Just shaing to you pixies of one of my inakay. Its wings has fine gray lines, artistic pencil like lines and shapes, that gives an impressive looks with its wings. In my hundreds of inakays, this was the first i've had and find it really awesome, a wonderful art of nature.
hi all, just wanted to wish each one a merry christmas and hope 2011 be good to us all.
. Napakamahal kasi noon ng mga lovebirds, hindi ko naman sinubukan magpabili sa magulang ko pero basta ang alam ko --- mahal!!!. Napakamahal kasi noon ng mga lovebirds, hindi ko naman sinbukan magpabili sa magulang ko pero basta ang alam ko --- mahal!!!
Meet Zed, my newest bebe to be handreared to become tame and very lovable pet bird. He was abandoned by his parents after i moved the cage to the other corner of my aviary and changed the nestbox since it was 85% full of nesting materials. Below is the picture of his moms.........
Heppp...... I know what ya thinking? You must be wondering why i said moms? You heard me right, moms..... It is so becase there are two females and a male in there. I bought Zed's moms in a store at the Cartimar two years ago. There is this store out there where you can buy birds already paired and each are caged separately, but after awhile i found out theyre both females. It was only a few months back that i got a male mate for them. Ofcourse i wanted to have two males for my ladies but it was not easy to find DDF green personata in my area. But somehow, it all pay-off becase they give me Zed. Definitely, there be more babies on their next clutches and need not bother them again for they have already proven enough
Contrary to what others are thinking of, not all bird toys are subject for destruction except the chewable toys. Chewable bird toys are the toys that once you put it in your bird's cage, he immediately tears them up. Believe it or not, this is great fun for your bird and not only is it great fun it also makes them feel accomplished. This is also a great activity for his beak and keeps him active and in a playful mode. I also often think that my birds love to watch me come clean up after they have destroyed one of their toys. It is as if they like the attention of me coming over and cleaning.
Some examples of chewable toys are toys made out of wood, such as pine and other soft woods and also hardwoods, leather, soft plastics, paper and supreme cotton rope.
There are toys however which are called Last Forever Toys. In most cases these toys should last forever because they are so durable. These toys can be made out of acrylic, hard plastic or metal. These toys are great for the bigger birds because their beaks are so big and they will have a more difficult time destroying these types of toys.
In Ibonlandia, we get the best of both world. Chewable yet durable. Most of our toys are made of natural fiber materials (abaca and coco fiber toys) which would give your birds the pleasure of chewing and biting but it will not be destroyed easily and would surely stand more than what is expected. For the purpose of bird toy products abaca is a non-toxic and stiff fibre. Compared to other fiber, it is thicker, stronger and coarser but with a bounciness that is quite appetizing to the chewing beak. While our cotton is unbleached, soft yet tough and cannot be pulled apart in short tufts easily.
And what is the other plus factor? Since most of our toys got ponies, These are recyclable that you can used it over and over, time and again. And the most important thing of all, NO EXPOSED WIRES, NO PAINT, NO LACQUER, NO FLUFFY COTTON, NO GLUES, NO POISONOUS MATERIALS OR SUBTANCES AND DURABLE.
,
Doing bird toys is far way way out from my true profession, a kind of licensed professional who i am and is very proficient in making systems and procedures (ay yabang, patawad po). Stress in work was truly in high level, there were days i asked myself - "are we born and live to work, not work to live (come to think of it?)? With my profession, i truly shed tears and blood, not having enough sleep and a troubled heart (but is there any easy job, none that i can think of . Then after long many years of serving the interest of others i stopped and dream of getting into my own and venture into something what my heart desires.
With my tough days at work, my birds consoled me. With the joy they are giving me, i have showered them not only love but toys as well. Based on all the research i've done, toys to birds are not an accessory but are neccessity. Reading further, i have come to know that without toys they become bored, stressed, or develop behavior problem such as picking their feathers. I care about my birds so much and before i knew it, i have made bunch of toys for them to enjoy. All my toys are made with love, taking all considerations that no part of my toy will cause harm to my birds. Hence, most of my materials are natural like abaca fibers, coconut fibers, buli, rattan, sawali and no glues, no lcquer, no paints, no open wires, no fluffy cottons that can entangled my birds. The fibres are wrapped so so tightly that even the biggest beak can not break. I take pride in the quality of my toy for each piece is a part of me.
