please help ID this Thai bird (1 Viewer)

T

Thaiguy

New member

• Nov 5, 2002

• #1

Greetings from Thailand. I bought a bird I saw in a feedstore last week. When I asked the boy there what kind of bird it was he said, parodok (in Thai). Nobody here has ever seen one of these before nor does anyone know what parodok means in Thai. A neighbor told me maybe he was endangered as this goes on here in Thailand. If so, I'd surely like to know. I have looked for his photo on many sites but nothing even close. He/she is about the size of an African lovebird, maybe a little larger, tailless (either by design or missing), has a large beak that looks somewhat like a raven, long black wiskers, green with some torquose around the cheeks. He eats apples and the ants that crawl into his cage, that's all so far (no seeds). He doesn't chirp or sing but once I put a mirror next to him and he made a funny gurguling sound kind of like something being dragged across the floor. JB

 

Steve

Member

Staff member

• Nov 5, 2002

• #2

ID

JB,
First of all let me welcome you to the forums, I think you are our first member from Thailand and you are very welcome.
perhaps you could take a picture of the bird then post it on here?
Im sure someone will then be able to tell you what it is.
I have to say though, that discussing a caged bird bought at a market does not make easy reading for me.
I have no idea what you have in your cage, but if it is a native bird
perhaps you could do me a HUGE favour and take it into the countryside and let it go.


steve

 

Camberley red

Well-known member

• Nov 6, 2002

• #3

Parodok?

The bird in question is most likely from the Barbet family ' parodok' (in Thai), so I would look them up in a bird guide if you have one. But as suggested any chance of a photo.

I think Barbet's are pretty popular in Thailand because they are very pretty, I am not so sure about their songs!Good luck

Paul

 

SarahC

Well-known member

• Nov 8, 2002

• #4

If this bird was raised as a baby in a cage it would be unlikely it would survive in the wild. The same can go for a grown bird released in other birds territory although I know nothing about this particular birds social habits.

 

Camberley red

Well-known member

• Nov 8, 2002

• #5

I'm afraid to say that the cage bird trade in Thailand is almost certainly 'caught in the wild' its a buddist tradition at certain festivals to release birds back into the wild. The problem with the Barbet is that it is most probably from a forest environment, therefore release in a city would not be good as its mainly a fruit eater. Also once caged, birds tend to loose there survival instincts and it would most likely fall prey to a raptor.

Paul

 

T

Thaiguy

New member

• Nov 9, 2002

• #6

thanks everyone

Thanks Paul, yes, he's a Barbet. Thanks for your warm welcome Steve. Sorry Steve but I shouldn't set him free. He seems to like it here (ate the fruit of my dinner plate, while sitting on my knee today), has plenty of out-of-cage time and, as Steve mentions, couldn't sing a song anyone would recognize here in thr biggest city in S.E.A. Also he cost me a day's pay. And, FTI, a day's pay to me is about as much as one of you fellows earn during your ten-minute morning coffee break at work. Thais are generally kind to amimals, Buddha insists on it I guess. Sorry for my newbeness, Jonathan Blair

 

Steve

Member

Staff member

• Nov 10, 2002

• #7

hello

johnathan, great second post and answer, dont worry about newbie, we all were at one time.
where did you find out about the forums?

 

SarahC

Well-known member

• Nov 14, 2002

• #8

It sounds to me like the bird has a good home and is enjoying it

 

T

Thaiguy

New member

• Nov 18, 2002

• #9

Thanks again. I found you via key words. I wish I had something more intriguing to say, but no. I learned a lot here. To tell you the truth I didn't know what raptor ment. So I got a little useful education too. I'm an English teacher.