# Rescued kakariki, question?



## Ythiel (Dec 11, 2014)

Hi! About a week ago this green little thing came flying into our backyard. We managed to catch it (even though it was quite tame anyhow), and since no owner has called in yet I've decided to give it a home with me.

I have a few questions however... could anyone tell me how old I can estimate for him (I think it's a 'he') to be?




Thus far the birdie is doing quite well, eating, drinking, pooping and sleeping. My female budgie gets along pretty well (ie: they tolerate each other). Is there anything I should know about kakariki's that is completely different from budgie care? :budgie:

Hope to get some answers here!  
He's been dubbed 'Houdini', by the way, considering he's quite an escapist...


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## nuxi (Oct 28, 2014)

Hi,

Unfortunately I don't have any experience with kakarikis but karma to you for rescuing him and giving him a new home! He's very cute!


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## Ythiel (Dec 11, 2014)

Haha thank you! And yes, he's very cute indeed. As a true kakariki he's very curious and exploring, though a little shy to humans... (and he shies away from my budgie too). Hopefully that'll change  He's got his own cage in his own part of the room so he can chillax whenever he needs to.


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## Jonah (Feb 3, 2013)

Wow...what a beautiful bird....some poor owner is probably sick over losing it, glad you can give it a home. Sorry I can't help you with your question's but we have a lot of knowledgeable parrot people here, I'm sure someone will advise....


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## milipidi (Jan 23, 2013)

Such a gorgeous bird. Kakariki were known as the budgies of New Zealand and do make wonderful pets. In NZ we must now have a permit and they must be kept in aviaries but if he has a large cage and lots of free flying time it should be fine.

Their diet is very similar to budgies, seed supplimented with vegetables and fruit. Cuttlebone and mineral blocks are also required.

Here is a site that can help your quest for info ...
http://kakariki.net


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Houdini is a really beautiful fellow!*


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## Jessie (Apr 19, 2007)

You should go to Talk Parrot the sister site and ask Daisy about these guys, she knows everything about them. What a cutie!


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## Ythiel (Dec 11, 2014)

Thank you all for your advice! I've registered on the kakariki site milipidi noted, hopefully I'll get some more answers there. As for the budgie I already own... any advice on introducing Houdini to her, to make sure she won't feel endangered or hurt?
(I'm using the 'first bird' rule, making sure to let her know she comes first always)
The thing is, she's been clipped a few months ago and can't fly, Houdini however can and boy does he... I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing, or if I should consider having him clipped (one time) as well.


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## AlterEgon (Mar 18, 2015)

I personally wouldn't clip a bird that has been able to fly unless 100% necessary. Watching them try and fail is so sad, and they really don't understand what happened and keep trying.


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## milipidi (Jan 23, 2013)

Clipping his wings would be heart breaking. Kakariki are acrobats with a love of flying and climbing. Not being the cuddly type, they were kept for their amusing antics and skill in these areas. Please, do not clip his wings unless you absolutley have to for safety reasons.

I believe, and as I said here they are purely aviary birds, that he could be okay with the budgie. Kakariki typically only get territorial when nesting. Closely supervise any interactions and be ready to intervene if there is any hint of aggression.


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## Niamhf (Dec 17, 2013)

He is beautiful. I have a yellow kakariki (Noah) and he tolerates my budgie also but they need to be well supervised when out together as kakarikis are extremely independent birds that enjoy a lot of personal space. Budgies on the other hand love the company of other birds so Noah can get snappy if Oisin is persistently in his face trying to kiss him. Kakarikis can have a very sore bite so best not risk allowing the budgie get overly friendly. 

Kakarikis are extremely active birds that LOVE to fly and can become depressed if their wings are clipped - this can also bring on unwanted behaviour caused by frustration. They are extremely curious birds that get into everything and always want to see what you're doing however forget cuddle time - they can't sit still for 2 seconds! They are like little tap dancers! 

Regarding diet they need a widely varied diet of vegetables, fruit, mixed nuts and pellets. They love sunflower seed but be wary of the fat content and use as treats for positive reinforcement. Noah's favourite foods are sweet corn, chilli peppers, raspberries, grapes, broccoli, peas, walnuts, carrot, cucumber, cauliflower, and his pellets. He's not a fan of raisins and always digs them out and throws them over the side of his pellet mix 

They love to forage and dig so I removed the bars at the base of my cage and have a foraging tray filled with cat litter (make sure you use the type that is safe as he will nibble it also) and I sprinkle a small amount of budgie mix in it to keep it interesting along with gum nuts and lots of foot toys. They love to rip up newspaper (that I use to line the base of his cage with) and regularly change his toys or provide cardboard boxes (such as egg boxes) or the inside tube of tissue rolls (I don't use the ones that have glue though). Kakarikis also love to bathe and will get right into it giving everyone and everything around it a bath also.

They are extremely active and need a lot of space as well as a lot of out of cage flying time. They love to walk upside down also so if you can provide a cage with a flat caged roof (rather than hooded if that makes sense) and lots of perches etc to jump on. 

I had to cover our fixed wall mirror with static cling along with shiny surfaces such as the fridge from Noah because he became very territorial and aggressive once he reached 6 months old but that has all settled now (because he can't see himself anymore) but that may not be the case with every bird (my budgie is fine with mirrors however I know other budgie owners have had problems).