But my birds are not the only birds in this part of the planet. With all the birds in mind, that pave the way of Ibonlandia. I am a bird servant in spirit, it is my joy to serve you and your bird. If you need help in choosing the right toy for your bird, just let me know and i will send you recommendations based on your bird's size and cage size.
Last night, when Pong and Pongay were flying around my room, i pulled out their kids out of the cage to experience how it feels like being out of the cage. As expected they didnt had their 1st flight yet but they had played around with the hanging toys i have all there inside. But what was cool and truly touching is how concerned pong and pongay with their kids. As you can see from the video, they are trying to assist their kids on its 1st day out of the cage.
Watch the video and you would truly say that my pong and pongay were truly great parents. I love it :)
NAME:
Eng. Red Rumped Parakeets, Red Rump Parrot, Rumped Parakeet
Lat. Psephotus Haematonotus
 On the photo you can see a male red rumped parakeet. The photo is taken from the mine friend aviary. |
ORIGIN: Southwest Australia including the area of Cooper's Creek, northeastern areas of South Australia and northwestern areas of Queensland.
PHYSICAL APPEARENCE: Their size is 27 cm (11 in). It belongs to the medium-sized class of parrots. The cheeks and the front part of the head of a male, as it is found in the wilderness, are blue-green in color, while the lores and the back part of the head, neck, and chest are emerald green. The abdomen is distinctly yellow and the lower part of the tail is white-greyish towards the front. Its wings are blue and the feathers of the secondaries-wings are green in color. Middle-tail feathers are green-blue with black edgings while the outer tail feathers are blue-green with white edgings. The rump, after which this species got the name, is red. The sex is distinguishable. The female is a mild-olive color, the wings are black and olive, but little darker and more scaly. Check our red rumped parrot picture gallery.
 On the photo you can see a female red rumped parrot bird . |
KEEPING: It is best to keep rumped parrots in pairs because their vocal expressiveness is more easily evoked when there is company. Taming is hard and only possible with a lot of effort and time. They can rarely learn to imitate speech, but they make up for it with their unusually beautiful singing. Socilization is much easier for younger birds than for older birds, so when buying a parrot one should bear in mind to get as young a bird as possible. A cage of medium dimensions will be enough for their keeping. Draught winds and direct sunlight can be harmful to these birds, so one must take this fact into cosideration when setting up their living area. They love bathing. One can splash them with a light sprinkle of water once or twice a week.
 Taming of rumped parrots is hard and only possible with a lot of effort and time. |
DIET of Red Rumped Parrakeets: Apart from millet and canary seeds, which are the main elements of the mixture for these birds, there are also shelled oats, hemp, black seeds, flax and seeds of saffron. The sunflower seeds can be offered in small doses. Various fruits and vegetables, they like apples and carrot the most, and leafy vegetables such as chickory and spinach are good choices. Minerals are also included. Boiled eggs and bugs are among their favorite foods.
BREEDING of Red Rumped Parrakeets: Breeding of these parrots is not a problem. During breeding season, they show aggressiveness so it is better to separate each pair. One has to provide a space big enough so each pair can establish his own territory with a nest. Aviaries for a pair don't need to be big and it is not rare for them to breed in a larger cage. The nest should be put on a higher place within the aviary or cage. The most suitable dimnesions for a nest are: 22 cm (9 in) in width and length and 30 cm (12 in) in height. Breeding begins in April. A female clutches 5-7 eggs, and incubation lasts for 19 days.
 Nice pair of Red Rump parrots. Breeding is not a problem. |
A male feeds his female which does not leave the nest in the period of incubation, except in the case of danger. In the beginning, a female fed by a male, takes care of the younglings, but after 12 days, a male also participates in the feeding. Younglings leave the nest after 28 days and become independent 14 days after leaving the nest. The younglings are separated from their parents 4 weeks after leaving the nest. They usually breed twice a year. They are generally good parents that never abandon their younglings.
