Sue and Nila
Birdtalk article
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Birdtalk article
July issue of BIRDTALK has an article on diet of psittacula with some nice pictures. But it mentioned some things these birds eat in the wild and it mentioned hibiscus flowers. I have a hedge hibiscus outside the window where Nila's cage is located. I took her along outside and we picked the prettiest red bloom. Brought her in flashing her eyes and lunging trying to get the flower. I stuck the stem end through the bars on the top of her cage and she was so cute sticking her red beak in that red flower. But the neat thing was she pulled it out of the bars, promply turned it over bit the stem end off and drank the nectar seeping out the bottom. When that was gone she pulled a few petals out and then tossed the flower to the floor and cleaned her beak on the bars. Neat experience to see the instinct she had to find the nectar in the flower. I got a picture of her with the flower and if I ever get the time to figure out how to use the photobucket correctly I will post it. But life is hectic this week.
Sue and Nila
Sue and Nila
Flowers are great additions to the fid diet
Flowers are great additions to the fid diet.
I let my fid crawl around on the plants on the porch. Growing in pots out there is Christmas Cactus (flowers NOV-JAN), Rosemary, Basil, Habanero peppers, and some unidentified orchids. All these bud out and flower at some point in the spring or summer--the fid goes crazy to eat the flowers. I have to protect the pepper flowers or we won't get a pepper harvest.
When I spot a bed of wild flowers I take some to the fid to see if he'll eat them. If the bees and hummingbirds are at the flower I have no problem letting the fid check on them too.
Some he tosses away and some he eats up like there is no tomorrow.
We'll have to check out Hibiscus.
I let my fid crawl around on the plants on the porch. Growing in pots out there is Christmas Cactus (flowers NOV-JAN), Rosemary, Basil, Habanero peppers, and some unidentified orchids. All these bud out and flower at some point in the spring or summer--the fid goes crazy to eat the flowers. I have to protect the pepper flowers or we won't get a pepper harvest.
When I spot a bed of wild flowers I take some to the fid to see if he'll eat them. If the bees and hummingbirds are at the flower I have no problem letting the fid check on them too.
Some he tosses away and some he eats up like there is no tomorrow.
We'll have to check out Hibiscus.
