Unexpected guest!

[Kitekeeper]

Yesterday something really odd happened here.

I was about to leave the apartment, holding all my biker stuff (helmet, gloves, keys, extra helmet hanging on the shoulder..) and heard the lovebirds and the linnies crying desperately. I went to see what it was and barely could believe my eyes!

A huge black feathered bird was stepping too close to comfort on the linnies cage. First I thought it was a crow, but we don´t have crows in South America! Then I was astonished to see a black billed toucan looking curiously to the linnies! Mango, the male peachfaced lovebird in the next cage hold his ground bravely in the closest possible perch screaming loudly. The poor linnies were just terrified! Then the toucan entered most of his body through the window and observed the linnies deeply.

I was full of stuff in my hands, barely holding the cellphone to film the whole thing and felt a chill in the spine when I figured out the toucan was about to attack the linnies through the cage bars!


So here is the ill filmed video...the visitor, left when I walked towards him

 

[LaManuka]

Crikey, Mister Kitekeeper!! Thank goodness you hadn't left a few minutes earlier, those littlies would've been somebody's lunch!

 

[Kitekeeper]

those littlies would've been somebody's lunch!

That´s what is worrying me. Of course we have toucans in the city. Toucans are mostly saw as beautiful peaceful birds, but they are also known for eating nestling baby birds.

Of course the linnies are already adult, but they can not move much as they are limited by their cage much like baby birds restrained in the nest in the eyes of that toucan.

What an intelligent bird that toucan!! One could see in its eyes that s/he was really trying to outsmart the situation.

However I have never heard of a toucan landing on a window or a balcony, even more too check on a cage! I still have not figured out a cheap way to prevent that, so far their cages are half covered to confuse the toucan....but that will not last long.

There were other birds to attract the toucan attention in the same spot. Three budgies, two lovebirds....but why focus on the two linnies?? I have a hypothesis but have no evidence to prove it

 

[imouse1]

TIL Toucans eat other birds

 

[imouse1]

My guess would be getting onto the balcony because they can hear the lovebirds and it sounded like easy prey. We have the same problem with coyotes here. They don't come into town unless thr summer campers have completely taken over so they have to to try and survive. And, uh, your tiny AF animal doesn't stand a chance.

 

[Kitekeeper]

We have the same problem with coyotes here.

Wow coyotes! That looks like a much more complicated situation!

Frugivorous birds (like toucans) usually obtain their share of protein in meat, most frequently insects; bigger birds can go for small birds, reptiles and mammals however.

The great kiskadee that is predominantly insectivorous is also a great fisher!

 

[imouse1]

Frugivorous usually means fruit, right? So, are they omnivores?

 

[Kitekeeper]

Frugivorous usually means fruit, right? So, are they omnivores?

Yes, frugivorous means they eat fruit, however it does not make them automatically omnivores.

Omnivores are animals that eat in more than one trophic level. Eating lots of different types of food doesn´t make them omnivores if all those foods belongs in the same trophic level.

On the other hand, regarding frugivorous birds, they all need to obtain protein from some source of animal meat, mostly insects. Thus this make them omnivores as they are eating in more than one trophic level. Even hummingbirds that feed mostly on nectar need to eat insects as well.