INTERESTING FACTS: Red Rumped Parrakeets life span is about 15 years.
They are consistently good parents and rarely mistreat their younglings.
They rarely imitate human speech.Producing sounds is not one of their characteristics. Their noises are more similar to singing.
In nature they live in large flocks and each bird has a determined hierarchical role in its flock.
NAME:
Eng. Alexandrine Parakeet
Lat. Psittacula Eupatria
 On the photo you can see a alexandrine parrot. The photo is taken from the local pet shop. |
ORIGIN: South of India, west of Hyderabad, Pradesh and Sri Lanka.
PHYSICAL APPEARENCE: Alexandrine Parakeets belong to a class of large-medium sized parrots, 58 cm (23in). The largest are the Indian parrots. Their life span can reach up to 50 years if they are provided with the necessary conditions for life. The dominant color is green, the cheeks and the nape are grey-green. Around the neck, from the lower side, they have a black necklace blending into orange-red from the upper side. Under-wing coverts are darker green with grey edges. On the upper side of the wing there is a reddish feathered area. The length of the wing is 22-25 cm (9-10 in). The tail from the lower side is yellow while the others are shorter and green. The length of the tail depends on the condition of keeping and nutrition. The tail is 22 to 35cm (9-14 in) length. The bill is a striking red and it is markedly built. The iris is yellow-white. The feet are grey. Their sex is distinguishable only after 32 to 36 months when males develop the necklace around the neck. In females, the green color is darker and the red spots on the wings are smaller and darker. The middle tail feathers are shorter. It is impossible to determine the sex in young birds. Their color is dark, the iris is dark without the yellow-white ring. More alexandrine parakeet pictures...
 Alexandrine parrots sex is distinguishable only after 32 to 36 months when males develop the necklace around the neck. |
KEEPING AND CARE: Alexandrine Parrots are very grateful pets that can be tamed very easily and learn to pronounce a great number of words. They were very popular pets with the old Romans. The cage for these birds must be spacious enough and placed in a quiet place out of draught winds and direct sunlight. The rungs in a cage must be strong enough so that the bird cannot break them with its large and strong bill.
 Cute alexandrine parakeet as pet in the hand of the owner. |
When one buys a bird it is recommended to get the bird as young as possible so the bird may adapt to the surroundings without stress. When one acquires the bird, it should be left alone to adapt to the new environment, approaching it slowly in order not to frighten the bird. After that, one should slowly start to offer the bird sweets such as fruit by hand, try to communicate with the bird without making any rash movements, and using a calm voice. Birds fed by hand are calmer and more tame and their socialization is far more easier. In order for the feathers to stay beautiful and well-groomed, it is recommended to splash the birds with water of mild temperatures once or twice a week.
DIET: Speckled sunflower make up the main element of the mixture consisting of millet seeds, shelled oats, canary seeds, buckweat, saffron, hemp, sorghum,pop corn, flax and black seeds.
Fruits and vegetables have to be included in the diet every day (apples, plums, nuts, grapes, bananas, chicory, spinach). Lettuce, cabbage and pears should be avoided. Minerals such as clear sand, pieces of sea shells, and cuttle-bone have to be available always.
BREEDING ALEXANDRINE PARAKEET: In nature, the breeding season begins in November and lasts until April. They settle in small colonies and few pairs build nests on the same tree.They build the nests in old, dead palm-trees and in softer trees. The breeding of Alexandrine Parakeets is not difficult.In shelters, the pairs are kept separately. Breeding begins in February, and if the winter is harsh, it could begin a month later. An aviary consists of two parts, both the outer and the closed winter part which should be spacious. The aviary for one pair of these parrots should be of 0.70-1 m (28-40 in) of width, 2 m (78 in) high and 2-3 m (78-118 in) long. The nest placed in the sheltered part of the aviary should be put at the very top. The appropriate dimensions of the nest are 40 cm (16 in) in width, 60 cm (24 in) in length, the exit hole of the nest is 9-10 cm (4 in). At the bottom of the nest, one can put 5-7 cm (2 in) of large wood chips.
