To fledge or not to fledge, yet

It is just over 3 weeks since the cockatiels hatched and the eldest has put on a nice coat of coverts over its down feathers and is often found peeping out of the nest pot.

For the last 2 days it has been trying to reach out the nearby perches with its beak - guess it is getting ready to fledge. 



To my surprise and glee, on Saturday morning he/she gathered up the courage to grab the edge of the nest entrance hole and stood there proud, looking around.  Guess in the next few days, it will be ready to step out into its new world.



The images are grainy because I was hiding behind the door, so as not to scare it and had only half an eye on the camera - and couldn’t prevent the slight shake.

update:  On Sunday early morning, there was a lot of chirping from the tiels.  It was not the loud ‘come on, open the cage cover’ squawking but muted, querulous, tentative chirping, which usually means that they are frightened.  On removing the covers, I found that the youngest of the nestling had fallen out of the nest pot and was huddling in the far corner, obviously scared.
8-O

The cockatiels are natives of Australia and if I ever had any doubts, today morning put them to rest.  The dumb parents couldn’t even recognize their own offspring.  Both of them repeatedly went to the nest pot entrance hole, popped their heads in and kept peeping, as though to count the chicks.  Then came down to the corner where the nestling was huddled, and spread their wings in threatening postures.  I kept watching for five minutes or so, and during the period no amount of crying by the young one could make the idiots understand.

There was only one way to solve it - I reached in, covered the chick with a hankie, lifted it up and put it back inside the nest pot.  I used the hankie for two reasons.

• the young one was under undue stress and covering it up, usually reduces the stress in birds and most animals.
• some birds reject eggs or chicks handled by humans and I didn’t want to take the risk - I’ve no intention of learning to hand feed cockatiels.  (to give my tiels a break, they didn’t mind when I handled the eggs while cleaning the nest, but why take a risk?)
• covering the chick also clamed down the parents.  It seems once the chick was covered, it was a case of ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ for the bird-brains.

Once I put the nestling in, after a couple of peeping in, it was back to normal in the cage.  It is true, the bird brains cannot count.  But then what do you expect out of Aussies?  I really think that Aussies cant count properly;  If you don’t believe me, are these examples of people who can count?:

• Shane Watson hits 15 sixes; 
• The Don with his 99.94 test average;
• Mick Doohan and his 5 World Championships;
• Greg ‘the shark’ Norman has 30 PGA Tour Wins; and
• Ian ‘thorpedo’ Thorpe with his 5 Olympic Gold medals.

Jokes apart, I think that the youngest nestling might have been pushed out by its siblings.  Their behaviour this morning was akin to catching a ‘child-near-the-cookie-jar’.  They kept chirping and squawking, trying to attract the parents attention all to themselves - and perhaps divert it away from the fallen chick.
:-(

I am not experienced in bird behaviour and cannot call on it;  but if true, the 2 elder siblings need watching; having born in my home, perhaps they’ve acquired native cunning.  It is good that they aren’t American born, as Coyote like cunning would be too much.

LOL

Tags: cockatiel,yellow cockatiel,pet cockatiel,cocktail bird

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