|
|
|
Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10073
|
| Innate? |
 |
|
Who knows if the 'gift' to spot birds of prey is something that is innate to parrots?
Zazu was five/four weeks old when he came to me. He has never been taught what a bird of prey was and what it looked like. (I think so as he was still in the nest!)
Also, he was never taught by me, and he didn't spend the first years of his life outside with another bird that could have taught him this.
Yet he has spotted multiple birds of prey during our holiday.. When he spots them, he is looking slantingly & interested to the sky.. If you look up, you can see a bird of prey far far in the sky..
Like this, Zazu has spotted three birds of prey for us..  |
Sunday April 24, 2005 9:14 am |
|
|
|
|
Wings
Fledgeling
Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 247
Location: usa |
This is the samething I always wondered because mine freak out whenever they see them in the skies looking through the window..they just scream and sometimes fly away off thier playtrees..this happens everytime they see them. They were all hand reared too, it has to be naturally imprinted in them and another thing is most birds of prey fly in a very fast fluttering movements in the skies and birds can reconize this but then I think that is where the imprint comes into play in their imbedded instincts that they are born with..... Pam |
|
Sunday April 24, 2005 2:42 pm |
|
|
Greg Sujecki
Experienced flier
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 1650
Location: Australia,Melbourne |
| Birds of prey watch out!! |
|
|
 Amazing!! for here in Australia,Melbourne my cockateils,and Mylo.Yesterday l was standing under our tree's outside the cockateil breeding cage with Mylo on my shoulder and he turned his head at a 45% angle straight up in the air,stairing..... so l wondered what he was staring at and looked up.To my amazement their it was, a Black-shouldered Kite hovering with its wings spread out over head,moving along slowly being so high up in the air(couldn't see it's head clearly) ,knowing how well their eye sight is even though it was so far up l took Mylo in the garage and then went outside myself to watch.My cockateils were making a chi chi sound as well at this time.I know how fast these bird of prey can be for only about 12 mths ago a pedigree falcon swooped past through my backyard and sat on my T.V. arial and in a matter of seconds,while i was feeding my cockateils one day. As good as it looked being so smooth and balanced it was, it flew past for a number of days about four, till l placed a rubber snake on the roof of the breeding avairy and then it stopped.Snakes and birds of prey are predators so i found would fight fire with fire and luckily won.Though now l have a new prey, but think it wasin't looking for my area, for l haven't seen it since might have spotted something else outside my property though it looked like it was at me being obove my head??) |
|
Wednesday April 27, 2005 12:42 pm |
|
|
Wings
Fledgeling
Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 247
Location: usa |
Very interesting Greg. Our hawks & owls eat snakes..you can see them flying through the air with these in their talons. I'm glad it isn't dinner time...YUCK!!!! Pam |
|
Wednesday April 27, 2005 5:18 pm |
|
|
|
|
ekkiemom
Fledgeling
Joined: 03 Mar 2005
Posts: 203
Location: Saint Louis, MO USA |
|
|
|
Hi all,
Yes, I believe that the fear of birds of prey is a instinctual behavior. My Linus was also hand reared, and the offspring of hand reared parrents. But he can recognize dangerous birds.
The first time this came to my attention was on Holiday when he was 6 months old. I rolled his cage out onto the deck for some sun shine while I was reading a book.
Suddenly Linus is screaming very loud and urgently (not his "I am bored, play with me now" scream but a panicked sound). I looked up and an Osprey was overhead.
the Osprey flew away and Linus calmed down. Next a large pelican flew over and linus just made a normal greeting type call, not scared at all. When the Osprey flew over again about 15 minutes later Linus began the panicked screaming again. So, I believe he can tell the difference between a Hawk-like bird (Osprey) and the non-dangerous Pelican. Even though both have approximately teh same wing-span and were high in the sky.
His play tree is in front of a large window and I have feeders for the wild birds outside. Linus likes to eat his dinner in the window while the wild birds eat their dinner. This winter a Cooper's Hawk began hanging around the feeder looking for an easy meal. When Linus sees the hawk he gives a loud warning call to his "Wild Friends" the songbirds before flying across the room to the safety of his cage. He he
Also, he is afraid of hawks on the television. I find it interesting that he is smart enough to recognize a hawn but cannot tell that it is only a video image.
Genny |
|
Thursday April 28, 2005 7:04 pm |
|
|
|
|
All times are GMT. The time now is Tuesday December 2, 2008 9:53 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
