# Quick: Need help IDing a bird **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 4, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410 "2006-09-04T17:12:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/1 "2006-09-04T17:12:37Z")
Photo: [http://neussubjex.net/misc/IM000150.JPG](http://neussubjex.net/misc/IM000150.JPG) Any idea what this is? ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/2 "2006-09-04T17:17:21Z")
And the backstory: The idiot neighbors two floors up moved out, and they’ve apparently left their two birds to starve to death. This guy got out, and is flying up and down our air vent. The other one is apparently still in the cage - I can hear it flapping around. I’m trying to figure out what kind of bird it is, so I can run out and buy some food. I’m pretty sure it’s a parakeet of some kind, but then again, I don’t know birds. The landlord’s attempting to raise one of the idiots on the phone. Unfortunately, she’s got “plans”, so she won’t be down here until tomorrow morning. We put out some water and some watermelon we had handy. I’m going up the fire escape in another couple of hours. Fuckers… ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/3 "2006-09-04T17:17:48Z")
An escaped [Budgie](http://images.google.com/images?q=budgie&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=firefox&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&tab=wi) perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/4 "2006-09-04T17:20:52Z")
Red-faced Lovebird _Agapornis pallarius._ It looks nothing like a Budgie. ---
**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/5 "2006-09-04T17:21:14Z")
My guess is a[lovebird.](http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dlovebird%26btn%3DYahoo%2521%2BSearch%26tab%3DImages%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dmy-vert-img-top&w=385&h=499&imgurl=www.p-pp.tv%2Farticles%2Fpeach_faced_lovebird%2Fimages%2FLovebird.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.p-pp.tv%2Farticles%2Fpeach_faced_lovebird&size=26.3kB&name=Lovebird.jpg&p=lovebird&type=jpeg&no=12&tt=20,911&oid=7d53f87eab00b6f6&ei=UTF-8) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/6 "2006-09-04T17:24:56Z")
Diet is indicated [here](http://www.africanlovebirdsociety.com/introduction.htm) > [@](#): > > Once your bird has settled in its new home, feed your bird a good basic seed mix of finch mix, parakeet mix, and wild bird seed. If you provide fresh, insecticide-free greens, shredded carrot, and fresh corn kernels, you should not need to give vitamins, although vitamin supplements will not harm the bird. High protien dry baby food is a good supplement. Cuttlebone and mineral block should always be available. Millet spray is always a treat. Whatever diet you chose should be maintained, as the bird’s digestive system will adjust to it. Any kind of parakeet seed (and probably any kind of seed) from a pet store will be fine. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/7 "2006-09-04T17:25:58Z")
Hmmm… from the descriptions in Wikipedia, they do indeed sound like lovebirds. There are two of them, and they’re loud as hell. Warning: don’t look at the Wiki article on the rosy-faced lovebird at work. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/8 "2006-09-04T17:26:42Z")
If you want to feed them, here’s a [list](http://www.lovebirds.co.nz/general_care/feeding.php) Every day you should offer your lovebird a mix of the following seeds… Niger, silver millet (not a millet spray), flax, peas, oats; you should also add some canary or budgie seed mix as well **Toxic foods lovebirds (or any birds) should never eat** The following is a list of foods that are poisonous and can kill lovebirds or any other bird for that matter… - Avocado - Rhubarb leaves - Apple seeds **Fruit and veggies lovebirds can eat** Here is a list of all the fruits and vegetables lovebirds can eat and will not get sick from. - Silver beets - Red and green bell peppers - Broccoli - Dandelion flowers - Corn on the cob or corn kernels - Chick weed - Banana - Apple - Celery - mung beans - snow peas ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/9 "2006-09-04T17:33:04Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] Red-faced Lovebird _Agapornis pallarius._ It looks nothing like a Budgie. [/QUOTE] After checking references, it is more likely a Peach-faced Lovebird _Agapornis roseicollis,_ (linked to by **hawksgirl** ) which is much more common in captivity. It was a little hard to see the throat color in the photo. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/10 "2006-09-04T17:44:25Z")
I put out some chopped apples and shredded baby spinach. I’ll go get some parakeet seed if I don’t hear from the landlord in the next couple of hours. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/11 "2006-09-04T17:46:16Z")
Oh, and thanks for the help, folks. The bird in the photo appears to have made it back up the air vent and in through the open window. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/12 "2006-09-04T21:37:29Z")
So, the landlord let me in, and there are two lovebirds and what I’m assuming is a parakeet in a 1x1x2" cage that’s covered in filth, with a water dish half-filled with watery crap, and no food. I moved them in to a bigger cage and gave them food and water, which they immediately ripped in to. I cleaned out the smaller cage and prepared everybody for transport to my parents house, where they were going to spend the next couple of days until they found a permanent home. As I was gathering up the accessories, spare dishes, and toys, the former tenants walked in. Dude was real pissed off that I was in his apartment, and that the landlord had let me in. The chick was somewhat apologetic - hell, she’d left the things to starve for three days, she should be. I had no choice but to leave them. This sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/13 "2006-09-04T22:04:06Z")
[QUOTE=black rabbit] So, the landlord let me in, and there are two lovebirds and what I’m assuming is a parakeet in a 1x1x2" cage that’s covered in filth, with a water dish half-filled with watery crap, and no food. I moved them in to a bigger cage and gave them food and water, which they immediately ripped in to. I cleaned out the smaller cage and prepared everybody for transport to my parents house, where they were going to spend the next couple of days until they found a permanent home. As I was gathering up the accessories, spare dishes, and toys, the former tenants walked in. Dude was real pissed off that I was in his apartment, and that the landlord had let me in. The chick was somewhat apologetic - hell, she’d left the things to starve for three days, she should be. I had no choice but to leave them. This sucks. [/QUOTE] Kudos to you for being concerned about the animals, and doing something about it. The neighbors sound like real…well, jerks. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/14 "2006-09-05T01:43:13Z")
DEFINITELY a peach-faced lovebird. The… the… the… _[expletives deleted]_. They just left the birds to starve??? My GOD, they don’t _deserve_ pets of ANY sort. They should be sterilized so they don’t reproduce. Three days? Birds can starve in two or less. Those animals are so lucky you found them in time. I am just _speechless!_ ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/15 "2006-09-05T03:01:50Z")
Jesus, that’s reprehensible. Did they explain _why_ they left the birds to starve? I mean, was it their intention to retrieve them all along, or did they only take them back 'cause you were ready to take them? Personally I’d’ve threatened to call the ASPCA on their asses if they didn’t leave the birds with me, but hindsight is 20-20 I guess. Anyway it was very good of you to take care of the poor things the way you did. Good for you, **black rabbit**. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-need-help-iding-a-bird/371410/16 "2006-09-05T12:16:36Z")
[QUOTE=choie] Jesus, that’s reprehensible. Did they explain _why_ they left the birds to starve? I mean, was it their intention to retrieve them all along, or did they only take them back 'cause you were ready to take them? [/QUOTE] Supposedly, the woman cut her hand while they were moving on Thursday, and they had to go get stitches. Which somehow prevented the guy from stopping by to give the birds food and water on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and most of Monday. They’re not exactly the type of people who think through their actions. According to the local cops, the woman is a part-time tweaker and/or crackhead. The guy recently got charged with CCW for bringing a loaded revolver to his appointment at a tanning salon - hence why I wasn’t more strident about my desire to take the birds with me. They’re real charmers. I’m just glad I didn’t swipe the dime bag I found while looking for some trash bags.