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Thread: Gryphon-Blue Naped Mousebird

 
  1. #1
    Senior Member
    keepsmiling's Avatar


    Parrots

    Red Fronted Macaw~Holly, Hawk-Headed Parrots~ Cochise & Yuna, Black Capped Conure~Elfe, Softbills- Green Aracari~Pico, American Singer Canary~Kismet, Blue Naped Mousebird~Gryphon

    Gryphon-Blue Naped Mousebird-pics and videos!

    Gryphon is a very unusual bird called a Blue Naped Mousebird (Urocolius macrourus) They are from South Africa, and considered pests in their native place, as they eat fruits and some veggies. Sticks,leaves, and flowers also make up their diet, along with some protein. Like many softbills, they are prone to Hemachromatosis-Iron Storage Disease. He belonged to a woman who became a friend through another forum. He never wanted anything to do with her other mousebirds. She felt it was because he was separated from his family group. He took to me, and we are best buds.
    Mousebirds have some very odd traits, and have long gangly legs, and feet that are practically useless for perching like most birds.The feet are called pamprodactylous, which means they are able to rotate all four toes forward at will. They cling to the cage to sleep, and climb like a lizard. On perches he kind of sits on his haunches so to speak, so I give him flat perches mostly. In the wild they scurry around and forage on the ground, hence the name 'mousebird'. They can go into torper,which is more thought of as a lizard or amphibian trait. In fact they kind of resemble a lizard in ways. They have soft fur like feathers, and a hard stiff long tail. To spite their short wings and long tail, they are fast and accurate flyers. Gryphon is also much smarter than some birds his size. He weighs about 60 gms.He is about 6 years old.




    Last edited by keepsmiling; 04-18-2013 at 06:31 PM. Reason: added videos

  2. The following 6 users like this post:

    aliray (04-18-2013), Kalidasa (05-09-2013), Lady (05-13-2015), mistywaterwoman (05-03-2013), roxynoodle (04-18-2013), Wendy K. (04-21-2013)

  3. #2
    Member
    Brodie's Avatar


    Parrots

    Scarlet- Female Eclectus & Ticka- Male Cockatiel
    Very fascinating!
    Never heard of them before, that's pretty cool
    Welcome to the forum!

  4. The following user likes this post:

    keepsmiling (04-18-2013)

  5. #3
    Senior Member
    keepsmiling's Avatar


    Parrots

    Red Fronted Macaw~Holly, Hawk-Headed Parrots~ Cochise & Yuna, Black Capped Conure~Elfe, Softbills- Green Aracari~Pico, American Singer Canary~Kismet, Blue Naped Mousebird~Gryphon
    Thanks! Another odd thing they do that I just thought of{as he is doing it now} They take sand baths!

  6. The following 2 users like this post:

    aliray (04-18-2013), mistywaterwoman (05-03-2013)

  7. #4
    Senior Member
    roxynoodle's Avatar


    Parrots

    Nanday Conure (Rowdy), YCA (Pete) and CAG (Miss Merlin)
    Thanks for sharing this information with us, Carole! Gryphon is beautiful!

  8. The following user likes this post:

    keepsmiling (04-18-2013)

  9. #5
    Senior Member
    aliray's Avatar


    Parrots

    Tiki,african redbellied, Sweetie Pie quaker, Chiquita, yellow sided gcc, Lucas, spanish timbrado canary
    When you said long tail you weren't kidding. The face reminds me of a cardinal. Beautiful and interesting bird. What is their life expectancy? I also liked that foraging wreath on the side of the cage

  10. The following user likes this post:

    keepsmiling (04-18-2013)

  11. #6
    Senior Member
    Honesty's Avatar


    What a beautiful Bird


  12. The following user likes this post:

    keepsmiling (04-18-2013)

  13. #7
    Senior Member
    keepsmiling's Avatar


    Parrots

    Red Fronted Macaw~Holly, Hawk-Headed Parrots~ Cochise & Yuna, Black Capped Conure~Elfe, Softbills- Green Aracari~Pico, American Singer Canary~Kismet, Blue Naped Mousebird~Gryphon
    Thank you all! Alison,in captivity it used to be low, before people realized and understood their diet, like 6-7 years. Now it is not odd to hear of one living into mid teens and possibly 16 or 17.

  14. The following 3 users like this post:

    aliray (04-21-2013), Honesty (04-18-2013), roxynoodle (04-18-2013)

  15. #8
    Junior Member
    Peeker's Avatar


    Parrots

    3 Eclectus Parrots, Ruby, Tina and Jax
    Thank you for sharing! That's really interesting! Do they use the tail to jump?or maybe propel themselves into the air for flight?

  16. The following user likes this post:

    keepsmiling (04-18-2013)

  17. #9
    Senior Member
    keepsmiling's Avatar


    Parrots

    Red Fronted Macaw~Holly, Hawk-Headed Parrots~ Cochise & Yuna, Black Capped Conure~Elfe, Softbills- Green Aracari~Pico, American Singer Canary~Kismet, Blue Naped Mousebird~Gryphon
    Hi, thanks for your reply. I am not sure how the tail factors into the flying. All I can say is I have seen him fly faster than a hawk! Long story but he once got outside and spent all afternoon in one of my live oaks. Until a hawk chased him across the street!
    Here are a few videos
    hanging out
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnXTq-QdI2s
    paper towel wrestling
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00dkUKN-7Tc
    sand bathing
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ6ezhdbY_E
    fun with a water bottle
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4No1XTOFZ0
    floor creeping
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xowqmTE2Ujw

  18. The following 6 users like this post:

    aliray (04-21-2013), Brodie (04-18-2013), Mare (05-01-2013), mistywaterwoman (05-03-2013), roxynoodle (04-18-2013), Wendy K. (04-21-2013)

  19. #10
    Member
    Copper's Avatar


    Parrots

    Rosie the Galah, Kenji the CAG -1993
    Wow! Love the photos and videos. He is amazing. Was he hand raised? So tame!

    I often forget soft bills can also be pets(other than finches and canaries). All yours are so amazing. I have a friend who has a pet Kookaburra, he's pretty cool.
    Last edited by Copper; 04-20-2013 at 11:28 PM.

  20. The following 2 users like this post:

    keepsmiling (04-21-2013), mistywaterwoman (05-03-2013)

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