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Loving on Mika

CreativeForaging Systems toys

This weekend while on a trip I stopped by a big parrot store to pick up some new toys for my caiques. Last time I was there I picked up a Creative Foraging Systems "Food and Treat Dispenser," a clear polycarbonate box with multi-sectioned cardboard inserts that could be filled with pellets and other dry foods, beads, etc. The parrots have to rip into the box to get at the goodies, section by section.

My birds managed to break the polycarbonate box within a few months, but it was such a great toy that I bought another one this time. I also picked up some of the other Creative Foraging Systems toys.

The one I've tried so far is the Treat Carousel, a big, rotating polycarbonate contraption with four different compartments in which to hide treats. Each compartment's door opens in a different way: some flip up, some slide, some swivel. They're not particularly hard to open, but I like the fact that this one toy has several small compartments instead of one big one. It adds a level of challenge that's missing from a lot of toys.

While my partner and I were in the store holding this toy and pondering our other options, a store employee approached us and said, "What kind of bird do you have?" We told her we had two caiques, and she said, "Oh, this might be too hard for them. My Amazon hasn't figured it out yet. We assured her that our guys were up to the challenge.

Sure enough, the day after we got home I loaded the Treat Carousel up with foraging packets and a couple of almonds in the shell. By the time I got home from work, all four doors were open and nothing was left inside but crumbs. Success!

Still, I'd probably call this an intermediate foraging toy, especially for smaller, caique/conure-sized birds. It's clear plastic, which lets the birds see that there are treats inside, but it requires some dexterity and persistence to get the doors open while the thing rotates.

I'll try to take a video of my birds playing with it so that you can get a sense of the size and shape and how it works.

I also give two huge thumbs up to the CFS Sphere Foraging Device. This is easy for birds to figure out but challenging to get the food out. (That is, it's not a one-trick pony; even once they've figured out how to get the food out it still makes them work for it.) It works for dry foods (e.g. pellets) and wet foods (e.g. mash, bird bread) and is very easy to clean.

I also bought the CFS Multi-Drawer Foraging Device, but I haven't tried it out yet. I'll report back when I do.

Love Is Not Enough

Caique Stolen at Omars

News: Man tries to make off with $1,300 bird | customers, sklar, bird, birds, shop - OCRegister.com

Video: Man tries to make off with $1,300 bird
Surveillance video shows a man putting a black headed Caique inside his jacket, and the bird crawling out before being chased down by customers and employees.

By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
The Orange County Register
Comments 28 | Recommend 6

LINK TO VIDEO EVIDENCE!

LAKE FOREST Even with clipped wings, the costly bird refused to go with its alleged birdnapper.

A 35-year-old man tried to stuff a $1,300 bird into his jacket from Omar’s Exotic Birds and then ran out of the pet shop Sunday afternoon, but the brightly colored bird wiggled out of the jacket, alerting customers and employees of the theft.

Customers ran out and held down James Leland Loper until deputies arrived and took him into custody on suspicion of grand theft, said Lt. Fred Furey of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Surveillance video shows the man playing with the birds, which roam freely on perches or sit inside glass enclosures that are open at the top, said Danielle Sklar, assistant manager of the pet shop.
An employee approached Loper and asked him if he needed help, but he said he was just looking, Sklar said. For about 30 minutes he interacted with the birds in the store like the rest of the customers.

Then, after looking around for people around him, the suspect shuffled the black headed Caique inside his jacket and walked out.

“Somebody just saw a bird coming out of his shirt,” Sklar said. “It didn’t want to stay put.”

A group of customers and employees ran after him as he hurried across El Toro Road. One of the customers tackled him and held him until deputies arrived.

Customers are allowed to interact with the birds inside the pet shop, but several visible cameras hang on the ceiling to deter any possible shoplifters, Sklar said. Thefts in the shop are rare, but surveillance video catches those that try to make off with the merchandise.

The store will perches and displays as they are, with customers having free access to the animals, Sklar said. This helps the customers find a bird whose personality meets their own.

The black headed Caique, a parrot with green wings, yellow neck and a black head which is native to South America, was recovered and is back in the store, waiting for an owner willing to pay for it. The price tag is $1,300.

Fly Like an Eagle Off a Mountain Top

Caique Stolen at Omars

Here's a video of my caiques foraging for a walnut in the shell inside a wire treat cage:



The things I do to keep those feathermonkeys occupied!

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Wiffle ball forager

October 10, 2008 by Captive Foraging for Parrots  
Filed under Friends Of Parrot Ezine

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Here's a video of my caique boy, Icarus, playing with a foraging toy made from a wiffle ball stuffed with newspaper-wrapped treats (small pieces of dried fruit and nuts, individual pellets, etc):



And another video of both birds playing with the wiffle ball forager:

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Update- caique mutation

October 7, 2008 by Kelli  
Filed under Friends Of Parrot Ezine

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I managed to track down the original person that first posted the picture of the supposed blue mutation caique. Unfortunately the person has been unwilling to talk, other then to say that they had recieved permission from the owner to post the picture, but further information regarding this bird is, in a word- taboo. Very unfortunate as we can not really confirm or deny this mutation at this point, not knowing where the bird originated from, who bred it, etc etc etc. Pity, as this could be extremely useful knowledge to have down the line in regards to caique genetics, mutations, etc etc etc.
People, if you have information, don’t be frugal. Share it. Aviculture is in its infancy and growing every day, and if everyone hoarded all their bits of knowledge, our community would be shattered. Its not the people who suffer, its the birds.
John McMichael of thecaiquesite.com has commented on the possibility of the blue caique mutation, and believes that it is possible, and sites the ‘orange tint’ on the nape as being a result of different pigmentation on the bird.
As such, there is no further information yielded about this bird at this time. Such a waste- there is such potential for caiques and enthusiasts to learn more about this intricate species.

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