Phantom Croft Guest Lodge and Parrot Sanctuary Mossel Bay

17/11/2023

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17/11/2023

11/11/2023

Myth: Handling bird eggs and chicks in the nest is the cause for the parent abandoning them.

This is what you hear most often then not, that the eggs or chicks were abandoned due to human touch. It is a Myth and not a Fact.
It is very important to understand that the birds have very poor sense of smell. So it is not possible to smell the human smell.

In the wild the nest is visited by my creatures and it does not affect the nest. I have read some where that some have experimented by spraying sunk spray on the eggs and chicks with no adverse effect.

Birds in general do not abandon their eggs or chicks that easily. They try their best in defending them.Sometimes while defending the eggs are broken or trampled to death.

Other reason is when they are unable to defend and leave the nest they come under stress, and do not return for a while, but in rare cases they do not return to the nest thus abandoning the eggs or chicks. It is because of stress and not because of smell.

I can give you a one example from my personal experience of a Lorikeet breaking its egg during the nest inspection few years back. When I opened the nest box. I found an egg. I put my hand to remove it. One of the bird jumped in and tried to pull the egg away me but accidentally pecked the egg.

But there are many questions that need to be answered If birds can not smell or taste, Then how do they avoid eating toxic monarch butterflies? How do hummingbirds distinguish water from sugar water?

05/11/2023

02/11/2023

Black Cheeked lovebirds nesting in a bamboo roofed hut in Tanzania.

26/10/2023

https://www.facebook.com/100044557572280/posts/873354707493107/?mibextid=Nif5oz

LOVE this idea!

18/10/2023

Welcome Junior!! We love you so much already ❤️

15/10/2023

https://www.facebook.com/100092771103076/posts/211121511990218/?mibextid=CDWPTG

SIMPLY AMAZING BUDGIE FACTS
A budgie has between 2,000 and 3,000 feathers on its body.
Budgies have monocular vision, which means they use each eye independently.
Budgies have fewer taste buds than humans.
Budgies grind their beaks when they are contented.
45% of pet birds kept in the US are Budgies, according to statistics from the American Pet Product Manufacturers Assn
Budgies have air sacs in some of their bones (pneumatic bones)
The budgie's average resting heart rate is 350 to 550 beats per minute.
Budgies can turn their heads 180 degrees (they have more neck vertebrae than humans).
A bird can only withstand the loss of 20 percent of its blood (for a budgie, that’s about 12 drops)
During breeding season, a female bird's bones become denser as they store calcium--a female's skeleton can weigh up to 20% more during the breeding season that it does during the rest of the year.
Vitamin D and protein aid in the absorption of calcium
Budgie egg shells are perforated by thousands of tiny holes (pores) that allow the free exchange of gases--mainly carbon dioxide and oxygen.
Light plays a large role in stimulating the o***y and bringing the hen into breeding condition.
Bird's lungs don't expand and contract to bring in air. Instead the bird's body wall muscles expand and contract--to force the air out and in.
Birds do not have a bladder or a urethra.
Budgies have semi-plume feathers, which are found on a bird's beak, nostrils (cere) and eyelids
Budgies have a 3rd eyelid.
In the past, Budgies were also known around the world as Shell Parrots, Warbling Grass Parakeets, Zebra Parrots, Undulated Parakeets, and Canary Parrots.
Budgerigar supposedly means "good to eat" in aboriginal language.
The average respiratory rate for a budgie is between 65 and 85 breath per minute.
The scientific melopsittacus undulatus, means song sparrow with wavy lines.
John Gould reportedly brought the first live budgie to Europe in 1840
All budgie colors originate from the green and yellow budgie. The first color mutation to appear reportedly was the yellow bird with faint green suffusion in 1872.
The first blue budgie appeared in 1878

COURTESY : http://sallybudgie.blogspot.in/…/simply-amazing-budgie-fact…

15/10/2023

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09/10/2023

https://www.facebook.com/100067324755582/posts/625523173035169/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Your Pet's Safety Matters. Unlock pet safety insights, medicines, first aid, home remedies, OTC meds, adoption tips, and emergency handling – all in one guide!

