Attacks on feet!

Question
Hi there,
I have a decent size aviary with about 70
birds in it.  A fair few budgies and
cockateils, a pair of turks, a pair of
princess parrots, 2 kakarikis, some quail,
finches and a ringneck.

Everyone has always gotten on well, but the
other day I found a quail with its legs
broken and bloodied.  I couldnt work out
what it was and assumed that maybe it had
been stepped on or something.  A week later,
my favourite kakariki had his legs amputated!
I removed everything that a rat could be
hiding in, and dont see how they could get
in (concrete floor - even mouseproffed)
Today I saw that a finch was missing a leg.

This has all started happening after introducing the ringneck, princess parrots and the kakrikis.

The ringneck seems to keep to himself and be
a very relaxed bird. He just wanders around
and plays with his toys - never seen him be
agressive.
The princess male is pretty noisy, but have
never seen him attack anything.
The kakarikis DID attack my amputated feet kakraiki when he was in the aviary today.  
The amputated foot kaka was in the cage
BEFORE these 2 new ones were introduced (he
had his feet then)  They never interacted
at all.

How am I going to sort this out before I lose anymore feet!  I dont want to put the 3 species
in different cages, as I am sure it is only
one that is attacking.  How do I work out which one?

The attacks have only happened about once a week - so how am I supposed to use a camera?

I check the birds in the morning and night.  I think I have noticed the birds in the mornings.

We have had parrots and finches and quail in this aviary for many years without a problem - it is obviously one of the new parrots.

I amputated the feet of the kakariki, and he
is alive and well.  He is in his own cage for
now, as I dont think he would go well in the
aviary.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregdenehy/175969665/in/set-72157594178811281/

Greg
Geelong, AUSTRALIA

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.pets.birds/browse_frm/thread/46949994fc84815b...


Answer
Hi, Greg.  Thanks for posting.

I'm so sorry to hear about this.  Is this an outside or inside aviary?  

You may have answered your own question provided this is an inside aviary!  If you suspect it's one of the new parrots, then it most likely is, since you know these parrots better than anyone else and can see exactly what's going on.  I recommend you remove the new parrots and place them in separate cage(s) to see if this doesn't resolve the problem.  If the problem still occurs, then you know it's something else.  This is just about all you can do...process of elimination.  You may have to keep separate cages for some of your parrots.  I would not have recommended you house all these parrots together in one aviary for the very reason(s) you describe.  Even if housed inside, mice/snakes/rats/other can often still gain entrance in ways you may not have discovered yet.  In most cases, if an animal can get it's head through something, it's body will easily follow.

If this is an outside aviary, then there are many  possible causes, i.e., mice, rats, snakes, other similar wildlife in your area that prey on birds.  I have a homing pigeon loft outside, as well as caged birds inside, and the troubles I see between the 2 locations are quite different.

Chrys