Buttersquash
Meeting neighbors
- Joined
- 5/27/15
- Messages
- 48
Hi,
So I'm a fairly new CCA owner (acquired 11 week old male in July) and wanted to share some of my observations thus far, and would love to hear others. In a nutshell I'm blown away by his personality and endlessly amused by his behaviors. Just so you know, I had cold feet about getting one but even though he is definitely a life-changing type of pet, I do not find it anything but a plus (endless fruit chopping, poop cleaning and all).
Mine is on the needy side, but as time has gone on he is more independent. However, he still minds when I leave for work (testament to how social these guys are... just doesn't understand why his flock would ever
leave him!) I can tell when he is anxious bc he bops around his cage and utters a croaking call (isn't too loud, sounds like a frog). He is an interesting balance between super cuddly (when he wants to sleep) and wanting to do his own thing, which somehow works for me completely. He may seem like he is totally ignoring me, but when I leave the room he will call (croak), and then after a bit he will fly and look for me, often landing on my shoulder or head.
His cage is modest compared to some others I have seen on here, but he has free run of the entire house when I'm home, and boy he uses every bit of it! As some have said, they are very active and curious, but I've never found him to be unmanageably hyper. They just like to fly about and check things out, and IMO no cage can be big enough - they must be let out daily. Another fascinating thing is despite not having really done any training of any kind, he somehow poops 80-90% of time on his T-stand only, of his own volition. In fact I have observed him many times playing in my living room, on my desk, etc., and then suddenly fly off to his T-stand and poop.
Perhaps I have spoiled him terribly, but he never sleeps in his cage - instead, he sleeps wrapped up in a blanket, and tucked in a toy dog carrier bag next to my bed. I also use a baby sling to keep him warm and carry him around the house - he loves sleeping in it and it lets me be hands-free to do other things. Have to careful though, bc if you happen to trip and fall, you can seriously hurt your toucan.
I've found he has amazing temperature control of his beak - which many of you might have read is considered to be so large to help with thermoregulation.
On two occasions in the first month I had him, I heard him do an 'alarm' or contact call - the super loud call they have (which you can hear on some online ornithology websites). Suffice it to say, it is the LOUDEST call I have ever heard a bird do, I think more piercing than even a cockatoo or amazon (and I have heard many of those!) At close range it is like an ambulance siren... and of another world - you would clearly say "wow.. that does NOT sound North American!) If this type of bird was prone to 'scream' this call repetitively, I think I'd have some really unhappy neighbors - even despite living in a private home with the houses some distance apart! But he has never done this call since.
Feet thumping: it seems that when temps started getting cooler (mid 60's at night) he started thumping his feet at night. It actually would wake me up. Long story short, after I wrapped him up in two towels instead of his usual one towel, he stopped doing it. So perhaps he was cold - and it was akin to shivering to keep warm? Truly a tropical animal, I have to say. 65 degrees isn't exactly North pole weather!
This is kind of long - but I have a couple other anecdotes which I will post later. Cheers!
So I'm a fairly new CCA owner (acquired 11 week old male in July) and wanted to share some of my observations thus far, and would love to hear others. In a nutshell I'm blown away by his personality and endlessly amused by his behaviors. Just so you know, I had cold feet about getting one but even though he is definitely a life-changing type of pet, I do not find it anything but a plus (endless fruit chopping, poop cleaning and all).
Mine is on the needy side, but as time has gone on he is more independent. However, he still minds when I leave for work (testament to how social these guys are... just doesn't understand why his flock would ever
leave him!) I can tell when he is anxious bc he bops around his cage and utters a croaking call (isn't too loud, sounds like a frog). He is an interesting balance between super cuddly (when he wants to sleep) and wanting to do his own thing, which somehow works for me completely. He may seem like he is totally ignoring me, but when I leave the room he will call (croak), and then after a bit he will fly and look for me, often landing on my shoulder or head.
His cage is modest compared to some others I have seen on here, but he has free run of the entire house when I'm home, and boy he uses every bit of it! As some have said, they are very active and curious, but I've never found him to be unmanageably hyper. They just like to fly about and check things out, and IMO no cage can be big enough - they must be let out daily. Another fascinating thing is despite not having really done any training of any kind, he somehow poops 80-90% of time on his T-stand only, of his own volition. In fact I have observed him many times playing in my living room, on my desk, etc., and then suddenly fly off to his T-stand and poop.
Perhaps I have spoiled him terribly, but he never sleeps in his cage - instead, he sleeps wrapped up in a blanket, and tucked in a toy dog carrier bag next to my bed. I also use a baby sling to keep him warm and carry him around the house - he loves sleeping in it and it lets me be hands-free to do other things. Have to careful though, bc if you happen to trip and fall, you can seriously hurt your toucan.
I've found he has amazing temperature control of his beak - which many of you might have read is considered to be so large to help with thermoregulation.
On two occasions in the first month I had him, I heard him do an 'alarm' or contact call - the super loud call they have (which you can hear on some online ornithology websites). Suffice it to say, it is the LOUDEST call I have ever heard a bird do, I think more piercing than even a cockatoo or amazon (and I have heard many of those!) At close range it is like an ambulance siren... and of another world - you would clearly say "wow.. that does NOT sound North American!) If this type of bird was prone to 'scream' this call repetitively, I think I'd have some really unhappy neighbors - even despite living in a private home with the houses some distance apart! But he has never done this call since.
Feet thumping: it seems that when temps started getting cooler (mid 60's at night) he started thumping his feet at night. It actually would wake me up. Long story short, after I wrapped him up in two towels instead of his usual one towel, he stopped doing it. So perhaps he was cold - and it was akin to shivering to keep warm? Truly a tropical animal, I have to say. 65 degrees isn't exactly North pole weather!
This is kind of long - but I have a couple other anecdotes which I will post later. Cheers!
I will look into the Avitec heater. I will def. have to do something for the winter because my aracari (Beaker) was thumping his feet again last night, despite now being wrapped in two towels. Although, last night was the coldest yet (first day of fall!). I've heard about how aracaris can adapt to fairly cold temps once acclimated, but maybe when they're young, not so much...?
