# partridge found in NYC -- help needed



## judie (May 20, 2009)

My name is Judie. I'm a member of the Starling Talk board. They suggested that I pop over here and try to find some direction. 

This morning, DH found a partridge looking into a store window next to our apartment. I suspect that it was enamored with its reflection. Anyway, 10 minutes later, DH was able to catch it.

Why did he catch it, you may ask? Well, we live in Chinatown. We believe that the bird escaped from one of the poultry stores. The condition of its tail feathers is consistent with a bird that has been caged. DH figured that if he didn't catch it, someone else would, and the bird's fate would be sealed with black bean sauce. 

So, now we have a partridge in our travel cage. It is apparently healthy. It's a male, I think, and very pretty and fat. DH put some bird seed and some chicken mash on the cage floor, as well as some water.

I don't want to keep him, but I will if I have no choice. In the short term, I need some info on how to care for him. What should we be feeding him?

In the long term, I would like to find a rehabber, a wild-life sanctuary or even someone who keeps quail and partridges as pets to take him. As I mentioned, I am in NYC


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

I may be able to find a home for your little guy. Can you post a picture?


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

That would be great, karijo! I'm at work now. I'll post a pic when I get home.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

perhaps you can find a new home with a pear tree.......sorry could'nt help it. good luck with him and Iam sure beautiful bird.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

The bird can eat wild bird seed mix or chicken scratch. He may also enjoy some greens and perhaps some meal worms.

Terry


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Ha! If you didn't say it, someone else would. 

Thank you for the input on what to feed him.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Here's a pic of Lucky.










I hadn't handled him this a.m. When I picked him up this evening after work, my arms were almost instantly covered in mites.

None of my other birds have ever had mites. I am terrified that they're going to get them from him.

How do I get rid of the mites?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

You can pick up Scalex from a pet store and spray him and everywhere he has been. Should take care of it as you have discovered them early.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

OK, someone on Starling Talk told me to get Sevin Dust. DH will buy some tomorrow.

Mites. Yuck.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Charis, we must have been posting at the same time. I missed your comment.

The Starling Talk folks suggested that I avoid sprayed mite treatments because they're more easily inhaled. Thoughts?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I think it would be fine. I use it with no bad repercussions. Just cover the birds head when you spray. To safely put the spray on his head...first spray a cloth and wipe the head with the cloth.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Thank you, Charis.

Actually, someone on Starling Talk said I could use Diatomaceous Earth. Since I already had food-grade Diatomaceous Earth in the apartment, I decided to use that. I worked it into his feathers really well. Then I washed his cage out with hot soapy water and dried it thoroughly.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Well there you go... I'm glad it worked. That's what is important.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

I hope it worked, Charis. I guess I'll know tomorrow when I pick him up. If I don't get swarmed, it worked.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

In case anyone is wondering, I still want to find other living arrangements for Lucky. As pretty as he is, we do not have the space for the kind of horizontal cage that he will need long-term. If you're in the NY area and can help, please let me know.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Hopefully, Karijo will be able to help!

Thanks, for rescueing him! What a lovely bird. Don't think I've seen a Partridge on this site before!!

So glad he didn't end up in bean sauce! AND, will be lucky enough to find a home with a pear tree! (sorry, I couldn't resist either!)

Sure hope you got rid of those nasty mites, Judi!

Please keep up informed.

Wishing all love, hugs and scritches

Shi


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Thank you, Shi. He really is lovely. He's so fat! I can't get over that. Every time I pick him up I just marvel at that. I'm used to parrots and our European starling, which are not particularly tubby birds.

He seem less buggy today. Only one mite crawled on me when I picked him up compared to a virtual army last night.

He's eating like a little pig. We gave him chicken mash, seeds and some dark leafy greens. Alas, I have no grubs. I doubt he was getting any grubs in the poultry farm, so he won't miss them.


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## wolfwood (Jan 26, 2009)

What a pretty bird!!!



