Introducing Niko, Our Curl Crested Aracari Baby!

The day had finally come after waiting for nearly a year and a half to get our male Curl Crested Aracari.  We had his name picked out all this time, Niko!  

During the ride to the airport, my stomach was in knots.  While I was so happy for him to come, I was as nervous as could be.  All the what if’s:  What if he and Bella don’t get along?  What if it changes our relationship with Bella?  

We picked him up from JFK from Delta Dash.  The gentleman from Delta was absolutely amazing.  He told us as soon as the plane was ready to be unloaded that he would see to it that our baby would come off right away.  He said he would personally take us to him as quickly as possible.  The process was as smooth as ever!  

The moment I saw him all the nerves went away.  Oh my gosh was he as cute as ever!  My heart immediately melted.  He just looked at us with the cutest little face.

We hit lots of traffic on the car ride home and Niko was as calm as a pickle!  He didn’t make a peep and stayed on his perch throughout the ride.

I brought him into the house and into our bedroom where he would begin his quarantine.  I set up my video camera so I could record the magical moment we had been waiting for.  

I opened the crate door and he immediately began “barking”.  Then he started flapping around inside the crate.  He was obviously nervous and afraid.  I showed him a blueberry thinking this may help.  The breeder told us he loves blueberries.

He looked at it and kept barking.  I’m not sure I even know what happened next!  I tried to reach in to grab him and he flew past me like a bat out of hell!  Baby toucan on the loose!  Oh my gosh, was this a site!  He landed first on the pillow.  Not a bad spot, but I was afraid he would fall between the headboard and the frame.

I again tried to lure him with a blueberry.  He flew off onto the top of my curtains over my sliding glass door.  Ok, at least he successfully landed!  That is a huge plus.  I was happy he perched up there but now how do I get him down?

I don’t even know why I continued to try with the blueberry since it was highly unsuccessful every other time.  But, panic had ensued in me!  I certainly couldn’t reach him so what else was I to do?  I thought about getting a kitchen chair but knew by the time I returned he would be probably somewhere else.  Introducing another big object into the picture also didn’t seem like a good idea either!

He started looking up at the ceiling and that made me petrified!  I knew what was coming….please don’t!  Oh my gosh, of course, you knew he did!  He flew up into the ceiling!  Why do they do this?  Bella did the same thing when she was a baby!  

Well, the flight into the ceiling led him to perch on my curtain rods over my bedroom windows.  Again, I was just happy he actually made it to perch on them!  

At this point in my mind, I had no idea how on earth I was going to get him as he obviously can not only fly well but he likes to be up high, like most birds!  My next step was obviously one I made in haste and not actually thought through very well!  I decide I’m going to stand on the nightstand and get him.  (Did I actually think I was going to get him?  Yes, apparently I did!)

Of course, you know the outcome of that.  But, this time he landed on the other nightstand.  Finally a lower spot!  I pounced to grab him.  He was definitely not happy about it and was even more scared, but I had no choice.

I put him in his cage.  That also didn’t turn out as planned!! He started flying now INSIDE the cage!  Oh my goodness, what a catastrophe!  I was so afraid he was going to get hurt!

He kept grabbing onto the sides of the cage, a move my husband and I have labeled “spiderman” when our other toucans did it.  I just kept closing my eyes, while looking the whole time!  Both of our hearts were racing.

Every time he touched a toy, he would freak out again.  Poor baby had never seen toys before.

He finally calmed down and started to doze off.  He wore himself out with all this carrying on.  

So that was how Niko and I first met.  Not exactly the experience I envisioned at all!  But, definitely, one to remember!