Day 147: Meet my newest friend/charge, Hopping-parrot. If you've been following along, you'll understand the "-parrot" portion of his name, but "Hopping" might make you wonder. As it happens, Hopping-parrot has a gamy wing. He can't fly, but he is an expert hopper. He's been with me about three weeks now and I do believe the wing (presumably broken) is growing stronger. He seems to be able to flex it a bit more, even flap it a little, although it's obvious that he doesn't trust it to carry him from the tree to the feeder. He forages on the ground, retreating to the safety of the tree in between meals with a rapid succession of hops which takes him there, and then from branch to branch with clear knowledge of the best routes through the tangled branches. I have observed his behaviour for twenty or thirty minutes several times, watching him exercise the survival strategy which has brought him this far. I have to marvel: where does he go at night to be safe? Does he nestle down in the heart of the winding trunks, out of the reach of raccoons or other predators? Do I see a glint of greater-than-average intelligence in that beady black eye? He must be cleverer than most. He talks to me when I put out seed, although he is not bold enough to approach me...not like the daring, darling chickadee who landed twice on the camera while I was capturing this portrait.
Update 3/13: He flies! I've seen him make it twice from the tree to the feeder (the actual feeder, not to the ground below it), and a couple of times a foot or so between branches. He still prefers hopping, but the wing is obviously on the mend!
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