Kingfisher with broken wing...

[tab_xo]

I just really dont understand how someone who calls them self a wildlife carer could have that attitude? :/

Its a volunteer thing.. its not like she HAS to do it.. She should be doing it because she wants to help save animals lives?!?!

Grrrr


He ate and drank more of the cat mash tonight! I wish i knew how much to give him, i tried to see his crop, but hes so tiny, so its hard to even tell.. I can move the feathers back and there is the featherless spot.. and after dinner it appears there was a bigger lump.. But its so much easier to see Fargos crop cause its massive haha

 

[Betrisher]

How big do you reckon his crop would be? Size of a marble? Maybe you could offer him about a teaspoon of stuff and see how he approaches it. It's probably better to under feed rather than overfeed at this stage. So long as he's getting something and has clean water to drink he should be fine till you hear from the vet.

You really should 'mention' the wildlife woman's behaviour to someone. As you say, she's not fit to do the job, volunteer or not! Anyway, if she needs a picture to figure out what the bird is, then she clearly isn't going to have much help to offer. Old bag! Hope she finds half a caterpillar in her salad!

 

[Mudkips]

No problem.
The cool thing is, if he doesn't accept the mashed food like a baby bird would, then he's probably old enough to deal with bee stingers on his own.

Perhaps it be possible to ask your brother to smoke one of his bee hives, make the bees drowsy and all that jazz, then perch the bee-eater close by and let him do his thing for a minute or two.
Or if you live in an area like mine, you could also create some device that attracts insects to him, such as a florescent light in the late afternoon. (you know how annoying flies are during Australian sunsets... )

As for that lady on the phone, she sounds like a negative person in a bitter mood. It's a shame, but it sounds like you wouldn't have gotten any good advice out of her anyway - she wouldn't have had any faith in the lowly public to follow her instructions.
Instead I'd just send Fargo out on a harassment mission, to visit her and teach her a thing or two about what this bird has to say!

PS: I wouldn't feed him too much cat food. When they were really young, my siblings pretended to be cats and ate a couple of cat biscuits and it made them sick. I dunno what it does to birds, but I know for a fact that its not good for human consumption.

 

[tab_xo]

Hmmm maybe just the tiniest bit smaller than a marble.. from what i can see.. which makes it difficult :/

Well i am using a 3ml syringe.. and did all that, but he likes to shake some of it out.. Like the watery bit comes out, he drinks it... Then when a bit of the solid food comes out.. sometimes he shakes his head... and sometimes he full on eats it, yum yum yum -_- So half the time he gets it.. half the time he doesnt

His tongue is so weird :/ Silly me thought all birds had tongues like Fargos, like any parrot..

But his is this tiny skinny string type thing ! So weird :S


I think the lady is a member of ARROW ? We dont use them, we used to, but mum said we werent going to use them anymore because they were rude after a kangaroo incident... So i guess they have always had attitude problems

Hence we now use Fauna... I love the head lady of that.. Shes the one i always call, so nice!

EXACTLY!!! I have no idea what in the world she wanted a picture for, apparently she was going to tell its age?

Surely you cant tell the age? When a bird is no longer a baby, you cant tell the age right? :S and obviously it isnt a baby ?


HAHAHA Mudkips, thats honestly what she thought of us.. Lowly public.. She acted as if she was this incredible bird person who knows everything about birds. -_-

Wish i could get Fargo to just go bite her and rip a chunk out of her!


OH!! My brother actually smoked his bees today! He extracted honey.. Got SO much as well..

I guess i will just have to murder a few more bees... sigh..

Gosh flies are so annoying.. Just dont know how to catch lots at once?

 

[Mudkips]

Gosh flies are so annoying.. Just dont know how to catch lots at once?

I can just turn on the kitchen light during the night, then go outside and find about 50 flying insects at the window trying to get inside!
I think its the fluorescent lights that do it.

 

[Betrisher]

It's easy enough to catch flying insects at night. Do a google on 'night trap' or 'light trap'. Basically, you set up the brightest light you can against a sheet that's been pinned into a sort of funnel shape. Every now and again, you bang the sheet and any insects attracted to the light will fall down the funnel and into the jar of water you have at the bottom. (NB. You usually use formaldehyde, but that sort of presupposes the insects are gonna meet their maker. Water would be best for this job.) There's other simpler ways of making light traps, I think...?

If you happen to have a toy butterfly net, you could just hang around a strong outside light and net whatever comes up? Puts a picture in my mind... LOL!

