Murder: Who killed Kakariki babies?

[dublin10101]

I'm shattered, come home from work and find all 4 of my 3 week old babies dead! 3 have clear signs of violence on them (beak marks and blood). The 4th has no mark and also dead.


The aviary is a communal aviary with a few other Kakarikis and 4 budgies.

Who on earth could have killed the babies? The mum was in a different box tonight (there are many boxes in the aviary).

I'm so sad and don't know what to do now (if there is anything to prevent such a thing ever happening again).

 

[henpecked]

I'm not familiar with the species. I would assume it was your male. Either because of something disturbing the nest or an attempt to get the female back to breeding. This type of issue is often common in hand raised breeder birds or x pets. I would pull babies in the future (before 3 wks). Also isolating breeder birds from aviary. Competing for nest sites will bring the same results.

 

[antoinette]

So sorry to hear the 3 of the 4 died, sad news

Where is you communal aviary situated?

You stated :
3 have clear signs of violence on them (beak marks and blood)

I am asuming it must have been the other Kakarikis or the budgies?

You must get to the bottom of this and find out !!!!

 

[dublin10101]

So sorry to hear the 3 of the 4 died, sad news

Where is you communal aviary situated?

You stated :
3 have clear signs of violence on them (beak marks and blood)

I am asuming it must have been the other Kakarikis or the budgies?

You must get to the bottom of this and find out !!!!

All 4 died.

Communal aviary is in backyard and safe from external factors.


It was dark when I got home so I did flash a torch over the other birds to see if any of them had blood marks on their beaks, feet, plumage, etc, but didn't notice anything.

I'm totally shattered and don't know how to proceed from here on.

The mother and father have been looking at other boxes lately (as I have many many spare boxes in the aviary - just for this reason). I have no idea what to do from here on ....pulling the babies is too difficult from here on. The parents are first timers, but until now were very good with feeding and looking after the chicks. I have many many photos of the mother and father feeding the babies in the box.


The other Kakarikis always go in and out of other boxes, but they didn't go in this one, and from what I know, Kakarikis don't kill babies.....

Budgies ?? I don't really know, the Kakariki boxes are a lot bigger and the budgies prefer the much smaller ones. Still a possibility though, but I doubt that.

 

[dublin10101]

I'm not familiar with the species. I would assume it was your male. Either because of something disturbing the nest or an attempt to get the female back to breeding.

I do have a feeling that is what could be the case, however, the male has just taken more responsibility in feeding the babies more. Apparently, around 3-4 weeks, the male takes over and the female moves to another box to start again. they were showing signs of this in the last few days.

 

[SilverSage]

I suspect the budgies. Cuties that they are, I would never house them with another species who was breeding. Actually, I would never house any species with another breeding species. I am not familiar with Kakarikis (I dont even know if we have them in the USA, I have never seen one for sale) but I HAVE seen a budgie go after and viciously attack another bird's babies. I called it scalping and thank God I was in the room when she did it so I was able to get there right away and only one baby was injured, but that experience makes me think it is very likely a budgie to blame. My suggestion is to never ever hang nest boxes in mixed aviaries, at least not where hookbills are concerned.