Best of luck with your new cartoon character he will provide hours of entertainment but remember they are a completely different character to most other parrots so be patient and learn their language


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## Niamhf (Dec 17, 2013)

Noah and his house


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## Niamhf (Dec 17, 2013)

Sorry about the picture I'm really struggling with photobucket


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## Jo Ann (Sep 3, 2011)

*Rescued*

Have you made a get to know you apt with your avian vet. In clude both birds and ask about ivermectin or similar for parasites, especially if you dis now keep birds isolated for at least a month. What a lovely new companion to learn about. It is probably young and been handled a bit. When I had bourkes.
Others said they did not play with toys, What I found was that the older birds took longer to check out the new items in environment, but every one loved swings and shiny things and bells. Very low Key compared to budgies but did live peacefully with Apollo our Tame house YFII violet ****. So offer mental stimulation as often as possible like the foraging and any suggestions by the experts here. Check and research for types of illnesses that are more common for this of type of parrot, Would love to hear more and of course see more pics. Blessings, Jo Ann


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## Ythiel (Dec 11, 2014)

Thank you all for your advice! Clipping will be out of the question, I'll simply be patient and help him relax in his new environment. I'll make an apt with the vet asap to have him checked out, which had been my plan to start with, considering one of his legs seems a little discolored and of which I don't know if that is common in parrots.

Niamhf, Noah looks so happy in his cage! I did not know about the cat litter, and I think that's a wonderful idea. I'll make sure to add it to Houdini's cage once I get to the pet store.  Thank you!


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## Niamhf (Dec 17, 2013)

Hi Kim,

How is Houdini settling in? Did his vet visit go well? 

Niamh


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## Ythiel (Dec 11, 2014)

I did not fall off the face of the earth, life has just kept my busy. Sorry!

The ride to the vet was, to me, quite stressful. I had to strap Houdini's cage into my car and whatnot, all the while making sure I didn't break anything or freak him out. He was pretty calm and curious, hopping to the branches in his cage where most sunlight would hit him. Even at the vet's place he was super relaxed. He took some moments to adjust to the new space around him, but he swiftly began making his funny call that drew chuckles and laughs from the nurses :^) what a charmer!

The vet checked him out. Houdini bit him a few times, but nothing too serious (I would bite too if some giant hand would grab onto me and poke me). The vet agreed on the sex, Houdini is indeed a male. He couldn't find anything out of the ordinary, so he just gave me a worm cure (I don't know if that is the right word) to make sure he didn't catch anything while he was flying outside. The vet guessed Houdini is an adult bird, though it's impossible to tell exactly how old. Also, he was supposedly a little on the skinny side, so I've been given permission to bring out the sunflower seeds! 

It's been a few weeks and he's completely settled. He's still quite shy around me, but then again I've had to catch him two times in the past weeks to give him his medicine (which was... quite an achievement). He'll go into his cage on his own when it gets dark out, which is convenient. So far he has warmed up considerably to Pacha, my budgie, allowing her closer each time. He does eat from my hand every so often, though he remains suspicious and will only take one bite before shuffling further away (or he will take whatever I'm holding out for him and fly off).

I've tried providing him with a bath each day, which he really enjoys. He's quite picky when it comes to food (I tried offering him millet, but he fully ignores it in favor of mixed parrot seeds), but he'll kill for a grape or a piece of tangerine. Lately he's started being a little pest by flying straight for your face and whizzing over your hair. I swear I can hear him snickering to himself when he's settled on top of my hanging lamp (and out of reach). He's quite a bird alright!


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## Ythiel (Dec 11, 2014)

Here's a link to Houdini eating a tomato and Pacha being an interrupting twerp.


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## Niamhf (Dec 17, 2013)

Hi Kim,
I'm so glad Houdini is settling in and that his health check went well. He sounds like a little rascal just like Noah! Noah also swoops and lands on my head then takes off again. I think he is establishing his territory which is normal. I had to get a behavioural specialist in for Noah though because he started to bite but as I said before it turned out the mirrors and reflective surfaces were causing the bulk of it. 
He will always be very active and reluctant to hang around for too long so don't worry if he never really sits on your hand for too long - they just can't sit stil!! Lol. You'll find that he does enjoy your company though as he will always stay close and follow you around just not the cuddling type. I'm really glad he is settling in
Did you manage to get cat litter or a foraging tray for him?

Niamh


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## milipidi (Jan 23, 2013)

Houdini sounds like a wonderful character. I am not at all suprised by his grape addiction. One of the reasons Karariki are on the protected list is because huge flocks used to descend on the vineyards and orchards to snack on the fruit, and the orchidists were not impressed.

Houdini sounds like a wonderful character. You really did luck out, and I think the same could be said for him, to end up in your home. Do keep us updated. Niamh the same goes for Noah too. They are after all the NZ budgie :laughing:


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## Ythiel (Dec 11, 2014)

Thank you Niamhf for your reassuring words  I hope Houdini won't turn into a biting little ******, but if that ever happens I'll know where to find you. Also, I have not yet found him a foraging tray or cat litter (busy life!), though I've made sure to pick some fresh flowers and the like from my garden so he can fiddle with those (he spends a LOT of time rummaging around in those). It's still definitely on the list though, as well as a hanging branch or something which he can perch and nibble on.

And gosh, Milipidi, I did not know that! Heh, I'll make sure to keep those grapes around as happy treats.

I've noticed he's not so keen on eating millet and tends to stick to mixed parrot/parakeet food (I've tried taking the parrot/parakeet mix away for a while, but he just stopped eating). I hope that's not a problem...


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## Niamhf (Dec 17, 2013)

It sounds like he has a great setup to keep him occupied! 😄 don't worry about the millet is not what they prefer  Noah is not a fan of millet either - he like to be a big parrot! 😊
I look forward to Houdini updates and yes please feel free to pm me if you ever have any questions


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