 

[SpotsandSally]

You could also get a piece of meat and leave it out for 10-15 minutes. If you have a butterfly net, you could snag them, or suspend the meat over some water.
Not really sure, the light idea would be better most likely! Lol.

That lady seemed very rude... /: can't believe she thought of you as nothing but lowly public.


And I understand where you're coming from on the weird tongue. I keep pigeons, geese, chickens, turkeys, etc. so a parrot tongue looks weird to be

 

[Mayden]

Just a note on the vet wrap, from the looks of things you used a normal size vet wrap on him? Next time, cut that down the middle so its 'thinner' and easier to use on a little birdy!

But looks good, if he's settled with it and is eating, I don't see the issue. That woman is an idiot. Some people just have a hero complex and find themselves superior. That birdy is better off with you and your vet. Could you not just ring your vet?

 

[tab_xo]

Oh Cat the bandage was about 1/8th of the width of the vet wrap... Was super thin, half wouldn't of even gone around him. hahaha


Bob emailed me back.. at 4am


Hello Tab,

You have done well so far. The figure 8 bandage is the correct approach to these, but it needs to removed every week and the wing gently flexed and extended to make sure the joints are stiffening up. It generally takes 3-4 weeks before you can leave the bandage off.

Once that is done you need to 'train' the bird - having it fly in an aviary until it is fit enough to survive in the wild. This might take another 2 weeks.

Keep feeding him as you are, and let's hope he does alright.

 

[Mayden]

Good to hear! Glad I was of some help at least. Good to know that you're on the right track with feed and stuff too. I'm sure you'll manage just fine with the rehab. I hope that he lets you do the gentle wing stretches and stuff without him panicking. Fingers crossed for the poor guy!

Edit: Was probably just because the little guy is so small in reality, wrap looks huge on him. I hate dealing with my budgie's after handling Merlin and Charlie, feels so different so can't begin to imagine what it's like dealing with him after Fargo!

 

[tab_xo]

Yes and mum can get that insect stuff today! So at least he can have some of the right food!

I thought the broken wing would need something serious, but its good to know the bandage can do the trick!

HAHA Yes!! Googled their weight... its 25-30 grams -_- that is basically nothing His wing is like the size of Fargos foot hahahaha

 

[crimson]

your doing great! wow!!...good to know that your bandaged him correctly, and he's getting excellent care......must be kind of stressful though

 

[Betrisher]

Next time you see Bob, you're going to have to give him a big slurpy kiss from all of us, y'know! My vet wouldn't be emailing me at 4am!

Gee, you must be *so* relieved to hear that everything's going along as it should be, Tab. Well done yet again! The next thing you have to do is line up Fargo and Sméagol and Bee Eater and Kitai and Klaatu and Kyros (and any other living creatures you happen have around) and take a photo.

PS. You're allowed to leave out the bees. Well, maybe just one as a representative...

 

[tab_xo]

Hahaha i have no idea why he was up at 4am :S weird!


I need help! I got the good camera out, doesnt have a flash so wouldnt upset him..

But this is what i THOUGHT was the crop.. but now i dont think it is.. :/


Its like a little pink lump, bit smaller than a marble.. and it looks like where the crop should be..

But it is hard.. kind of like a bone.. and it was that size yesterday and this morning ?

So i am thinking it may be a bone out of place? Cause i dont think Fargo has that, and his crop is never bone hard?






That seems like the only area the crop would be, but thats in the place of it :S unless the crop is just alot smaller, and thats like his throat? :/

 

[Betrisher]

I think what you're looking at is his syrinx, or voice box. Bee Eaters make a chirpy, chirring little sound so you'd expect them to have some kind of prominence there. Ask the vet when you're talking to him next.

 

[tab_xo]

Ohhhhhh right! Why doesnt Fargo have one of them sticking out like that :S

Would the crop be under or above that?

 

[tab_xo]

TRISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He chirped!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went to give him a bit more food for lunchtime, i have him sitting in the bathroom getting some sun, and he chirped!!

It is so cute! It is kinda of like a beeping noise? Was very soft and sweet

 

[MonicaMc]

Ok, here's a question for you..... Do bee eaters even have crops????????


Just because parrots have crops doesn't mean that all birds have crops!

 

[tab_xo]

Omg seriously Monica -_-

I feel so stupid now... I thought all birds had a crop

 

[SpotsandSally]

Omg seriously Monica -_-

I feel so stupid now... I thought all birds had a crop

What? Not all birds have crops??


Ok, add me to the stupid list! Every bird I've ever known has had a crop...