The female clutches 2-4 eggs and incubation lasts 26 to 28 days. The baby alexandrine parrots stay in the nest for 7-8 days and during this period their feathers fully develop. Three weeks after leaving the nest, the younglings become independent; however, it is desirable to keep them with their parents for 5-6 weeks after leaving the nest. In order to make feeding of the young birds easier, one can add soft food based on eggs so the younglings can develop better. The baby birds could be fed by hand. Such birds are tame and their socialization tends to be easier.
INTERESTING FACTS: Alexandrine parakeets live span is in average 30 years, but there have been cases where the birds have lived as long as 50 years.
 Very well tamed parakeet do not have fear of people. |
They are relatively easy to tame.
Alexandrine parrots can learn to imitate human speech very easily and have been known to be able to imitate over 200 words.
They were kept as favorite pets in ancient Rome. In Rome, records show owners of these parrots with them on their shoulders.
 Me and alexandrine parrot... |
Apart from a green color, alexandrine parakeets can be found in mutations of blue, lutino and white colors which are very rare and thus expensive.
NAME:
Eng. Eastern Rosella
Lat. Platycercus e. Eximius
 On the photo you can see a nice colors of eastern rosella parakeet parrot. The photo is taken from the mine's friend aviary. |
ORIGIN: Central and the southern parts of New South Wales across Victoria and to the southeast of southern Australia including North Island and New Zealand.
PHYSICAL APPEARENCE: Eastern rosella is 30 cm (12 in) in length. The head, breast and the under-tail coverts are red; cheeks are white. The lower part of the breast is yellow blending into a yellow-green at the abdomen with dark edging. The lower part of the back is light green. Its wings are blue in various shades while wing coverts are blue with black edging. Its tail is green blue in the center with blue edging. The iris is dark brown. Its feet are green. Eastern Rosella sex is barely distinguishable. Females are usually smaller and of darker color.
 Eastern Rosella parrot. |
KEEPING AND CARE: Rosellas are considered to be neither talkers nor parrots that can be easily tamed. They belong to a middle-sized, decorative parrots that are famous for their great diversity in color. As pets they can be kept separately or in pairs.They do need a big cage. The recommended cage is of a minimal 60 cm (24 in) in height and length and 40 cm (16 in) in width so as to provide enough space for the birds to perform different movements. It is advisable to purchase a young bird that has been fed by hand, so one can have a tamed and socialized parrot. In order to tame these parrots, one has to devote more time and attention to them than to nimphas that also belong to middle-sized parrots. They rarely produce sounds like whistling except when courting or when disturbed. They enjoy bathing and thus must be provided with these facilities.
 It is advisable to purchase a young rosella bird that has been fed by hand, so you can have a tamed and socialized parrot. |
DIET: Food consists of mixed food like: yellow and white millet, speckled sunflower, canary grass seed, white sunflower, shelled oats, buckweat, hemp, flax and black seed. Minerals are given as a cuttle-bone or as an already prepared mineral supplement. Fruit and vegetables have to be included in their nutrition. Apple, carrot and a leaf of chicory or blade are their favourite sweets.
BREEDING EASTERN ROSELLA: Breeding of these parrots is not difficult and as long as one provides them with the minimal conditions, they are very likely to become pregnant. The aviary is built of two parts: closed winter and opened summer part which has enough branches for standing. The aviary should be 2.3x2x0.7m (90x80x28 in).
 Breeding of eastern rosellas parrots is not difficult. On the picture up, you can see nest which has some eggs inside. |
Breeding season begins in April. During breeding season, the male is prone to be aggressive towards the female. If the male is too aggressive he should be withheld from breeding as he may even kill a female during breeding season. The nest for these parrots is unusual. Its dimensions are 25 cm (10 in) in height and width and the length is 60 cm (24 in). Females clutch 5-7 eggs and incubation time is 20-21 days. During that time the male feeds the female in a nest and she leaves it only in the case of danger. The young stay in the nest 35 days and start to be independent after 14 days of leaving the nest. There are two breedings in one year.
