Yesterday while taking the bird seed out to fling on the driveway for the pigeons and doves who can't compete at the feeder with the galahs, I heard a 'plop' from off to the left in the paddock. Was going to ignore it but realized it didn't sound like a branch falling and the huge silky oak tree growing there doesn't bear fruit. So what could make that ripe-fruit-falling sound? Upon investigation I found a juvenile rainbow lorikeet. He'd fallen from the tree and although screeching and trying to 'run away' by flopping his wings, it was obvious something was seriously wrong.
I don't know what's wrong. Nothing is broken. He's in fair condition, not emaciated but not plump either. His eyes are liquid, not overflowing and they're clear, but they look too wet, if that makes any sense. As lorikeets have liquid droppings anyway and I no longer have microscope to look at poo samples, I can only guess what's wrong with him. I've put him on coccivet which if he has coccidiosis, a distinct possibility, will help, and if he doesn't, won't hurt him.
Yesterday looked for food and probably had about 10 mls during the day although I noticed a tendency to head shake, as if taking in the food bothered him. This morning, with much work, managed to get 1ml down. Had to wrap him in a towel to make him concentrate.
When I returned from riding, I glanced at him while leading Balthazar to the yards. He looked dead; all stretched out on the bottom of the cage. Well, I thought, we tried. But when I came up later, he had moved. I'd made up my mind that if he didn't willingly eat I'd crop feed him, as, if he's going to overcome what ails him he has to keep his strength up and he's noticeably weakened since yesterday. But lo and behold, he took 3ml, albeit slowly. Perhaps all it is is coccidiosis. I pray that it is for it's very curable. Possible too because we had all that wet weather, conditions which seem to bring it on.
He's in the sun during the day and at night I've got the terracotta pot over an incandescent, ie warm, light bulb. We'll do the best we can.
I've called him Rupert.
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