<I have the pear trees!!!>


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

wolfwood, if you'd like a partridge for your pear trees, you're welcome to him!


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## wolfwood (Jan 26, 2009)

He's beautiful...but don't know if this "city bird" would like it in the country (COLD country in the winter). At least he wouldn't have to learn a new HUMAN name .... I'm a 'Judi', too!!


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

No, I doubt he would want to live outside in the cold winter, Judi. Too bad. He would have looked great in those pear trees!


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## wolfwood (Jan 26, 2009)

Thanks to your thread and then doing some on-line research, I learned that a guy I spent quite a bit of time with in Africa is also a Partridge. These guys were EVERYWHERE!!! and didn't seem the least bit concerned about the 2-legged monsters who had clearly moved into THEIR territory.
*
Thought you might like to meet the African Francolun:*


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Wow! Now that's a beautiful bird!


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## jenfer (Jan 7, 2008)

Judie,

Can you send me an email? I know someone in Bklyn who might be able to help you. If he can't, likely he can help you work something out.

Jennifer


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

I am waiting to hear back from my Aunt, she has an incredible home up in Sherman, CT. Her kids all live in/around NYC so getting him to her would be easy. I will let you know what she says!


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Lucky says that Sherman, CT sounds lovely, karijo.

Jennifer is also checking into a placement option.

Lucky is very lucky indeed...

I gave him a bath in a few drops of Dawn dish detergent. His backside was so dirty from when he was caged at the poultry facility. Now, he's nice and clean. I did notice that he still has a few mites. I'm going to get some Sevin Dust tomorrow and treat him so he will be mite-free when he goes to his new home.

BTW, he did not appreciate the bath.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Lucky is VERY lucky indeed, to have found you. 

Thank you for taking such good care of him and do update us again when he goes to his new forever home.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

You're welcome, Treesa. I'm glad that DH found him before someone caught him for lunch.

I will certainly keep everyone posted.


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## Guest (May 23, 2009)

please change his name to anything but Lucky I have noticed that anything with the name Lucky really isnt all that lucky ..


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Ahhh... But Lucky really _is_ lucky, LokotaLoft. If my neighbors had found him... Yum, yum, yum!


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

I looked for Sevin Dust today at the only place in town that's likely to carry such as that. They have a large gardening section. They had no Sevin Dust. 

I went to Petland Discounts and looked at the mite sprays. The warnings were very scary; I just couldn't buy that stuff.

When I picked him up, a few mites crawled onto my hands, so I gave him another bath. Don't worry... I'm not going to bathe him every day. Hopefully, that will be his last bath. 

After he dried, I applied some food-grade D. Earth with a brush. I didn't see any mites while I was doing that, but he sure has some evidence of mite bites on his poor skin. 

He's still eating like a piggy and he has a perpetual murderous look on his face. Seriously, this bird has a mean scowl. Fortunately, his beak isn't meant for ripping, or I suspect that I wouldn't have any hands left. His little pecks really don't hurt at all.

I haven't found a home for him, yet.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

I'm happy to report that Lucky appears to be mite free. I held him for quite a while today and didn't see any. 

Jennifer put me in touch with someone who said they'd take Lucky in on a temporary basis. DH and I discussed it and decided that it would be less stressful for Lucky if we keep him until we find a "forever home" for him.

No, I'm not considering keeping him forever. I just don't want to shuttle him around more than necessary.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

I'm sorry I missed this thread, I was the lucky (no pun intended ) owner of many chukar partridges for years. They are such funny, wonderful birds, much like chickens. They do best in groups of two or more, regardless of sex, so hopefully you can find him a home with some other ones. You should see them in a flock of six or eight, they slink around together casting very suspicious glances about, at each other and everything else, while furtively muttering _ Chuuuck, chuuuck, chuuuck?_ at each other. It's really just hilarious. 

We have a lot of them in our Chinatown here in SF too, and that's where mine used to come from--or rather, from the shelters there when they escaped the meat markets. I fed mine chicken mash as well as some greens, so sounds like you're doing great food-wise. 

