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| On 6th July 2010 Richard Callcut, from West Sussex, UK sent the following request: |
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Hi, Having always loved turacos, I purchased my first pair (White-cheeked) last October. I was provided sexing certificates showing them as a true pair and was advised that they were June 2009 babies.
I housed them in a 12ft square aviary and they feed well on T16 pellets and fresh apple, pear, carrot, and whatever else was available. Although the aviary is half covered and well sheltered, they insist on sleeping outdoors in all weather, including the heavy snow that we had over the winter. However this seems to have had no ill effects and they are thriving.
They share the aviary with my partners four chickens and from March, a pair of Rosellas that she couldnt resist from a show. They seem to get along quite amicably with all of their housemates.
One of the reasons I chose turacos is that I was advised that they are relatively quiet, but for about the last month, one of them (I assume the male, but havent checked) has started getting very vocal. I suppose I can most accurately describe this as a low grunting noise. With the early mornings and most of the windows open due to the current temperatures, this is turning into quite a wakeup call at around 5am! Whilst it doesnt bother me especially, I am starting to get a bit concerned about what the neighbours think. They love watching our birds and have made no objections, but Im worried it might get too much.
What I really want to know is, is this noise normal for turacos? Is it a seasonal thing, or have they just come of age? Are they objecting to their aviary mates, or are they wanting something else? Currently the aviary doesnt have the facility to shut the birds inside overnight, but I have considered making this alteration.
Some advice from someone with more experience in these birds would be much appreciated. Thanks. Please contact me: Richard Callcut |
| On 7th March 2010 Yvonne Welsh, from Lotherton sent the following request: |
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Hi there, Firstly, I hope you are well and are having a good beginning of year! At Lotherton there is little to report at the moment. We have a partner for our Hartlaub's singleton. Hopefully we'll get some results although it may be too soon! Bad news is our beloved hand reared White-cheeked died abruptly last year. The thought was a member of public fed her something that killed her. I should find out for sure but it's still a huge sore point with her keeper and 'mother'. Hopefully this year will be better...I do hope so, and then I'll have some information for the website! Now the strange request....I'm a fan of tattoos and am thinking of having a real life turaco 'inked' onto my shoulder. I always regarded myself as a mammal person until I met Turacos, and now I'm hooked! The tattoo is to commemorate this point in my life when the world of birds has been opened up for me and things are heading in the right direction career-wise, and my love of the bird! Members please e-mail me your best turaco photos vollavon@yahoo.com. I'd prefer the green turacos especially the White-cheeked, but will consider others too. My favourite picture (and the most tattoo-able) will be tattooed onto me! A strange competition...!!! It'll be later this year to next year when I'll get it done and I'll be send the photos! Don't worry...I've thought about and wanted this for a while and am currently researching the best people in the country to do the job! Many thanks, |
| On 3rd January 2010 Jonathan Beilby from Lancashire, U.K. sent the following request: | |
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I have recently looked through my turaco pictures and noticed that I am missing pictures of some key species. I just wondered if any of these species were kept in the U.K and if so, would there be the possibility of me being able to take a picture of them. Green-crested
Turaco (persa, zenkeri and I have a horrendous set of shots of
buffoni from Antwerp and Harewood House) Thank you very much in advance.
