Birds

[Len B]

It's cold with below freezing temperatures in areas of the US that don't normally have freezing temperatures. Birds need water to drink during times like this. It usually freezes here at some point every winter so along with bird food I have fresh water out for the birds too. With the temperatures some are experiencing now what you put out may refreeze quickly so change it a couple times a day if you decide to help the birds through this unusual winter weather.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Hey Len, yep! I made a fresh batch of suet cakes this morning packed with sunflower seeds, crushed & whole raw peanuts, oats, quinoa & peanut butter. Have topped up our bird bath a few times, it keeps freezing solid. Saw a flock of Blue Jays enjoying fresh drink(s).

 

[Cathie G]

I only dared to put seed out today. It's still pretty windy and I had no choice and went ice skating when I stepped out of the front door. But I'll try to get some water out tomorrow for them. I hated not being able to even see the birds yesterday because of my frozen solid windows let alone try to step outside. The wind is crazy but slowing. It's 12°f so really improved from yesterday.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I DID notice that our wild population of parrots didn't make a peep during our couple of cold days.
I guess that moving around and squawking take energy

 

[Len B]

Back in the mid 70s while I was living in Palmetto FL I was amazed at the number of parakeets everywhere and how noisy they were. Most were green in color but every now and then a blue one would be with them. Are they still there in large numbers?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Back in the mid 70s while I was living in Palmetto FL I was amazed at the number of parakeets everywhere and how noisy they were. Most were green in color but every now and then a blue one would be with them. Are they still there in large numbers?

I saw an actual flock of them at Everglades Holiday park a few years back eating seeds that someone had dumped out in the parking lot.
But other than that I've only encountered a few single individuals. Always with other birds of a different species.

 

[ryan57]

The birds in our yard are very appreciative of the heated Koi pond and waterfall. Dozens/Hundreds drink daily.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I saw an actual flock of them ... Always with other birds of a different species.

It's funny you say this.
My green budgie is flighted and escaped one day. He's indoor recall trained and target trained (a MUST for any flighted parrot) so we were confident we'd get him to come back. He flew up into a neighbor's huge pine tree and happily tweeted a bit. We pulled out the target stick and called him down. He flew down to us right away but halfway through his dissent a gust of wind blew and took him around the tree and past the house. We lost sight of him...for 8 hours we called, searched, looked. Nothing. I was confident that if we saw him again, he'd fly down to us because we trained for this every day (still do). But if I couldn't find him and he couldn't see us, how would I target him?
Anyway, 8 hours later my son spotted him with a pair of binoculars while walking the neighborhood. He was in a different tree, about a block away, hanging out with a flock of wild birds. The sun was setting and flock was roosting. There he was, preening and happily bouncing around with these other birds like he belonged with them.
We ran over with our target stick, called him and he flew down to us. After targeting him into the carrier, I cried like crazy!! But to this day, I can still picture him hanging out with the wild birds that evening. He was thrilled to be with the strangers. To read that you see budgies with other species popped that image right back into my mind!!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It's funny you say this.
My green budgie is flighted and escaped one day. He's indoor recall trained and target trained (a MUST for any flighted parrot) so we were confident we'd get him to come back. He flew up into a neighbor's huge pine tree and happily tweeted a bit. We pulled out the target stick and called him down. He flew down to us right away but halfway through his dissent a gust of wind blew and took him around the tree and past the house. We lost sight of him...for 8 hours we called, searched, looked. Nothing. I was confident that if we saw him again, he'd fly down to us because we trained for this every day (still do). But if I couldn't find him and he couldn't see us, how would I target him?
Anyway, 8 hours later my son spotted him with a pair of binoculars while walking the neighborhood. He was in a different tree, about a block away, hanging out with a flock of wild birds. The sun was setting and flock was roosting. There he was, preening and happily bouncing around with these other birds like he belonged with them.
We ran over with our target stick, called him and he flew down to us. After targeting him into the carrier, I cried like crazy!! But to this day, I can still picture him hanging out with the wild birds that evening. He was thrilled to be with the strangers. To read that you see budgies with other species popped that image right back into my mind!!

They seem to seek out groups.
A strong flocking behavior.
I have no way if knowing if the ones I see have recently escaped or if they've been flying wild for years. I'm not sure how well a small and brightly colored single bird would do as far as predators.
The flock may have been from a breeder losing his or her birds in a storm. Or maybe it was a successful breeding population.
I CAN safely say that there were at least 150 of them. Mostly green and yellow. And it seemed to be 100% parakeets

 

[jaizei]

They seem to seek out groups.
A strong flocking behavior.
I have no way if knowing if the ones I see have recently escaped or if they've been flying wild for years. I'm not sure how well a small and brightly colored single bird would do as far as predators.
The flock may have been from a breeder losing his or her birds in a storm. Or maybe it was a successful breeding population.
I CAN safely say that there were at least 150 of them. Mostly green and yellow. And it seemed to be 100% parakeets

Monk parakeets?

 

[Len B]

Monk parakeets?

I had a Quaker that lived 25 years. They are a little bigger than the regular parakeet. And is a parrot if I remember correctly.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Monk parakeets?

The little ones from Australia that you see most often sold at pet stores is what I was referring to. But I see other types of parrot type birds. Probably most of them are also non native.

 

[Cathie G]

The little ones from Australia that you see most often sold at pet stores

Interesting. Zebra Finch is from Australia also.