They love a good dust bath too, though the Dawn baths won't hurt him. Chinchilla dust is something they like but it's messy. If you have some dried rosemary, that helps deter pests such as fleas and mites and works quickly. If no one has mentioned it, you can try the regular bird mite spray from any pet store, about five bucks a bottle. I believe Kaytee makes it but any brand would do for mites. The diatomaceous earth is what I use on my pigeons outdoors but it is dusty for household use, and also only good while dry. Good luck and I hope you find him a great home soon! I know he's happy in the meantime being spoiled at your house.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

MaryJane, thank you for your post. 

One of my buddies from StarlingTalk is going to send me some Sevin Dust. I thought I had gotten rid of the mites, but one ran across my hand when I picked him up this morning. There are certainly less, but I have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to bird mites. 

I would dearly like to find a home for him that has other partridges. The fact that he's alone makes me sad; I can't imagine how lonely he must be.

So far, nobody has indicated that they can give him a forever home.

Rosemary! Who knew?! I don't have any, but that's easy enough to get.

BTW, I enjoyed looking at the pigeons, dove and dogs in your photo album.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

judie said:


> MaryJane, thank you for your post.
> 
> One of my buddies from StarlingTalk is going to send me some Sevin Dust. I thought I had gotten rid of the mites, but one ran across my hand when I picked him up this morning. There are certainly less, but I have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to bird mites.
> 
> ...


Thank you! Please don't worry about him being single. Several times I had just one, or just one in quarantine, and they don't seem to mind it much at all. They're darling birds but they're not the crunchiest cookie in the batch.  I think the whole flock thing is so attractive to them because they're so suspicious and like to be surrounded by other equally wary creatures.  As long as they have good food and a warm place, they always seemed perfectly content alone until they went out with the other birds. So I'm sure your guy is just fine for a bit, don't worry about him being unhappy.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

*They're darling birds but they're not the crunchiest cookie in the batch!*

Never heard that analogy before, MJ!! HYSTERICAL! Must remember!!  

Lucky is a beauty and a cutie, Judie! I DO SO HOPE you find a good home for him! So far, sounds like you are doing everything beautifully! Darn, are you _sure_ you can't keep him?

Also, hope you get rid of those pesky mites! 

Will be watching for updates...

Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Thank you for your feedback on him being alone, MaryJane. That makes me feel better. Of course, we have seven other birds (budgie, five cockatiels and a starling), so I suspect that their chatter and whistles gives him some sense of being in a flock.

Very odd that he hasn't made a peep since he's been here. DH hasn't heard one, either. It's like he's entirely mute. 

Did any of your partridges like to be handled?

Shi, if we didn't live in a NYC apartment, I'd consider keeping him. He's really no trouble. (Or, he won't be once the mites are gone.) But he doesn't have any space. He's still in the little dog crate that we use to take the birds to the vet. Being a ground-dwelling bird, he really needs a cage that's more horizontal than vertical. 

And, despite the fact that I feel better than I did about him being alone, I would dearly love for him to go to a home with other partridges, if possible.

He's a funny little guy. He turns around and walks over to us when we talk to him. He cocks his head so one of his little evil eyes is looking straight up at us. I swear he's thinking, "If I were an eagle, you'd be dead."


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

judie said:


> Thank you for your feedback on him being alone, MaryJane. That makes me feel better. Of course, we have seven other birds (budgie, five cockatiels and a starling), so I suspect that their chatter and whistles gives him some sense of being in a flock.
> 
> Very odd that he hasn't made a peep since he's been here. DH hasn't heard one, either. It's like he's entirely mute.
> 
> ...


ROFL!! They do have that evil eye. And I seem to remember them being very quiet unless they're around other chukars. Then they kind of egg each other on to see who can sound more suspicious.  I do miss having those crazy birds.