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Here are four photographs which I have taken of turacos at public collections. |
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Please contact: Jonathan Beilby E-mail: jonathan@beilby.gotadsl.co.uk
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| On 23rd June 2009 Jarmo Lanki from Tropicario in Finland sent the following request: | |
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We are looking
for turacos for our zoo here in Finland. |
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Please contact:: Jarmo Lanki - Tropicario - Sturenkatu 27 - 00510 Helsinki - Tel./fax: +358 (0)9 750 076 E-mail: tropicario@tropicario.com |
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| On 12th January 2009 Stijn Meyere from Belgium sent the following query: |
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Our
young White-cheeked turacos gets red on their chest. Would be that from
the food or is there another reason? Hopefully you can help us. They eat
T16 pellets supplemented with fruit. Greetings Stijn. E-mail: Stijn.De.Meyere1@pandora.be |
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Possible answer (provided by Nigel Hewston): When I bred White-cheeked Turacos many years ago my young birds would sometimes have red on the chest. I have a vague recollection that it was often on birds which had been fed a lot of leaves by their parents, but I may be wrong. In any case, as far as I can remember the birds were always healthy and normally coloured as adults. |
| On 22nd November 2008 at 16.34 Mrs. C. Madeira added the following message: |
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A problem season
with a new pair of White-cheeked Turacos: I have hatched and reared turacos some years ago. Also I have hatched and reared many parrots and cockatoos. I now have a pair of White-cheeked Turacos again. They are in fine health and on the best diet. I also soak their pellets for a few minutes in Green Tea, which is best for iron control. This is their first year with me and they are trying to breed BUT it has been what you could call their Annus Terribelus!
I wonder what next year will
bring? Open for ideas. |
| Please e-mail suggestions to the webmaster, who will forward them to me. Thank you. Christine Madeira (ITS Member - UK) |
| On 22nd March 2007 at 16.56 Sue Tugwell from Dibden, Southampton sent the following: |
| I thought you'd be interested to know that we have two White-cheeked Turacos living quite happily in the wild in the grounds of my Company in Southampton. They escaped from a nearby aviary at least two years ago and are thriving. We regularly feed them fruit and they come right up to the windowsill for this.
Some further information and more photographs can be seen in the Members 'News' section of this website. |
| On 10th November 2004 at 22.36 Lesley Shield from West of Scotland entered the following problem: |
| Hello, we have recently handreared a second White-cheeked Turaco on the understanding it was for a local wildlife park. When he/she (sex unknown) was around 3/4 months, just as his beak started to turn red, we tried to introduce him to a fairly large aviary housing one 3 year old White-cheeked Turaco. We started by keeping him in a separate cage in full view of the other bird and gradually moved him closer to the main enclosure but after finally releasing him into the aviary the older bird has continued to attack him. We have gone back to the separate cage and tried again but this is still proving difficult. I would be grateful of any advice or suggestions regarding introduction of young birds to older more established birds. |
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Suggestion: It will depend on whether you have any other aviaries available.
If so then you could move the older bird out for a month or so while the younger
bird gets used to the aviary. Then move the older bird back into the flight. |
| On 21st September 2004 at 19.51 Herman W. Milke from Germany entered the following question: |
| Hello,
I am contacting you looking for some advice. During very necessary restoration
work at the tropical greenhouse nearby a turaco hartlaubi took his (or her) chance
to escape. Now its hanging around at my garden, probably enjoying some of the
berries and fruit there. I am offering it a similar mixed diet like it received
in captivity before and it has helped itself several times. Its favourite perch
seems to be the fairly dense hazelnut bush. |
| I
have only once had a turaco out around my garden - a White-cheeked. It
was while I had a mass of ripe plums on my fruit trees, but the turaco
ignored them and came eagerly for a bowl of its usual diet which I placed
in a Larsen (Magpie) trap. The bird was caught at its first visit. If
you are unfamiliar with a Larsen, it has doors in the top of a wire cage
which hinge down and are held open by a stick across. The stick is actually
in two pieces, broken in the middle. When a bird lands on the stick it
falls apart and the door springs up, trapping the occupant. (See attached)
I placed the Larsen trap up on a frame in the tree that the turaco had
been perching in.
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| On 20th May 2004 at 14:34 Sylvie Couneson entered the following comment and question: | |
| Hello
from Belgium! | ![]() |
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| Answer (provided by Nigel Hewston): Hello Sylvie, Thanks for the photos and your comments on the website. Plantain-eaters eat fruit with a little universal or pellets as do other touracos, but also need more leafy food like spinach, lettuce, cabbage or wild plants. I have not kept them myself but aviary size would be as for other touracos, about 2 x 5m, or more if available. There have been two articles on Plantain-eaters in our magazines:
Members can see more about Western Greys on the 'News' page of this website. | |
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