A motherly (?) instinct

[kinetic (Steve)]

We found a baby parrot close to death recently in our driveway
due to the 5x days of 40+ weather here in Adelaide.
(we have had everything from echidnas to koalas, etc in recent years suffer the same
extreme exhaustion and find their way into our property)

It had obviously fallen out of a tree nearby.

On the first night I managed to feed it water droplets on the end of my thumb and it showed a bit of spark.
We didn't hold out much hope in the first 24 hours.

After a few days (still enduring the 40+ weather) I had it eating a mush
of porridge oats and milk/ warm water off the end of my finger.
The poor little bugger would only lick my finger and not bite anything, still
waiting for Mum to feed it and not quite knowing how to bite things and feed itself with its beak.
I tried some apple, it loved it but would only lick it, even if I sliced it into
tiny mushy bits. So I would force it into its beak.

During the day we put him out in the breeze under a tree and suddenly Mum and Dad appeared.
We knew this because in all of the years we have lived here we have never been able to get close to one of these types of rainbow lorikeets
even to get a photo. They are so hard to get close to.
So this MUST have been the parents of this bird.
Mum and Dad would even land right on the cage and feed the baby through the wire cage.
I opened the bars of the cage to let this happen.
Mum and Dad would appear regularly during the day and land right where I
had left the cage previously, even if I had moved it.
They even came in right under our verandah and fed bub.

Meanwhile, bub can't fly that well so we have been teaching him to fly
a bit further each night in our loungeroom.
He is almost ready to go, he can repeatedly fly across the room to my
hand or feed bowl.
He thinks I am Mum (or Dad) too because I've hand fed him so much.
The kids don't want me to let him go but I've told him it is the best
thing if we can as soon as he is ready.

Steve

[leon]

Lovely story Steve, and great effort to keep this little fella alive, well done.

Leon

[pixelsaurus (Mike)]

Very cool and well done.

[acropolite (Phil)]

What a fantastic experience..

A funny thing Steve, we had a similar experience about a week ago.

We found a Green Lorikeet on the ground outside the shack with blood streaming from his right nostril and looking very disoriented. The dried blood is just visible on the RH side of his beak. At first sight we doubted he would make it through the night.

He was quite dazed and content to just sit wherever he was put, that included on or in the hand, arm (as per the pic), or as we finally settled in a covered box (nest like).

We watched over him for around a day and a half, trying pretty much the same techniques you had, but to no avail, he wouldn't even lick water from his beak. Finally on the second day he started stretching his wings and we cut a branch for him to sit on which he happily stayed on for some hours (uncaged BTW).

Towards the afternoon of the second day he started stretching his wings and we took him outside after he became active on hearing what I assume were his parents.

He attempted to fly from a couple of feet above ground, but his path was all downhill, so we put him a little way up a small tree, thinking the parents might tend him there.

After a few hours he took to the air, this time successfully and flew off, coming back a few minutes later chirping as if to say farewell.

From what I have read he looks to have been young (feathers on the breast are yellowish on adults), around 2/3 of his full sized species likely feeding from his parents as was your bird, I suspect he flew the nest a little too soon and nose dived in to the ground.

You're right in letting him go, birds don't belong in a cage and it's nice just to have some interraction with these wonderful creatures. I still can't get over how calm and content he was spending time with and being handled by us.

[noeyedeer (Matt)]

I'm glad there's people out there that still care for wildlife. perhaps being lorikeets a more necter based diet (pineapple juice, sugery water .. like a sloppy paste, etc) may have made them respond quicker.

I saw a little lorikeet at work when we had a hot Saturday a few weeks ago that preferred to hop/walk then fly .. but it found it's way into bush behind work and into a tree and a few mins later I'm hoping it was able to fly off to rejoin the group that was heard nearby. (was too hot to move from under the smoko tree, plus there was nothing I couldve done for the little bugger being at work and all)

nice pics and great stories. happy endings are not only available at massage palours

matt

[allan gould]

Great stories Steve and Phil and cudos to you both.
Allan

[kinetic (Steve)]

Thanks guys, great stories, thanks for sharing.
It just seems the right thing to do, doesn't it.

The little bloke is ready to go, he's flying really well now and
putting weight on. Uses his beak well to demolish apples!

We hope to set up the cage outside tomorrow when Mum and Dad
arrive so we can open it with a string remotely, so as not
to jeopardise the handover....

[acropolite (Phil)]

He's still tiny Steve, your hand gives a good perspective. From what I read they still feed from the parents for a number of weeks after they first fly.

[noeyedeer (Matt)]

nice stuff . let us know how it all goes Steve. hopefully all will be good. never know .. you may have found a new fly in family.

matt

[DavidU (Dave)]

Good job Steve.A great outcome.

[dutch2 (Ingrid)]

Well done guys.
Great stories and pictures.