Shi, I don't know where I got that saying, but isn't it funny?? It's my favorite one....though I also like "not the brightest bulb in the chandelier" and there's another good one but I can't think of it at the moment, of course.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

I woke up around 3:00 this a.m. and was shocked to find Lucky in the kitchen. I think that he was looking for a knife so he could make a preemptive strike.

He's a naughty, naughty bird.

I don't have a clue how he managed to get out of the little "access door" on the top of the carry cage he's living in. DH swore he couldn't get out of there, and I would have bet good money that he was right. Lucky is like a bowling ball with feathers. I can't imagine him jumping or climbing up to get out of that little door. It's kind of like picturing an elephant hopping.


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## wolfwood (Jan 26, 2009)

Maybe one of the other birds helped him and then - ever so innocently - went back to their own cage. Do you have cats? That's ABSOLUTELY the kind of thing a cat would (and does) do. Anytime my dogs are doing something the "shouldn't" be doing - - - I check for the cat presence. Odds are REAL good there will be a cat in the shadows ... laughing!!!


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Sounds like you have a wonderful variety of birds!

If you are still looking for a mite powder, you should be able to use any flea powder safe for cats and kittens. I shake a little bit into the bedding, as well as under the bird's wings and tail (warm areas that mites love).


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

TerriB said:


> Sounds like you have a wonderful variety of birds!
> 
> If you are still looking for a mite powder, you should be able to use any flea powder safe for cats and kittens. I shake a little bit into the bedding, as well as under the bird's wings and tail (warm areas that mites love).


Yes, I have quite a flock. Last year, we lost our Sun Conure and our Nanday Conure. Both were 19 years old, and I adored them. But we still have quite a variety.



wolfwood said:


> Maybe one of the other birds helped him and then - ever so innocently - went back to their own cage. Do you have cats? That's ABSOLUTELY the kind of thing a cat would (and does) do. Anytime my dogs are doing something the "shouldn't" be doing - - - I check for the cat presence. Odds are REAL good there will be a cat in the shadows ... laughing!!!


It's quite possible that it was a coordinated Great Escape, wolfwood. No, we have no cats. I'm allergic, but I do love them. We used to have a budgie who was an escape artist. She would open the door to her cage and climb out. If you said, "Kiki, you bad bird..." she would run back in the house and act like she never left. Alas, she has been gone quite a few years. Maybe her ghost helped Lucky. She was an evil, nasty, mean, biting budgie (the only one I was ever afraid to handle). This sounds like something her ghost would do!


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## wolfwood (Jan 26, 2009)

judie said:


> ...... She was an evil, nasty, mean, biting budgie (the only one I was ever afraid to handle). This sounds like something her ghost would do!


There ya' go .... mystery solved. Now, go tell Lucky he's not such a bad bird after all


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

I got my Sevin Dust from Karen today. When I got home from work, I dusted him with it; I used a paintbrush. I didn't have any mite crawl on my hands during this operation, which leads me to believe that most of them were gone already.

DH scrubbed Lucky's house down.

How quickly does this stuff work? Should he be bug-free tomorrow? I'd like to start spending some quality time with him.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

judie said:


> I woke up around 3:00 this a.m. and was shocked to find Lucky in the kitchen.* I think that he was looking for a knife so he could make a preemptive strike.*
> 
> He's a naughty, naughty bird.
> 
> I don't have a clue how he managed to get out of the little "access door" on the top of the carry cage he's living in. DH swore he couldn't get out of there, and I would have bet good money that he was right. Lucky is like a bowling ball with feathers. I can't imagine him jumping or climbing up to get out of that little door. It's kind of like picturing an elephant hopping.


ROFL Oh my goodness, I haven't had a laugh like that in I don't know when. That's so funny, that just kills me. I unearthed some pics of my chukars when they lived in the quarantine spare bedroom. I will scan them with the printer and get them on here. This thread is really making me miss them, next I'll be down at the shelter rounding up a bunch.  As for the Sevin dust, I think it works in 24 hours but it's been awhile since I've used it so am not sure. Others will know though for sure.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Lucky sounds like quite the character!! Maybe you should change his name to Houdini??

