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Pictures Nimh the Speckled Mousebird

Amy Pierce

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Yesterday, Nimh decided that a cold, wet, rainy day was the perfect day for a swim in his water bowl!

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"This scruffy look is going to get loads of ladies!"

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"But first a cuddle, because I just realised how cold it is"
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(Looking a bit like a drowned rat... or should I say mouse?)

Nimh then proceeded to try sun himself, its just a pity there was no sun! :roflmao: :banghead:
 

waterfaller1

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Aww..great little story. Thanks for sharing and the pics are awesome. :heart:
 

Anne & Gang

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what a cutie patootie@!!
 

SandraK

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Don't you just love it when your soaking wet bird suddenly decides that you're the one to shake on and then cuddle up to so as to warm up?? :bag: :bag: :bag: :hug8: :hug8:
 

saroj12

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:heart: adorable!
 

Naomi

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Sweety!!! :xflove:
 

Amy Pierce

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When I first got Nimh from his previous owner, his tail feathers were completely matted together from being in a cage that was a bit too small. There was an oily substance on them, which I think was a mixture of poop and food. After numerous baths and gentle 'preening', his tail has started coming right. I have, however, noticed that a lot of the feathers are damaged. I think some of it is from hopping around his previous cage, but I'm also worried that he could have a parasite or mite, which has caused some of the damage? Does anyone have any ideas?? (please excuse the poor colour in the pics. I was working in bad light and had to edit to make the feathers visible :)
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This one is especially damaged. It looks as though strips have been cut out of it
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Naomi

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Amy, the first two pics just look like the cage damage - I know cause Chee also damage his tail from jumping around in the cage - I hate it :arghh:
But the last pic I can see the same horzontal lines that chee has, looks like feather's are a bit "see-through" - I believe it's mites, I'm no expert and I'm strugling to get rid of it! I dust Chee with Pulvex Bird & Cat Powder - got it from Pick&Pay (bought some spray from a bird shop, but it smelled so strong so now I only use it to spray his perches and the cage once a week), but it does not seem to help long term. I probably dust him once a week to every second week - he starts jumping around like mad, making little chi noices twitching...the only way I can excplain and it looks like something is bitting him. Then after I dust him it seems to subside within minutes?!

Maybe someone with mor expertise can advise us? :rolleyes:
 

CrystalLeo

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Shame poor thing! They love to take dust 'baths' so i don't know if that maybe keeps the mites away? Try giving him a small tub or bowl full of sand, preverably dry earth that they would usually use. If the weather finally lets up, you should see if you have a patch of ground that has no grass or vegetation growing on it. And not the kind of soil that you would use for your plants, regular African soil that comes naturaly. My yard has a nice spot like that i should see if i can get you a pic, maybe it will help.
I'm not sure if it will work, but that is just what my gut sais.
Hope it helps!:)
 

penguin

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Amy, the first two pics just look like the cage damage - I know cause Chee also damage his tail from jumping around in the cage - I hate it :arghh:
But the last pic I can see the same horzontal lines that chee has, looks like feather's are a bit "see-through" - I believe it's mites, I'm no expert and I'm strugling to get rid of it! I dust Chee with Pulvex Bird & Cat Powder - got it from Pick&Pay (bought some spray from a bird shop, but it smelled so strong so now I only use it to spray his perches and the cage once a week), but it does not seem to help long term. I probably dust him once a week to every second week - he starts jumping around like mad, making little chi noices twitching...the only way I can excplain and it looks like something is bitting him. Then after I dust him it seems to subside within minutes?!

Maybe someone with mor expertise can advise us? :rolleyes:
You should not be using ANY insectides on or near your bird or the cage. This is very dangerous, and can kill.
 

Amy Pierce

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Thanks @Naomi , I was worried it might be mites :( I'm not sure if he still has them, honestly his tail was in such bad condition it looks like all the 'feathery bits' had torn off and only the quills remained. I had to gently scrape some of the much off with my nail. Unfortunately none of our local shops sell anything for birds mite :banghead: so I will try order through the vet! @CrystalLeo He always has a tray of sand in his cage that I clean out every day, although the bright spark still tries to 'bath' on pieces of paper when he's on my desk :laugh:
 

Naomi

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You should not be using ANY insectides on or near your bird or the cage. This is very dangerous, and can kill.
Hi @penguin who said anything about insecticides? The products I use is for Birds? o_O
 

Naomi

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Thanks for your help though! Perhaps I should try different sands, see if they help :p
It might, that's why they "sand bath" in the wild.... so might just work :laugh:

Otherwise maybe try a your local bird park or maybe a avian vet?!

My other mousbirds never had, but they went into an outside aviary during the day, and had access to sand/dust for bathing, maybe that's why.

My current little guy has not yet been outside as I'm busy fixing the aviary, and with all this rain we had, its taking soooo long...
 
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