Risk of predatory birds in australia

[Reub]

Currently constructing a cage to fit to the outside of the window so my female suzy can get some sunlight. I plan to leave her out there for an hour or so each day under supervision from inside, as she currently isn't getting enough sunlight from indoors. Kind of worried about currawongs and magpies though. Living in Australia, I have lost numerous birds, from finches to a cockatiel, to these bastards. An eclectus is significantly larger than any of those birds tho, and was wondering if anyone would know whether her size would dissuade smaller predatory birds such as these (no hawks around, thankfully) from going after her while she is in her cage.

Thanks for reading
-Reub

 

[plumsmum2005]

Interested, what is a Currawong? How did they get your other birds?

 

[Reub]

Currawongs look like sort of larger magpies, sort of like a raven with white feathers in their wings. As to how I lost so many birds, they have very long, sharp beaks, are quite smart, and quite capable of taking out smaller birds in outside cages. For instance, when we had to sequester one finch from an aviary to a smaller cage because it was ill, we left it under an open air shed... I hear a banging noise, and investigate to see a currawong sitting beside the cage, and well, you can imagine how that went. After we moved house once, we were planning to run mesh around the back verandah to make a space for my cockatiel. We hung its cage up under the veranda by the door, as we had some indoor cats at the time and didn't want to let them mix. I assumed it being so near to the door where everyone was coming and going, and in such a sheltered area, a currawong wouldn't be brave enough to try anything, let alone notice it in the first place... I was wrong.

So as you can imagine, I'm a little cautious of letting my eclectus anywhere near the outside, despite her size compared to a cockatiel, but at the same time she needs unfiltered sunlight to be her best, and the sun doesn't really hit far enough in for long enough by any of the windows in this place.

 

[SailBoat]

Currently constructing a cage to fit to the outside of the window so my female suzy can get some sunlight. I plan to leave her out there for an hour or so each day under supervision from inside, as she currently isn't getting enough sunlight from indoors. Kind of worried about currawongs and magpies though. Living in Australia, I have lost numerous birds, from finches to a cockatiel, to these bastards. An eclectus is significantly larger than any of those birds tho, and was wondering if anyone would know whether her size would dissuade smaller predatory birds such as these (no hawks around, thankfully) from going after her while she is in her cage.

Thanks for reading
-Reub

Not sure how you are going to strongly attach the cage to the window frame, but I am assuming that the Window will be open on the house side that would allow quick and easy access and removal, if needed, correct?

Also, haven't any idea what a currawongs is, so thank-you for the information. I know that magpies can be very determined in their efforts! You will need the cage bars to be as strong as standard large floor cages, like 1/8" (3.2 mm) or thicker. And, its size large enough for your Parrot to keep away from the outer edges during an attack.

This time of year your sunlight will be very strong and you should take care to assure that your Parrot has some place to get out of the Sunlight when wanted or needed. Lots of water and all the other things normally needed.

 

[Flboy]

Interesting little bugger!
Pied Currawong | BIRDS in BACKYARDS

 

[plumsmum2005]

Be careful as fright can have an effect also. Have you any wind chimes to hang about? Sometimes they work as a deterrent. Your Ekkie will have to get used to it first.

Not sure if there is any mileage in this but what if you put a feeding station furthest away from the house? WDYT? They come because they are hungry.

 

[Reub]

Noise deterrents seem like a good idea. Maybe a frame of ropes with bells hung from them so the currawong makes a racket if it comes down to land near it.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Interesting little bugger!
Pied Currawong | BIRDS in BACKYARDS

Ineed! sounds like our crows..just a bit smaller



Jim

 

[SailBoat]

Interesting little bugger!
Pied Currawong | BIRDS in BACKYARDS

Ineed! sounds like our crows..just a bit smaller



Jim

Thinking a bit bigger than our crows, Jim. More likely the size of our ravens. Take a look at the size of the eye and beak as the branch in the background pass behind and near them.

If that is anyway close in size, the outside cage needs to be large enough to provide ample room to move away from the outer edge of the cage! If those predator's hunt in groups, I would be very concerned!