Hope those nasty bugs are all gone. Don't know who will appreciate that more, you or Lucky! 

Can't wait to hear of further adventures!! 

Sending Love, Hugs and Scritches (bug free)

Shi


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

maryjane said:


> ROFL Oh my goodness, I haven't had a laugh like that in I don't know when. That's so funny, that just kills me. I unearthed some pics of my chukars when they lived in the quarantine spare bedroom. I will scan them with the printer and get them on here. This thread is really making me miss them, next I'll be down at the shelter rounding up a bunch.  As for the Sevin dust, I think it works in 24 hours but it's been awhile since I've used it so am not sure. Others will know though for sure.


maryjane, I'm glad Lucky's Great Escape amused you so much.

Oh, goody... I'm looking forward to seeing the pics of your prior chukars. 

I'm happy to report that I didn't see any mites when I handled him yesterday or today. He is soft and clean and very handsome. 



mr squeaks said:


> Lucky sounds like quite the character!! Maybe you should change his name to Houdini??
> 
> Hope those nasty bugs are all gone. Don't know who will appreciate that more, you or Lucky!
> 
> ...


Shi, Lucky had a misadventure today...

I got him out of his cage, and he managed to fly a couple of feet. He crashed into a pile of magazines. When I picked him up, I saw that one of his toenails was completely gone and blood was gushing from the toe. 

I don't know how he managed to do that. I don't think that the little crash landing was responsible. Perhaps he got it caught in something in his cage... I simply don't know. 

I screamed to DH, who was taking a shower that we had an emergency. He jumped out of the shower. I told him to pour some cornstarch into a saucer and to give me a paper towel. 

I held Lucky on my lap, packed corn starch onto the toe and kept pressure on it. He was really ticked off; he was probably in tremendous pain. He kept pecking at me very aggressively. After about 10 minutes, the bleeding stopped. I cleaned it with a little alcohol and put some Bacitracin on it. 

He's eating now, which I think is a good sign. 

I did notice that there is a strange hole on his cere between his nostrils. It doesn't seem to be deep. What is that? What do I need to do for him? 

Unless someone tells me by tomorrow morning that they want to give Lucky a life of luxury with room to roam and a girl partridge to call his own, we're going to shop for a new cage for him tomorrow.

Last call... Anyone need a partridge? Come on! You know you want one!


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

I'm so sorry to hear about Lucky's misadventures!!

Sure glad to hear that he seems to be OK...

Oh Oh, I have a feelin' you are now the proud owner of a Partridge...Guess next up, with a new cage, is a Pear Tree??

Looks like Partridges are pretty hard to home...

We sure wish him ALL the BEST and look forward to hearing more about him. He's unique as I don't think we have anyone else posting about Partridges...we can learn a lot!

Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi and Mr. Squeaks/Dom/Gimie/WoeBeGone


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## rainbows (Aug 19, 2008)

MMmmm...a new cage? ... yes. But no Pear Tree, as mysterious things happen in those pear trees, as Mr Kaver can attest!!!


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Thank you, mr. squeaks. I guess we'll all learn about partridge care together.

Yikes, rainbows! That's too funny. I'm saving that as my wallpaper on my computer.

Here's today's update...

Today, DH and I bought a new cage for Lucky. It's a very large rabbit hutch. We looked at dog crates, too, but we decided that the rabbit hutch would reduce some of the mess from scattered seeds. 

Here's a pic of his new palace:









I put some more antibiotic gel on his toe this a.m., and I'll do so again tonight. It doesn't look infected or anything.










Here's a pic of the "hole" on top of his cere. I'm sorry for the pic quality. I think it looks worse in the pic than it does in real life.










Does anyone know what this is? Do I need to treat it with anything?

So, it looks like Lucky is now a member of our family. Of course, I'm thinking that we need to get him another partridge to keep him company. After all, it's no harder to take care of two partridges, right?

Did you know that you can buy fertile partridge eggs on eBay? That disturbs me a little.

