FEATURE


climbing the wire easily, they look very funny hanging upside down from the wire on the roof, like they are in their own private circus. I have found a cheap source of bird sand with mineral grit chunks in our local Hornbach a type of B&Q store with a pretty good animal supply section so use this on the floor and I can quickly scoop up the bird poop and dropped food with a cat litter scoop, for me this is very important to clean up quickly most days. Now I knew the Bronze wing female was


making some different noises a bit panting and a bit wheezing which I put down to stress of being moved around so much but I also could tell she was ready to nest, she had long plucked her own breast and her partners head so much so I now think of him as a Turkey vulture! I put a nest box in for them within a few days of introducing them to their new aviary and within a day or two they were inside checking it out. Within a few more days she was almost permanently inside


and she continued to make these strange panting noises, I got quite worried at one point thinking there was something seriously wrong but my mind was put at ease when I worked out she only did this when she thought I was in the room otherwise she was quiet. I also know all about the wheezing noises Pionus make when they are stressed but this seemed different somehow and I am sure it is something to do with her breeding and not wanting to be disturbed. I tried my best to leave them to


themselves but I have to admit I was impatient to see whether there were any eggs in the box and I had to check every 2 or 3 days, at first I couldn’t see and dare not touch her for fear of my fingers disappearing. I spoke to Kevin Pickup and he suggested using a bit of dowel wood to gently lift her enough to peek underneath her, I have to say this worked brilliantly and I admit I doubled up with some thin rubber backed gardening gloves, just in case!


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