07/10/2023

Thank you so much to those who've donated, sponsored and given toys and food to our feather children the past few weeks 🥰 You help make all things possible at Phantom Croft 🦜

06/10/2023

https://fb.watch/nvUNOJUOoD/?mibextid=NnVzG8

02/10/2023

😅😅

20/09/2023

ARE BIRDS COLOR BLIND ?

Do Birds See in Color?
A bird's eyes are unique in many ways. A bird can see in color as well as near the ultraviolet range.
By Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, DABVP — Avian Practice

Birds do see in color. Birds that are active during daylight hours have the best color vision and, conversely, birds active at night usually have very good night vision. I find it fascinating that diving birds, such as kingfishers, have eyes adapted to aerial and aquatic vision due to some unique adaptations to the deeper structures of the eye. Water birds and birds that live on open plains have a specialized area in the eye that allows them to fix the horizon accurately as a reference point.

Birds also have brightly colored oil droplets within the eye that are involved with interpretation of color vision. It is thought that the different colored oil droplets enhance contrast by acting as in-the-eye light filters. For example, the yellow oil droplets would remove much of the blue color from the background, which would increase the contrast between an object and the blue sky. The red oil droplet would remove much of the green from the background, which would greatly improve the contrast between an object and trees. The enhanced contrast would considerably increase visual acuity.

Some pet birds seem to have color preferences and aversions. I always try to avoid wearing red when working on pet birds, especially African parrots, including African grey parrots and members of the Poicephalus genus. If anyone walks into a nursery of baby African parrots wearing a bright red shirt, it is almost guaranteed to elicit quite a response from the babies! Adult African greys seem to react badly to red clothing, as well. I find this especially interesting, as the Congo African greys have gorgeous, bright red tail feathers. Red fingernail polish and toenail polish also seem to disconcert some parrots.

Birds are also thought to be able to see light into the near ultraviolet range. This might be why they can identify individual birds that look exactly the same to us, due to the secretions of the uropygial gland that have been spread onto the feathers during preening.

Birds are also known to be able to better detect and follow movement. While a bird and a person might both be able to see a mouse from a height of 250 feet, a person can only do so if his attention was accurately directed to the mouse, but the bird can see it without even directly looking at it. Moreover, the bird is able to see all the mice in a field in a single glance, but we could only do that by scanning the area meticulously. A bird’s vision is truly special and remarkable.

10/09/2023

AFRICAN GREY PARROT APPROXIMATE AGE BY EYE COLOR
Examine the bird's eye color. An African Grey parrot 6 months old or younger usually has dark gray or black eyes. After the age of 6 months, their eyes steadily lighten, becoming light gray around the age of 1 year. By 18 months to 2 years, the eye color becomes a very pale yellow brown, and by the age of 3 to 4, African Greys have light yellow eyes. Once the eyes have turned yellow, it's harder to identify the bird's age.

08/09/2023

https://chirpychatters.com/do-african-grey-parrots-bite/?fbclid=IwAR01YpmDN83QacUSvvuAoWzLRdLU3OEZ1vf-zTwfaqe5cD7UIuJNtnJdjK4

Discover African grey biting behavior in our latest blog post. Learn why these birds may bite, how to prevent it. Expert insights and practical tips await!"

08/09/2023

Zoey, Georgie, Sky and Bubbles showing off their beautiful colours 🦜

01/09/2023

Our beautiful Franky 🦜⚘️

27/08/2023

Parrots (birds) are different from animals. Their anatomy is completely different from animals. Their breeding hormones are stimulated by touch. The parrot reacts differently depending on which part of the body it is touched. Places like under the wing, between the thighs and around the vent should be avoided as it stimulates breeding hormones. Best place to touch a parrot is the head they love being scratched and playing with their feet is also safe. Stroking a parrot like a Cat or Dog makes them uneasy, which leads to screeching and biting. If the parrot gets used to your wrong touches, it starts seeing you as its mate. and start biting others.

24/08/2023

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24/08/2023

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23/08/2023

Larry enjoying the sun today 🌞

01/08/2023

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27/07/2023

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