I don't need a whole bunch of eggs. I just need one more little partridge to keep Lucky company.

Oh! I forgot! I heard the first sound out of him today. I was holding him and fussing with him and he made a very soft sound kind of like a chicken. That's it.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm not sure how I missed this thread before. Lucky is a handsome little Chukar  I know a guy who raises a lot of them, but my dad hasn't quite let me get a few yet 

Not sure about the cere? But about getting him a friend, you'd probably have better luck on eggbid than ebay. Considering you're not supposed to sell birds or hatching eggs on ebay, doesn't sound very trusty.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Thank you, Becky. He is a very handsome boy. 

You should have seen him strutting around his new house today. He was stomping, too -- I think he was deliberately making thumping noises to stake out his territory. 

Does your friend raise them for food, hunting or pets?

No, I'm not going to order partridge eggs on eBay. I'm with you -- I thought they weren't supposed to sell live animals on eBay. And in my book, a fertile egg is a live animal. I'm not even sure that we'll get another one. We'll see.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Do chukars need grit?


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

I am upset. Evidently, Lucky smacked that sore spot on his nose. When I picked him up after work tonight, the spot was black with dried blood.

I cleaned the spot with alcohol and applied antibiotic gel.

He sat very nicely with me tonight and let me scratch under his wings and his head. I think part of that was because his nose was ouchy.

As of this morning, Lucky has treated us to some soft clucking noises. It sounds a little like a chicken, but very, very quiet.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

judie said:


> Do chukars need grit?


good question, I woud look up the care of quail as many folks raise those and see what kind of husbantry goes along with that, they are so close in species I would think. I don't think they are domestic though, so he is essencially a wild bird, perhaps there is a sanctuary he can be let free in...?? he may be happier if set free.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> good question, I woud look up the care of quail as many folks raise those and see what kind of husbantry goes along with that, they are so close in species I would think. I don't think they are domestic though, so he is essencially a wild bird, perhaps there is a sanctuary he can be let free in...?? he may be happier if set free.


Good idea on the quail care, spirit wings.

They are a wild species in Asia, and were brought here to be hunted. There are wild populations in the west. I don't know if there are any wild populations here in the northeast.

Lucky was born and raised in captivity, so I don't think he would know how to live in the wild.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

judie said:


> Good idea on the quail care, spirit wings.
> 
> They are a wild species in Asia, and were brought here to be hunted. There are wild populations in the west. I don't know if there are any wild populations here in the northeast.
> 
> Lucky was born and raised in captivity, so I don't think he would know how to live in the wild.


Do you know for sure he could not. I have seen people raise quail here and then release them to start new flocks and it has been successful. I don't think having them in captivity takes the wild out of them, sounds like it would be difficult to find any populations in the NE, but perhaps there is someone who raises them and has a flock he could join....easier said than done though


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

It seems that he does eat grit, but I can't be sure. The soft clucking is a contented noise so you're doing something right.  Sounds like his nose is okay, he's just being dramatic. I'm trying to get my pictures uploaded but my scanner is being temperamental.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

maryjane said:


> It seems that he does eat grit, but I can't be sure. The soft clucking is a contented noise so you're doing something right.  Sounds like his nose is okay, he's just being dramatic. I'm trying to get my pictures uploaded but my scanner is being temperamental.


Ha! He's just being dramatic! I like that, maryjane. Nothing like a melodramatic partridge!

I'm glad that he's content. 

No, spirit wings, I'm not sure that he couldn't survive in the wild. I suspect that if he could hook up with a flock of chukars, he'd learn. 

I contacted The Farm Sanctuary today. They don't have any chukars, but they said they might be open to taking him. They will also look into other sanctuaries that might be able to take him. I sent them an email per their request. Due to the fact that they have a bunch of visitors on the weekend, I probably won't hear from them until next week.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Quick update on Lucky...

