New Blue-Naped Mousebirds

[srtiels]

Last Saturday we drove up to Sebring to buy a pair of BN mousebirds. Carole had given me the # of someone that had a pair for sale.

When I got them home I could see a noticable difference between them and the BN I have. They are larger, darker, paler colored eyes, and ver ungainly in movement. In reading there are 7 subspecies of BN mousebirds, but the discriptions are brief and there are no photos to correspond to the discriptions. In Googling images some of the BN in Kenya look similair to these, but it does not list the subspecies.

I don't have any background on them, aside that they were bought at a bird fair a couple years ago, had 2 babies, 1 died. I'm suspecting they are wild caught imports. Their beak and face are not red, which could be from being housed indoors without any access to sunlight or Vita lights. They appear healthy and have a good appetite.

The last pix is a red-faced. These new BN are build similar to the RF.

 

[Daisy's Mom]

They really are very pretty..

 

[Archiesmom]

So strange that they would differ so greatly from your own!

 

[expressmailtome]

Congratulations on the new pair!

Matt

 

[waterfaller1]

Wow Susanne, they do look a lot different. The beak stands out to me, as larger, shaped slightly different. Do the other blue napes have that crooked frown too? I have to go look...

 

[waterfaller1]

I guess they do, it just is not as prominent. You should call the one on the right in the first few pics Schnozzola, Jimmy Durante, CD Bales,or Cyrano De Bergerac. Look at the honker on him..lol!!

 

[srtiels]

Thanks Tiffany, Natalie, and Matt

Carole...LOL...they do have huge beaks compared to all my other mousers. And they are 'lounge lizards' like the RF, and like to lay around rather that try to sit up.

 

[Anne & Gang]

they are spectacular Susanne!!!

 

[myakando]

They're breathtaking little birds for sure

 

[expressmailtome]

Do many of your babies go to other breeders or do they become pets? I was just curious with the new bloodlines.

Matt

 

[carkam]

WOW they are pretty birds!

 

[srtiels]

Do many of your babies go to other breeders or do they become pets? I was just curious with the new bloodlines.

Matt

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I just sent 2 BN boys to near Seattle WA last week, and they are going to be pets. I was worried on how they would react to the flight and a strange environment and they are settling in nicely. Below is an update I got on them....
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The boys are really adjusting well. They took a sand bath yesterday I need to put more sand in the dish for them - it goes everywhere!

They've been eating soaked pellets (first thing in the morning, it's the easiest thing for me to prepare), they LOVE their papaya and banana, and also have been eating apple, strawberry, and yesterday I bought them a mango which they're enjoying. I figure every day or two get a different fruit. Oh, and they've had some greens, though they really don't seem to care for them much the past day. I'll keep offering, though. And I gave them some grated carrot yesterday, which they did NOT appreciate. They'd take a bite, then spit it out and shake their heads - too funny!

They've really preferred eating from my fingers, but I know they're eating on their own because there's been bites missing from the chunked fruit I put in. They're getting used to the other birds (who still all mostly ignore them) and they LOVE just being on my shoulder, head, or in my hair. Things get kind of sticky if they've just eaten, but they're sweet and I LOVE the little sounds they make. Such a difference from my other birds!
We've had some cooler days lately, and while the birdroom is the warmest room in the house, I was getting a little worried about the mousebirds, so I set up a heat lamp on their little cage today. Everyone else flocked to the heat, but the mousers seemed to enjoy it too.

I'll take your crate to the post office today - things were hectic on Saturday, so I wasn't able to get to it.
Thanks again!