressed... when I put them back in the kitchen the mail sings more and the female seems happy too... maybe I should try a small real potted plant...

[managermania]

I find that the fake fern fronds (if that's what they are called) work well.

[EyesofFreedom]

I was looking at ivy-ish vines because I wanted to kind of wrap it around the nest to give them the sense of "hiding"

The nest is in the upper right back corner of the flight cage so I need something that I can weave through the bars around the nest and through the bars again...

[lyzzyjayne]

Thank Goodness you helped him! I would like to see a pic of the offending plant as well. ;)

[managermania]

Here is the pic. They get caught in the main joints.

[carlamay]

I tend to use the bush silk plants, cut them off of the big stem and weave them into a wire drawer divider or the side of the cage. Should anyone get caught, I can not imagine that a little effort would not pull them free even when wired. Using short pieces is the trick for me - if too long, they would not be able to pull free as well. I often use floral wire but it is not super tight. Have yet to get any bird caught and I have a ton of greenery.

[EyesofFreedom]

hmmmm now I know what to avoid...