Parrot at My Bird Feeder

[Canyon]

I looked out and saw a green bird near my bird feeder. I think it's a Fischer's lovebird (Agapornis fischeri), a very pretty little parrot. What he is doing loose in western Colorado in the winter is beyond me, poor thing. I made DH come downstairs to verify the sighting, just to make sure I wasn't imagining it .

It doesn't seem very tame - I put out some apples pieces and extra sunflower seeds, and it flew away.

I will try to get some pics if it comes back. I haven't found any postings for a missing bird yet.

[Josette]

I bet he got loose from someone during the warmer weather. If you have a cage - try putting feed in it and you might be able to catch/save him.

[Canyon]

Good idea - I'll see if I can borrow a cage. I did email the contact person for my area of the local Audubon Society.

[Koolkat]

When we lived in town in Seattle, we were visited by a small (it grew over the years!) flock of green conures at our bird feeder. The Seattle weather was similar to their native habitat in the Andes and a few(?) escapees were breeding at nearby Seward Park (which actually has some old growth in it). We really enjoyed them.

Hope your little guy does all right and returns to your feeder.

[Chisamba]

one winter i had a budgie with my house sparrows, i tried and tried to catch him, then there was a big freeze and i never saw him again

[Canyon]

We have had a few nights down into the teens already, so maybe the parrot is hardier than I think. I have heard of stray hummingbirds that stayed around here instead of migrating south; a few of them managed to survive with the help of people putting out warm sugar water all winter!

[hoopoe]

Canyon , Annas are perfectly at home in the northwest year round. Costas have also year round in Oregon. You may be picking up on some Annas. Hummingbirds range from sea level to very high in the Andes so not all of them are tropical or even warm environment species.

There are several feral flocks of Conures in seattle and you can also find them in Chicago and Brooklyn. Chicago is certainly not a winter paradise. One pet store in North Seattle was known for loosing birds out the door. They had an "if you can catch them, you can keep them" attitude

[Dapple Field]

We had a couple flocks of green parrots near Providence, Rhode Island. They may have been conures. They would build their nests around the transformers on power poles I suspect because the transformers must have given off a little heat. They did fine through the winter.

[redsoxluvr]

Sounds like you had a visit from a Quaker parakeet. Was it bright green with grey cheeks and throat? They are hardy little birds and transition to a feral state quite easily. They are infamous for nesting on transformers, too. There is a flock of around 15 of them in my 'hood.

[Canyon]

I am pretty sure it was a Fischer’s lovebird, green body, orange head, red beak, short tail. It was pretty noticeable among the finches and sparrows . It is a native of east-central Africa but apparently is widely bred in the US. So it is an escapee.

This photo is from that article -

[Koolkat]

This is a really good documentary. Mark Bittner also has a website devoted to the birds.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424565/

Canyon, that's a beautiful bird!

[Canyon]

The local Audubon contact got back to me. He had some good info on what food to put out for the parrot and said it might survive our winter temps. The Christmas bird count is coming up, so he'd like to come by then if the parrot is still visiting; it would be a first for our area!

I stopped by and talked to the owner of the Wild Birds Unlimited store. He also thought the parrot might survive. He knew of someone on the other side of the valley who had a parrot around for several years that lived in a hole in her backyard tree.

I didn't see the parrot today, but I was out and about most of the day.

[Canyon]

I have continued to see the parrot every few days. It was preening in one of our aspen trees this morning, along with some mourning doves, and we got quite a few pictures. Here is one. (Apologies to all our resident photographers who take great pics )

parrot for web.JPG (15.96 KiB) Viewed 14925 times

Snow is in the forecast, you silly bird!

[orono]

Pretty bird, hope he will be ok.

[Racetrackreject]

I have no bird experience, so maybe someone more experienced could chime in. Would making a birdhouse in parrot-size help this guy any? I mean if he's eating there and seems to spend some time there, would offering an enclosed, possibly somewhat insulated, home tempt him to nest there? And maybe keep him from freezing? What about a bird waterer with warm water?

[Josette]

RTR - excellent idea about a bird house shelter for this little parrot. He is really beautiful. Hope he survives.

[hoopoe]

birds do not use birdhouses or nests for night roosting.

This bird is more likely to associate with other birds and night roost with them. Some parrots do use tree holes which, as a rule, are better insulated than birdhouses.

[pawsplus]

I would Google to find the local caged bird society--they might have ideas for catching him and might even help you. He might survive for a while, but he's all alone. Birds are flock animals, after all, and there aren't any more like him out there. A lonely life.

[Alex]

I caught a parrot when I was sharing a house on Martha's Vineyard w/some friends. I did it by spending a week feeding him and the other birds by sitting near the feeders and tossing treats in his direction. Eventually, when it seemed he was beginning to be a little tamer, I began holding one of those long seed treats in one hand until I saw him look at it so it was clear he was aware of me holding it. When the parrot eventually alighted on my hand a couple of days later, I slowly moved my empty other hand in w/a pincer movement to GENTLY grab his toes. I didn't move for awhile because I didn't want him biting me w/that big beak. He was a Mexican green something or other... Good luck w/the attempt at capture!

[orono]

Just came across this article, made me think of 'your' parrot..

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/mani ... -1.3387432