 Baby eastern rosellas in nest box. Construction of nest is very simple. Use recommended dimensions as I wrote. |
 Closer look at babies of eastern rosella. For big format photos look at our pictures section. |
INTERESTING FACTS: Eastern Rosellas live span in average is between 15 and 20 years, but there have been examples where rosellas have been known to live 30 years or more.
It is difficult for them to imitate human speech, but they are excellent imitators of whistling.
They are the most colorful species of parrot.
NAME:
Eng. Crimson Rosella
Lat. Platycercus e.Elegans
 Crimson Rosella parrot photo. |
ORIGIN: South and south-eastern parts of Australia including Norfolk Island and New Zealand.
PHYSICAL APPEARENCE: They are of 36 cm (14 in) in length. Crimson rosellas belong to a class of middle-sized parrots. Their basic color is red. The back and the middle part of the wing are black with wide red-edged feathers. The middle-wing coverts are black. The wings including their middle and upper parts are blue with greenish edgings. The middle-wing coverts are dark blue, dark base and with lighter edging. Middle-tail feathers are blue with a bit of green color, tail feathers in edging are blue with white edgings. Their sex is distinguishable; females are something of a smaller size and have lighter colors. The tail from the under-side is blue in males, while in females it is green. The bill is greyish-white, the iris is dark brown. The feet are grey. Click here for more crimson rosella pictures.
 Violet blue colors of these rosella birds are incredible beautiful. |
KEEPING AND CARE OF CRIMSON ROSELLA: The intensive colors of these parrots are largely the reason why crimson rosellas are so popular as pets. The ability to imitate human speech is not one of their characteristics. They are kept separately or in pairs. Taming requires spending a lot of time with them. If one wants to have a tamed parrot, it is necessary to get a very young bird fed by hand. The chances for taming are much greater. Birds kept in pairs do not show any desire to communicate with the owner and thus their taming is usually unsuccessful. A cage of medium size will be adequate for them. It is recommended to have a larger cage in case the bird is not tamed. This provides the space for the birds to fly because such birds should not be let out to fly freely. They could easily hurt themselves or get even more scared. Their voice is pleasant and fairly quiet. One can splash their feathers with water once or twice a week to keep the feathers shiny and well-groomed. They should be kept out of draught winds or places near a heat source.
 |
| Crimson rosella as pet. |
DIET: Like most of the middle-sized parrots and Crimson Rosellas the most common diet is speckled sunflower. Millet, canary grass seeds, saffron, shelled oats, buckweat, shelled oats, hemp, flax and black seed are other components included in the mixture for these birds. Minerals and vitamins have to also be included in their nutrition. Minerals such as cuttle-bone and mineral supplements, vitamins in fruits and vegetables are also necessary. Apples, carrot, chicory and blade are their favourite sweets.
BREEDING CRIMSON ROSELLA: The breeding of crimson rosellas is not so difficult and that is why they are popular in breeders' aviaries. The pairs are kept separately. The aviaries are often of 2-3 m (80-118 in) in length, 2 m (80 in) high and 0.7-1 m (28-40 in) wide, consisting of two parts.
 Pair of crimson rosellas in aviary ready for breeding. |
Summer and winter parts in a relative proportion of 3:1. It is possible to get the offspring in the smaller places and cages. Breeding begins in May. The nest should be put on an elevated place. The nest of 25 cm (10 in) in height and width and 60 cm (24 in) in length is characteristic of this parrot family, as they prefer to settle in longer nests. A female clutches 5 to 7 eggs and does not leave the nest at the time of incubation. At that time, the male feeds her and the female leaves a nest only in the case of danger. Incubation lasts 20 to 21 days. The younglings leave the nest after 35 days and become independent after 14 days of leaving the nest. They separate only after 4 weeks of leaving the nest. There are usually two breedings in a year.
INTERESTING FACTS: Crimson rosellas usually live up to about 30 years and even longer.
They are not so talkative, but they produce pleasant sounds.
When they adapt to their owner, taming is much easier. Their combination of intense colors makes them one of the most beautiful parrots.