I still bring him out for a cuddle in front of the TV at least once a day. This week, I was on vacation, and he got more attention than usual. He used to run and hide in a corner of the living room when I finished petting him. This week, he started jumping up to the back of the couch, which we keep covered. At first, he would sit on the end farthest from me. The past couple of days, he walked to the middle of the couch, closer to me.

Then the real joy... When I stuck my head through the door into the other room to talk to DH, Lucky walked to the very end of the couch closest to me. I think that he had separation anxiety! Later, I left the room entirely for a few minutes, and he did the same thing. He seemed to be looking for me.

He loves to be scratched and petted and rarely bites me anymore. He will give me little love pecks, which are very gentle, on my forearm when I ruffle the feathers on his chest. 

Since he's from an arid place, he doesn't drink much water. So he doesn't poop much. And his poops are very solid and easy to pick up.

I am totally crazy about this bird. Who knew?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Good on you, Judie! Lucky is, indeed, a lucky bird to have found you! I've followed your adventures on the Starling-Talk board, so i think I'm at least a little informed. Please do keep us posted here and we would LOVE to see pictures!

Terry


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Well, Judie, almost looks like Lucky considers YOU his mate!!

I am well aware of birds who choose human mates as that's what my Squeakers has done. I have 3 other pigeons but he considers them intruders and attacks whenever he's around them! 

Then again, I had Squeaks for a long time before I ended up with 3 more!

I am SO glad you decided to keep Lucky! He sure sounds like quite the character and I will love to see posts about his continuing adventures. 

I hear you about that claw! My Gimie, lost her back claw and scared the daylights out of me, but she's fine now. 

Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

I'm delighted to hear it. There's nothing quite like a house chukar. I'm so glad he fits in so well.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Thanks for the update on Lucky - great to hear how well he has settled in.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Terry, I really do need to take some pics. Maybe next weekend. I'll post them here when I do. 

Oh, my, Shi, I didn't consider that Lucky might consider me to be his mate. Funny, I have had birds since 1990, and that simply didn't occur to me. You're probably right. 

Maryjane, you're right, "There's nothing quite like a house chukar."  

You're welcome, Terri B. I'm glad I have a place to share about Lucky. Oddly enough, people at work don't seem to want to hear about him!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

that is so cool! he is probably the luckest and most "spoiled" partridge anywhere....when you name your pets off to others they will take a double take when you say " oh and I have a partridge"..


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

judie said:


> Terry, I really do need to take some pics. Maybe next weekend. I'll post them here when I do.
> 
> Oh, my, Shi, I didn't consider that Lucky might consider me to be his mate. Funny, I have had birds since 1990, and that simply didn't occur to me. You're probably right.
> 
> ...


Gee Judie! Does _that_ sound familar!! I know when I should shut up talking "pigeons" because I notice a glazed eye look! 

Don't know about Partridges, Judie, but there is NO doubt that Mr. Squeaks considers me his mate! 

Looking forward to updates and pictures!

Love, Hugs and Scritches
Shi


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

Yet another Lucky the partridge update...

According to DH, this morning, one of our cockatiels was singing. In the middle of his song, he impersonated Lucky. 

I expected that some day our starling would imitate Lucky, but not the tiels. So far, this is the first thing that they have ever impersonated. On the other hand, the starling impersonates every bird we've ever kept.


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## judie (May 20, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> that is so cool! he is probably the luckest and most "spoiled" partridge anywhere....when you name your pets off to others they will take a double take when you say " oh and I have a partridge"..


spirit wings, he really is a lucky fellow. I can't get over how lucky is having been found by DH instead of someone who would have eaten him, having been found by someone who has birds, being from the same part of the world as DH... 

And there is the "cool factor." I'm the only kid on the block with a chukar.


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## Feather (Dec 8, 2005)

This is the loveliest story ever

I watched a love affair develope here, and it was told to me by one with the cutest personality.

Judi, I so enjoyed reading how you found a new home for Lucky.

I hope that you all live a long, happy life. 

I am a little envious of the cuddle time that you spend with that chubby bird.


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