Lilly Sleeps Upside Down

[AndreaFahy]

My pacific hen Lilly seems to like sleeping upside down..

Now I have known many parrotlets to sleep in odd positions in their cages - corner on bars at an angle, a weird place on a toy, so forth -- but never hanging upside down!

I have found her this way at least four times in the last week or two - check it out!* Lilly is on the left, in the first picture you can see her little white beak, showing you her head is down not up!

http://www.bonsaibirds.com/Images/Pets/lillysleep2.JPG

I'm busted trying to sneak this photo shoot - she caught me ;)

http://www.bonsaibirds.com/Images/Pets/lillysleep1.JPG

[memmey]

oh my gosh...this is so neat, we had someone here who's p'let slept funny and I think I told them that I was worried about it getting it's rest...I was worried...so now I see that it is OK.

[AndreaFahy]

Too funny isn't it?? I honestly don't know if she sleeps that way through the duration of the night though. It is too difficult to sneak into their room w/o someone waking up and disturbing the rest. If awoken, the bourkes might start flying, or a macaw will make a turkey sound or my Congo grey will just start rambling, yelling and asking to count!

[ArtS]

Neat setup Andrea!

My MeMe hangs off of the blinds in this position and takes naps.

What's the one thing they can't do in this position?

Regards,

Art S.

[memmey]

Don't start she's new here....

[AndreaFahy]

ummm...make babies?? Then again...they are smart little birds!

oh, hahaha. She might not want to poop on herself. Excellent point, Lilly probably does not sleep this way all night then b/c she is clean in the morning!

[memmey]

Andrea meet Art our benevolent moderator/ purveyor of the alternate view..lol

[Sally]

What a cute picture!

[ArtS]

HEY! I resemble that remark!

Andrea, I've discussed it elswhere but the first thing we do when we get MeMe on our finger, if she's been on the blinds is hold her over the waste basket - she does the great little squat and squeeze routine - almost like she's potty trained. :D

Regards,

Art S.

[AndreaFahy]

Very cool! Parrots really are quite easy to potty train - it starts with us simply being observant. Plus she probably doesn't have runny yucky poops b/c I think I read that you have a base diet of Harrison's...that will thicken it a good bit making them squat and squeeze...haha...that is a funny description. It's "The Squat and Squeeze!"

[ArtS]

The thickness of the Harrisons is offset by the runniness resulting from my wife give our birds a lot of greens and sprouts. In fact she cut down on the greens and sprouts when the poops get too runny.

Regards,

Art S.

[memmey]

Oh no your gonna fit right in...wait till Pado gets here he is gonna be sad he is not online now.

[AndreaFahy]

:)
Diet is something I have a hard time with. Vet recommends 85%-90% pellets, but I am very much a naturalist and like a holistic and natural approach to everything! My birds do like their pellets though, it's always available but they do eat a big produce meal each day..plus other good stuff. I actually noticed purple poop the other day - wish I could remember what was on the menu that caused it!

[ArtS]

Purple poop - excellent!! :D probobly berries - that's what usually causes purple poops on my windshield ;) .

If your into natural things, try growing your own sprouts. My wife grows several different types - mung beans are usually a big hit among the green members of the family :) .

Regards,

Art S.

[AndreaFahy]

We have done a bit of sprouting. I was going to do their base diet on sprouting, but then changed my mind. I'll post some info on that next!

[The Spasticat]

That is so funny! Great pictures! Too cute

[AndreaFahy]

Today I received this reply to my Lilly post on my forum:

I have heard reprots of parrots flippingupside down like that whilst sitting in a tree being attachek by a raptor. The raptor this way at best gets a handful of tailfeathers, but the bird itself is safe. i wonder, whether this might possibly have s.th. to do with this.

Ann.


And My Reply:

Hmm. Now I feel bad!

Lilly and Peanut (he needs a new name, I can't stand this one and he doesn't know it anyway) sleep in the corner hanging "tree" a couple of feet from the next one. It is possible she is woken when I enter the room and startled hanging upside down playing dead... where I am actually perceiving this action as sleeping...

Sometimes if I go in, some of the birds will get up, but usually they seem to sleep or stay quiet. I go in after dark if I forgot their nightlight or if the heat needs adjusting.

[ArtS]

Andrea,

This may be true in the wild, but I doubt it explains our birds behavior. For this trick to work, the bird would have to flip under the perch moments before the raptor struck, then try to escape before the second attack.

My girl sits like this for long periods and judging by the pictures, I suspect yours does the same.

Regards,

Art S.

[Dave]

Nice pictures Andrea. :) Sam loved to hang upside down as well. He seemed to do it when he got scared, but he also like to do it just for fun sometimes. :p