NAME:
Eng. Peach Faced Lovebird, Peach fronted Love Bird
Lat. Agapornis Roseicollis
 On the photo you can see a group of peach face lovebirds. The photo is taken from the local pet shop. |
ORIGIN: Namibia, north from the Orange River and west from the Cape Province; the surrounding areas of lake Ngami, Botswana.
PHYSICAL APPEARENCE: They are 15 cm (6 in) in size and belong to the class of small-medium-sized parrots. Their basic color is green. The forehead, the whole body and the lower part of the breast is red while the most intensive color is on the forehead. Lores, the nape, the back of the head, back and the outer part of the wings are green while the breasts, abdomen and the inner part of the wings are yellowish-green. The tail from the upper side is green and from the lower side is bluish. The rump is blue. The bill is yellow. The iris is dark brown and the feet are grey. Their sex is not clearly distinguishable. Females are a bit larger than males and they have wider feet. The tail is blunt, whereas in the male it ends in a peak. The most reliable way of distinguishing the sex is the distance between the pelvis bones, which is 1-3 mm (.04-.1 in) in males and 6-8 mm (.24-.30 in) in females. Check also our Peach faced lovebird picture gallery.
 Male and female pair of peach faced lovebirds. |
KEEPING: Taming pof peach faced lovebirds is very easy, especially in young birds. They can be kept separately or in pairs. They tend to be aggressive towards the other parrots, so it is recommended to keep the birds of this family together. It is possible that these birds do not get along well with each other and thus sympathy plays an important role with these birds. They are very active and are usually restless in their cages. They belong to a class of medium-vocal parrots. The cage for their keeping should be average in size. In the cage, one can put willow twigs which they enjoy nibbling on. In nature, they settle around the lakes and rivers so it is necessary to provide them with a bowl of water so they can enjoy bathing. During the warm summer days, it is also important to offer them fresh water a couple of times a day so they can frolick. Check also our peach faced lovebird videos.
 Taming of peach face lovebirds is very easy. They are ideal pets. |
DIET: As with most middle-sized parrots, seeds of speckled sunflower make up the basic element in the mixture of food. In the mixture, there also have to be millet seeds, canary seeds, shelled oats, hemp, sorghum, flax and saffron seeds. Apples, carrots, blade and chickory are their favourite foods which should be offered to them at least every other day.
Minerals and cuttle-bone should always be available.
BREEDING PEACH FACED LOVEBIRDS: Breeding is not difficult as the pairs feed their younglings without any problem. It is recommended to keep a few birds together so that a pair can form among themselves. The birds from this family can be kept together in a cage. It is very common to get their hybrids which are not fertile. Young birds cannot stand low temperatures below 10C (50F). To enable the adult birds to hibernate successfully, it is necessary to provide them with a shelter where they can hide from the cold. Cold affects their nails, which very often fall off.
 Breeding peach faced lovebirds in aviary or home is not difficult. To see baby lovebirds, their eggs, and nest shape plese see breeding of Fischer lovebirds which is pretty similar. |
If one keeps the birds in groups, it is recommended to keep 2-3 pairs on 3 m (118 in). In nature, breeding begins in April. It is necessary to provide them enough willow branches that serve both as building material for the nest and increase the humidity in the nest which is necessary for hatching. A nest of 20 cm (8 in) in height and 18 cm (7 in) in width is appropriate for their breeding. A female clutches 3-6 eggs, and incubation lasts 20 days. After 32 days the younglings leave the nest and stay with their parents for 14 days. After this, they become independent. A lack of minerals in the diet could lead to the plucking of feathers of the younglings or even to cannibalism by the parents and or other memebers of the flock. If the birds are placed in a room with a minimal temperature of 18C (64F), breeding can last the whole year. It is recommended to have at most three broods to keep the bird from exhaustion.
INTERESTING FACTS: Peach facedlovebird lifespan can be up to 15 years. Around 200 various colors and mutations have been discovered.
In nature, they are only green in color.
When they are free, they live in great flocks near the coastal parts of rivers.
