Junior talks!

[Mike17]

A wobbly pic of Junior (Pavarotti Junior) who along with being a brilliant singer and whistler like his namesake father, today said "Junior"! Not just once, but several times He's our first talking cockatiel, in fact the first time I've heard a cockatiel say anything although I've heard some males can be good talkers. He's afraid of the phone and isn't keen on having his photo taken. Junior is the eldest of the recent clutch of five hatched in August. We kept him and his lutino sister, Custard, who he sings to as well- she's in a cage next to him when they"re not out.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Junior is QUITE stunning!!! I'm not very familiar with cockatiel mutations, he looks like a pied to me??? If so, pies are my absolute FAVORITES of all cockatiels.

How awesome that he is starting to talk!! YAY!!!

 

[antoinette]

Great that he is begining to talk
What is he saying at the moment?
Keep up the good work

 

[thekarens]

He's very handsome!

 

[Mike17]

Great that he is begining to talk
What is he saying at the moment?
Keep up the good work

Only his name "Junior". It's quite clear, and came as a shock to my wife & I. He's been pretty busy learning the calls of all the other birds, the princess, plumhead and budgie in particular. Last week he landed on my shoulder and made cute little noises like the budgie George does... but I was thinking, he feels heavy for a budgie When they're out there are 6 or 7 around at the same time, and they come and go from my shoulder. As they often come from behind I usually know who it is by flight characteristic and weight on landing.

 

[Mike17]

Junior is QUITE stunning!!! I'm not very familiar with cockatiel mutations, he looks like a pied to me??? If so, pies are my absolute FAVORITES of all cockatiels.

How awesome that he is starting to talk!! YAY!!!

Yes, Wendy, he's a pied, spitting image of his father, who is split to lutino. The mother is a cinnamon pied. Their latest clutch of 6 has at least 4 pieds in it, one lutino and the last, tiny one we don't know as yet but suspect lutino. I'd like to see a cinnamon pied but don't think we're going to get one, going on results so far

We're not sure what else he might come out with, probably "pretty boy" or "hello". If anything!

 

[lisascannell]

How exciting! I hope my Rocky starts to talk soon

 

[MikeyTN]

You can pretty much tell when its gonna be an lutino baby the moment they hatch. The down feathers would be yellow and eyes clearly red. Notice in the picture I post here, this is a lutino chick. The only other time you would wonder is if they're fallow and silver. If its not in their genes it ain't popping up.

 

[thekarens]

Awwww, that is so pitiful!

 

[MikeyTN]

This one would be a whiteface chick, the white down feathers.

 

[MikeyTN]

And of course this would be a Albino (Lutino Whiteface), with white down feathers and red eyes.

 

[Mike17]

The chick is still in the nest, Mikey, it's coming out this coming weekend. There were 6 in there and I couldn't get a clear view of the baby (should have had a closer look when I pulled the first 4) but going by the grey patches on the others, and lack of them on the smallest chick, is how I think it may be lutino.

 

[MikeyTN]

Oh ok....I'm nosey, I take their pictures the day they hatch.

 

[Mike17]

Oh ok....I'm nosey, I take their pictures the day they hatch.

When I pulled the 4 out I'd taken earlier pics and thought, "oh, there are 4 plus maybe one egg". Imagine my surprise when not only was there the fifth chick, but this tiny weeny sixth as well! It's hard for to look in there due to where the box is, and rely on the camera- but the parents go nuts when I'm in the aviary. Anyway, we'll know for sure on the weekend. Two of last 5 were lutino, so odds of 2 in 6 are pretty good .

 

[SpotsandSally]

Ok ok Mikey... You have to show us a 'regular' chick now to compare... And are they always that fluffy?!!! Gaah! So tiny, so adorable! And thank you for being nosy