Identify this bird please

[V-spec]

Can anyone advise what this is and what it might like to eat? Is bird seed ok? Fruit? Will it drink from a shallow bowl?

It's been hanging around our garden this weekend, it is obviously tame but will nip fingers if you get too close.

Nice little thing, I hope the owners put some posters up or something, no idea how to find them otherwise (we are in Belgium)



http://thumbsnap.com/i/fLh6PSnS.jpg

[C3BER]

Peach faced lovebird.

[C3BER]

Yes to all your questions

[kev b]

I concur, Peach Faced Lovebird, a creature designed to convert birdseed into screeching with maximum efficiency.

[V-spec]

Lol - it's definitely good at the screeching, it announces it's arrival very loudly every time

[sunbeam alpine]

How strange. When did it appear? We had this bird (or one very much like it) in our garden early last week.

Wonder if it's the same one (we're just outside Gent).

If it's the same one, it may have travelled some distance!

[bexVN]

I thought it was a lovebird but didn't have the confidence to be the first to reply in case I was wrong!

Aww there's likely to be a mate missing it.

[V-spec]

sunbeam alpine said:

How strange. When did it appear? We had this bird (or one very much like it) in our garden early last week.

Wonder if it's the same one (we're just outside Gent).

If it's the same one, it may have travelled some distance!

I think it was there on Saturday because I noticed the screeching, but yesterday my daughter spotted it in the trees during the afternoon, and in the early evening it flew down and landed on our parasol above us as we were having tea (as you can see in the photo)!
It stayed for a good half an hour and didn't seem bothered by us, but would nip any fingers that tried to touch it.

[TheHangingJudge]

If you can, and its still around you, I would try to catch it as it is very unlikely to survive long in the wild. As to how to achieve that I am afraid I am not sure, I imagine a towel chucked over it at an opportune moment would be best. You could try luring it into the house first and then try the towel.

[hedges88]

TheHangingJudge said:

If you can, and its still around you, I would try to catch it as it is very unlikely to survive long in the wild. As to how to achieve that I am afraid I am not sure, I imagine a towel chucked over it at an opportune moment would be best. You could try luring it into the house first and then try the towel.

Indeed, I have two of these, the only African parrots that I have. I doubt it will survive in the wild. However given that ring necked parakeets happily live in South East London stranger things have happened

Peach Faced are quite common, if that was a Fischer's you'd have posters hanging on every available spot by now.

As for the person who said they convert seed into screech at maximum efficiency, you are absolutely correct Mine are nesting at the moment, so if you've given your wild visitor a name please let me know and in case he perishes I shall give his name to one of the hatchlings