welcome to softbill circle my red legged honeycreepers

[waterfaller1]

I have been trying live food for my 'creepers. Wingless fruit flies.

 

[logo89]

These guys are so beautiful. I just saw some online and they have made a very fast jump towards the top of my future bird list. Are they comparable to any other birds? And you said they just interact with you through the cage a little bit. Do they play with toys? Forage? Do they generally get along with more then one bird? Sorry for all of the questions these guys just fascinate me so much!

 

[Ashley]

what beautiful babies

 

[waterfaller1]

Hi Logan and Ashley, thanks!

These guys are so beautiful. I just saw some online and they have made a very fast jump towards the top of my future bird list. Are they comparable to any other birds? And you said they just interact with you through the cage a little bit. Do they play with toys? Forage? Do they generally get along with more then one bird? Sorry for all of the questions these guys just fascinate me so much!

I know of no other bird like them, especially by size. They seem to be smarter than say a finch. They do not forage or play with toys, but I keep some natural toys hanging in the cage anyway. I also keep nesting material should they decide to start building. Mr. jeepers does sleep in the doorway of the little thatched hut I put in there. They are very peaceful, but you cannot keep males together. It is best to keep birds like Euphonias, since their diets are the same. You would not want these guys eating food meant for regular finches or canaries. They can get iron storage disease if given an incorrect diet. No apologies needed. They are wonderful little birds, and just gorgeous.

 

[logo89]

Hi Logan and Ashley, thanks! I know of no other bird like them, especially by size. They seem to be smarter than say a finch. They do not forage or play with toys, but I keep some natural toys hanging in the cage anyway. I also keep nesting material should they decide to start building. Mr. jeepers does sleep in the doorway of the little thatched hut I put in there. They are very peaceful, but you cannot keep males together. It is best to keep birds like Euphonias, since their diets are the same. You would not want these guys eating food meant for regular finches or canaries. They can get iron storage disease if given an incorrect diet. No apologies needed. They are wonderful little birds, and just gorgeous.

Wow you are making me even more fascinated by them. So what are they close to in size of other birds? budgies? Hmm that is interesting they dont play with any toys I would have thought they would try and interact with what you have in there. have they ever tried to nest beofre or do they just leave that alone? Do you offer the live food regularly now or is it just as a breeding stimuli/enrichment? Do they like mealworms? If so you could probably make a foraging toy out of a tupperware container or something similar. Wow these guys are so fascinating they are a must have for me in the future

 

[waterfaller1]

I was away from the computer for a bit. I was thinking, you might could keep purple honeycreepers with them in an aviary setting, but remember always...do NOT keep green honeycreepers with them! They will kill them. I found a guy named Carlos in Miami who keeps them in a large outdoor aviary with a running stream. He says they delight in playing in the water, dancing along the edge, and diving in. Especially when there is sun streaming in. Mine love dunking in their water, so I have to change it often. He keeps some small doves in the bottom to keep up with insect intruders. I tried mealworms when mr. jeepers first came home. I have been thinking about trying them again. You have to get very tiny ones. I would compare them in size to a lady gouldian. The live insects is a stimuli to breed, but I have been told by a softbill board in the UK, that they need them to successfully rear their young. The man who sold me them said his son helps care for them while they keep them in qt, and by the end of the time some are tame enough to land and perch on his hands. They are very curious, especially mr. jeepers. I can add fruit or nectar to the bottom of the cage and he is right down there quick to get some. They can be a bit shy about changes in their environment, at first.It's so cute to watch them drink their nectar with that long beak, from the clear candle holders I use. They are not easy to find, and I have heard mention they may not be available in the way that I got mine soon. There are a few people trying to breed them. They only lay two eggs though. Mr. jeepers is starting his eclipse phase I believe. I have been seeing black and blue feathers as of late. He will turn a mottled blue, black, and green, and lose his head turquoise. Then he will molt back to full male color. They are fascinating and more interesting to me than finches. If I go up and talk to them they start singing and dancing together like in the photo.

 

[logo89]

I would love to see his aviary it sounds amazing! If you need tiny mealworms I would suggest breeding them. It is very simple and that way you can get them at any size you need. They are even smaller then I imagined they must be so cute to see person! So would kind of compare tehm eating their nectar to a hummngbird? I hope they stay around a while longer I would love to get some I just would like to wait until I got my degree. have you thought seriously about giving breeding a try? That is very interesting about the eclipse phase I have never heard of it but he sounds like he will be beautiful! Thank you for all of the information they just are so darn cute and fascinating. Hopefully someday soon I can add some to my flock.

 

[newf]

The are gorgeous!

 

[waterfaller1]

Thank you Newf

 

[atomshell]

Wow. Just wow! That is the most insanely beautiful blue color EVER!!! haha

 

[waterfaller1]

Hi Shelly! Thank you, I adore him..and his little escapee girlfriend

 

[waterfaller1]

I wanted to post this here,{thanks Susanne!} and also ask admin/mods to change the name of this thread, in case anyone is looking for any information about honeycreepers.
http://forums.avianavenue.com/softbill-circle/10484-honeycreepers.html

 

[Anne & Gang]

I love the little honeycreepers..theya re gorgeous

 

[waterfaller1]

Thank you miss Anne! You should see Mr. Jeepers right now Poor baby..he is going through what they call his Eclipse period. It's basically just his molt, but he looks so different. His head is all scruffy, and pins.

 

[waterfaller1]

Bump for miss Mollymouse

 

[MollyMouse]

Hi Carole
I couldn't wait for this thread. I just adore these two
How beautiful. Such a stunning blue color. Thankyou for sharing I didn't know anything about honeycreepers. Are Mr Jeepers and Jada tame? How did you come to get them? Look forward to heaps more pics!!

 

[waterfaller1]

Hi & thank you! Mr. Jeepers and Jada are what I would call semi tame. No handling please. Mr Jeepers has a certain call that I am in tune with, when he needs something like fresh water.{they mess their water up and it has to be changed several times a day}
I just ordered some mealworms and waxworms so I can see if they might now accept them. I believe miss Jada is wanting to breed. I caught her in a stance that suggests this several times the other day. I found mr. Jeepers at a bird fair and fell in love. Then I drove to Miami a couple months later to get Jada. They are very beautiful, and it has been a joy to watch them improve in health since I have had them. Their color and plumage is much better than when they got here.

 

[waterfaller1]

Bump for Sigrid.

 

[ronsig]

Thanks for bumping. Made it so easy. I notice that other people are just as fascinated as I was when I saw your birds in your signature.

I just checked where these birds live in the wild. From Mexico to Brazil.
The same places where many hummingbirds live..

Sigrid

 

[waterfaller1]

Thanks Sigrid. Yes, they do have the long beak, and eat nectar. They can even hover a little, but not exactly like a hummingbird. They do not have the super long tongue, that I know of. They are about the size of a small finch.