Oct 22 I went to Seaworld and did the trade for some Speckled mousebirds, and had a visit with Carole.
The new Speckled have settled in nicely, and are eating well. They love papaya, and the pigeon peas amongst a variety of fruit. I was surprised in handling that they were calm considering some (3) were parent raised and some (3) were handfed then released into a large planted aviaty of mixed species of birds. Normally a bird that is semi-wild will squirm and wigglew in my hand, squeal, and lightly bite on my fingers. These were pretty docile when I picked them up. Since they were in an aviary where there were lots of visitors walking thru they were pretty used to being around peiple.
I let them settle in for a couple days before I started a record sheet for them, which I added their weight, and if a female added a pink plastic leg band, and if a male a blue plastic leg band. This makes it easier to look at the leg to see which are females and males at a glance.
I noticed that the females are 5-10 grams heavier than the males. And the females have a broader/thicker leg. Whereas with White-backed the males are heavier than the females. The Speckled have the softest body feathers of all the species of mousebirds. And I heard they make the best pets of the mousebirds.
It is interesting as to their tails. All my other species of mousebirds have very narrow, hard and stiff tail feathers. The Speckled have broad soft and flexible tail feathers.
In going over the paperwork, since they were colony/aviary housed and bred the parentage is unknown, so I will actively be seeking some unrelated Speckled. I found 2 Speckled in Quebec Canada. The man is reluctant about exporting/shipping so I'm sending him info, but will need someone on the US side to maybe picked them up at the border and take them to an airport to ship to me. I'll know more as I work things out.
Canadian Border Ports:
Eastport (Idaho)
Houlton and Jackman (Maine)
Detroit, Port Huron, Sault Ste. Marie (Michigan)
Baudette (Minnesota)
Opheim, Raymond, and Sweetgrass (Montana)
Alexandria Bay, Niagara Falls/Lewiston, and Champlain (New York)
Dunseith, Pembina, and Portal (North Dakota)
Derby Line and Highgate Springs (Vermont)
Oroville, and Sumas (Washington)
I will be letting a mousebird breeder in CA have 2 Speckled in Exchange for 2 of her Speckled when her pairs have babies again. And I heard of anothet person in CA that may have some Speckled. I will be doing a trade with her of 2 Blu-naped pairs for some of her parent weaned young (relatives of Gryphon) so that I have new blood for Belle and the other BN I have held back.
I'm learning as I work with my other species of mousebirds to try and keep the bloodlines as diverse as I can...which sometimes can be hard when there are so few people working with and breeding mousebirds. Plus there have not been any imports for a few years, which is always new bloodlines to rejuvinate existing captive bred stick. When related or even distantly related birds are bred together size tends to deminish with each sucessive generation.
Below are some pix's. I want to take more of the check and neck to show the very delicate barring they have. Other names for the Speckled mousebirds are: Bar-Breasted, White-Cheeked, or Striated. The last pix is of Captain Jack, one of the most loved and well known Speckled mousebirds at SeaWorld. She LOVES to be handled or to hang on a person. When her neck is rubbed she fluffs out and vibrates her body in pleasure
The new Speckled have settled in nicely, and are eating well. They love papaya, and the pigeon peas amongst a variety of fruit. I was surprised in handling that they were calm considering some (3) were parent raised and some (3) were handfed then released into a large planted aviaty of mixed species of birds. Normally a bird that is semi-wild will squirm and wigglew in my hand, squeal, and lightly bite on my fingers. These were pretty docile when I picked them up. Since they were in an aviary where there were lots of visitors walking thru they were pretty used to being around peiple.
I let them settle in for a couple days before I started a record sheet for them, which I added their weight, and if a female added a pink plastic leg band, and if a male a blue plastic leg band. This makes it easier to look at the leg to see which are females and males at a glance.
I noticed that the females are 5-10 grams heavier than the males. And the females have a broader/thicker leg. Whereas with White-backed the males are heavier than the females. The Speckled have the softest body feathers of all the species of mousebirds. And I heard they make the best pets of the mousebirds.
It is interesting as to their tails. All my other species of mousebirds have very narrow, hard and stiff tail feathers. The Speckled have broad soft and flexible tail feathers.
In going over the paperwork, since they were colony/aviary housed and bred the parentage is unknown, so I will actively be seeking some unrelated Speckled. I found 2 Speckled in Quebec Canada. The man is reluctant about exporting/shipping so I'm sending him info, but will need someone on the US side to maybe picked them up at the border and take them to an airport to ship to me. I'll know more as I work things out.
Canadian Border Ports:
Eastport (Idaho)
Houlton and Jackman (Maine)
Detroit, Port Huron, Sault Ste. Marie (Michigan)
Baudette (Minnesota)
Opheim, Raymond, and Sweetgrass (Montana)
Alexandria Bay, Niagara Falls/Lewiston, and Champlain (New York)
Dunseith, Pembina, and Portal (North Dakota)
Derby Line and Highgate Springs (Vermont)
Oroville, and Sumas (Washington)
I will be letting a mousebird breeder in CA have 2 Speckled in Exchange for 2 of her Speckled when her pairs have babies again. And I heard of anothet person in CA that may have some Speckled. I will be doing a trade with her of 2 Blu-naped pairs for some of her parent weaned young (relatives of Gryphon) so that I have new blood for Belle and the other BN I have held back.
I'm learning as I work with my other species of mousebirds to try and keep the bloodlines as diverse as I can...which sometimes can be hard when there are so few people working with and breeding mousebirds. Plus there have not been any imports for a few years, which is always new bloodlines to rejuvinate existing captive bred stick. When related or even distantly related birds are bred together size tends to deminish with each sucessive generation.
Below are some pix's. I want to take more of the check and neck to show the very delicate barring they have. Other names for the Speckled mousebirds are: Bar-Breasted, White-Cheeked, or Striated. The last pix is of Captain Jack, one of the most loved and well known Speckled mousebirds at SeaWorld. She LOVES to be handled or to hang on a person. When her neck is rubbed she fluffs out and vibrates her body in pleasure
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