As stated by my UK Friend: Be careful as fright can have an effect also. That is so well stated!!! Your Baby could become phobic after an attempt to access the cage.

Take great care, really think this though well!!!

 

[TexasWade]

Wow, that's pretty scary! I think if I were going to build anything to allow the fids outdoor time in that environment I'd try to do a double wall. I'm picturing a lumber frame with the cage wire/mesh on both the inside and outside of the frame.

 

[Scott]

I suggest building a structure impervious to those bandits! While an Eclectus is larger than your previous "targets" never underestimate the cunning of a hungry bird.

 

[Flboy]

Consider a double screened cage, with space in between. Or, extensions that you can run fishing string around? With bells attached?

 

[camo]

(no hawks around, thankfully)

Just a warning not to discount the chances of a resident hawk. I have lived in the same place for about 15 years and never seen a hawk around my house. It was not until we got some ducks that I noticed them looking to the sky and realised there was a hawk flying fairly high up. That was a few years ago, and I now realise that there has always been hawks around. I have never had any problems with my ducks or chickens (I think there is a lot of food for them in the area), but I regularly see the ducks looking to the sky and sure enough there is a hawk.

As for Currawongs, as a teenager we lived in a house that backed onto State Forrest. There were many Currawongs, and they are very smart and resourceful birds, and often seemed to be in groups. I am sure you know if they are in your area (pretty hard to miss their calls), if they are, I would be making sure either you are able to supervise or the cage is very large. I doubt noise detergents will work long term, once they realise there is no threat they will ignore them. I wouldn't suggest a feeding station (even blocks away), they seem to protect a territory, and you will only end up with a larger population which will ultimately need to move out from the station to create their own territory.

I am a big fan of the Currawong (they are a fascinating bird, used to love having them, the Kookaburra and Lorikeet come around for an afternoon feed). With that said, I remember many occasions where a Kookaburra would be sent on its way by 3 committed Currawongs, so I would certainly not trust them unsupervised with an eclectus. My fear would be less of predation, but more likely them ganging up to drive off the eclectus (who of cause will have no escape). I could see them surrounding the cage and scaring your eclectus, either causing her to injure herself as she panics and attempts to get away, or being attacked from different angles as she tries to escape the other Currawong.

Sorry to paint this type of picture, but I would hate to say nothing and have you move forward and have something go horribly wrong. If I was going to do something like this, in an area I had concerns with, I would make the cage attached to the window and have the back open (so when the window is open your eclectus can move out to the cage, but always has the option to escape back into the house). If that's not possible then it is probably best to supervise.

 

[Betrisher]

Yep. I agree with Camo. Once a tribe of Currawongs knows there's a caged bird in the area, they'll be there en masse in no time. You really do need to have a physical barrier to them getting too close to your Ekkie.

My birds live in an outside enclosed area which is dim and not too conducive to wild birds coming in. They do, on occasion, however, but since I'm usually studying in the adjacent room, I can see and hear at all times. We've had Butcherbirds come stalking our Lovebirds from time to time, but the cats take care of those. If anything as large as a Currawong or Magpie came in, the dog would have its gizzard for guzzling!

One thing we do have is an escape route into the house for the Beaks (Alexandrines). My husband cut a hole in their cage and a matching one in the house. A guillotine-style gate allows the Beaks to leave their cage via the hole, which has a coffee tin inserted into it and which connects to the hole in the house. There's a perch there from which the entering Beak can holler for assistance or launch for a better perching spot. I always meant to install a modest cage on the inside of the house (kitchen) so the arrangement could be permanent and the Beaks could come and go inside and out as they wished. Sadly, a Foul Thief came in the night and stole our (then) flock of Lovebirds, so the cages have to be locked up tight, including the guillotine gate.

The point is, it's not hard to make your house as accessible to your outdoor bird as it can be to your outdoor cat or dog. Don't muck about if there are predators in your area - they WILL hunt and feed, so you have to be careful!