Something killing aviary birds

[howie]

At my wits end!! I would deeply appreciate any input, advise or speculation from anyone who might have had problems like this in their aviary. I finished extending my outdoor aviary Sunday night (now 6m long x 3 deep x 2.5m high). My brown headed parrot was put in monday morning. Was going to keep her separate in one half (kept door on old side) to see if she adapts. The love birds and ringnecks immediately came to the fence to introduce themselves. She went up to them and chatted like an old friend. At some stage during the morning the connecting door got left open (culprit non existing) and all the birds were flying their little hearts out. Got over my shock and sat outside the aviary waiting for the drama the happen. Three hours later they were all still allowing the sun to shine on each other so I went to the shops for bowls and toys.

When I got back the one dove had an injured shoulder. The doves, although adult, are ground birds as they are still "learning' to fly as they were kept in a small cage all their lifes, so i presumed he attempted another flight and hurt himself on the tree branches. This had happened before. I doctored him and left. Checked on them the afternoon and saw that the injury was much worse and there were bloody feathers all over the aviary. Brought him inside and checked the parrot and ringnecks for blood on their beaks or faces. Nada. Immediately suspected mice. Had quail and dove eggs go missing before and nature conservationist told me probably snake. Went over aviary with fine tooth comb looking for any gaps and holes. Filled everything big enough to let an overgrown fly through. Anyway... daughter thought i should bring the dove's mate in with him, but clever me thought he would appreciate some quiet alone time as he was not feeling well. Woke up this morning to the normal 'chatting' coming from the aviary. Went down with food and found the dove dead on the ground. Head almost chewed off, stomach ripped open and emptied out. Blood and feathers everywhere. Immediately checked parrot and ringnecks for traces of blood. Nothing. Then realized two female finches also gone. No feathers, no trace. Heard no commotion during the night. Aviary close to bedroom window.

All the birds are on eggs or with babies, i have adult and baby quails running on the ground. What would take finches out that are fast and nimble or a big dove!!! Got a friend out that is a nature conservationist and has her own aviary to check it out for me. Could find no gaps where anything big enough to kill the birds could get in. I have 13mm chicken mesh all around, zinc roof and wooden nesting enclosure. I have 21 birds in the aviary - so bringing them inside is not an option. We went inside for coffee and after seeing her off (hour later) I checked in on the aviary and found quail eggs (6) outside the nest, broken open. Some were empty and others still had some yolk in.

Tonight all the birds are in the old side of the aviary and I have set traps for mice. Can't help but wonder... none of this happened before Dory (brown headed parrot) was put in aviary, but then nothing happened until I extended.
Friend assures me parrot would kill but won't disembowl and eat intestines.

Feel like i've failed the birds - about ready to put them all up for adoption. Anyone has any thoughts on this? (Except that I suck at keeping birds!)

[tielfan]

Are there wild animals in the area that could reach through the wire and catch a bird? The wire might not let them pull the whole bird out, but they might be able to pull out a piece so it would still be a worthwhile effort for them.

Don't forget to consider that the predator could be another bird - I know of someone here in Arizona who was losing finches from an aviary and couldn't figure out why until one day she saw a roadrunner reaching through the wire with its beak trying to grab them. Raccoons and hawks have also been known to take birds through wire or cage bars. I don't know what kind of wildlife you have in your area, but anything with a handlike paw or claw could be a hazard to your birds.

[xafsmom]

I wouldn't put it past a Poi to disembowel... Poi's can be extremely aggressive birds, and are known mate killers. I honestly don't know about finches and tiny birds like that, but I would suspect any psittacine in with them at all; including parrotlets.

I wonder if something burrowed in from underneath... it sounds like an animal attack from the description.

[ndeben]

I have to agree with raccoons, they will pull as much of the bird thru the wire as they can. I have a terrible time with them in the chicken house..

[jenniferag]

Raccoons can climb too... you were thinking what could catch a finch?

What if they're sleeping too and the raccoon just reached right in?


Very strange....... let us know once you figure out what it is.

Don't know how the raccoon would get the eggs though unless they were next to the fencing....... hmmmmm

[howie]

No raccoons in this area. Also carcase was in middle of aviary floor. Checked the mesh to see if a rat maybe tried to get through with a finch but no feathers, blood or bits anywhere on the mesh. We live near a kloof and next to an open veld, but have a wall around the house. Have the odd cat that go for the wild bird in my garden. Also have three dogs. Because it's pretty built up and dogs aplenty in the neighbourhood, not many wildlife risk leaving the kloof area. Many raptors, but they hunt in the kloof. But I suppose anything is possible! None of the nest box entrances can be reached from the fence. Stumped and worried sick.

Thanks for all the replies. Much Appreciated. It is 01h58 here and I just came from my late night check... all quiet, thank God!! Dreaded finding a mouse caught in a trap.. as much as I want them gone.. if they are the culprits.

Xafsmom, also fear parrot involved. Al the other birds, including rignecks, budgies, love birds and finches have been together for the last year and only one finch was mauled when, i think, she got into the rn's nest box. But although mauled, her body was 'intact'. No pieces missing as with the dove.

Will send hubby out first tomorrow - had enough unpleasant surprises.

[jodringneck]

Ringnecks can get nasty. One of mine kill another it wasnt nice. I still dont know what one did it. The have been in the same avairy for a year.

[GlendaNS]

Sprinkle flour around and check it later for tracks. Whatever it is will leave foot prints in the flour.

You also might leave some "bait" and dust the flour around it.

[Lori~D]

I was going to say the same about the ringnecks. My friend had some get lose in her birdroom and they raided nestboxes and killed babies and had not a drop of blood on them nor a feather out of place! Also, rats can get in the smallest of mesh sometimes. If they can get there whiskers thru they can get the whole body in.
GET A BABY Monitor!!! They have them with a camera or get a remote cam for you r computer

[howie]

Won't one see blood on the bird if the killing was so vicious? With the dove there was even blood drops on the walls. And feathers throughout the aviary. Also, when you looked inside the dove's stomach, it was 'cleaned out' so thoroughly, one could see the ribs. And no organs or bits lying around. Would a bird eat all that?

I will try the flour trick tomorrow. Would have thought that birds would do the chasing and attacking thing throughout the day and not just at night. The rn female spends her day chasing the lovebird away from her nest, but it's more like popping out onto the perch and going back in. Never more aggresive than that. Have not seen the parrot chase anything. Barly flies. Walks via branches and perches to get where she wants to be.

Thanks the suggestions - will keep you posted.