Squeek

Squeek
Submitted Sept 1999 by Kim
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

My name is Kim and I live in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia with about 2 million people. Squeek is my pet Java Hill Mynah. I'm staying in an apartment in the northern part of the city and I like this area as it is less congested, well planned and it has a lot of greens and birds. Common mynahs are abundant here, they usually fly in pairs and become so used to humans that they are bold enough to look for human food, though not quite as bold as crows, thank goodness we don't have any of those in my area. There are magpies that sing beautifully and Philippine Glossy starlings that can be heard but can't be seen. Squeek does a perfect imitation of the starlings' calls! So far only Common mynahs and little brown birds are bold enough to come right up to the balcony where Squeek is, to pick up dropped food.

This picture was taken in northern Thailand (I am the one wearing blue jeans). I was there earlier this year for a holiday in Chiengmai and got to a place named Mae Hong Sorn, close to the border with Burma/Myanmar. We took a 15 minute boat ride to the village where the Karen hill tribe live. On both sides of the river we could see wild elephants coming out to drink. The lady in this picture is considered an 'aristocrat' in her community because of the rings she wears (I would say because of the pain and discomfort she has to endure). Only females wear them, they start wearing them as young as 5 years old, the number of rings increase as they get older. They are solid brass rings, they NEVER take them off, they are even buried wearing them. An adult female wears rings that weigh up to 5kg.. . talk about burden on one's shoulders! The Karens live a nomadic life farming. At one time, some tribes grew poppies to sell to drug lords... It's nice traveling all over the world to look at people and places. I was in Washington DC a few years back in the month of November, it was freezing cold there, about 3 degrees C.... I saw people eating ice cream cones and was puzzled. To find out, I ate one too!

Squeek's been with me since in June 1996. I went to pet shop to get food for my niece's pet rabbits and saw a huge cage with a bunch of noisy baby mynahs who had just arrived. So I went home, borrowed some money from my sister (it was a Saturday) and went back there again. Squeek was the friendliest and boldest of them all, he hopped right up! The glint in his eyes told me he's very intelligent. I got home and started feeding him immediately (I was told to hand feed him soaked dog food). I figured that he was big enough to eat by himself so I gave him a raisin and he loved it!! Anyway, he ate dog food over the weekend, on Monday I got him mynah pellets which he started eating by himself. Within a week, the other babies went to good homes. Since then, they haven't had Java Hills - they are available locally, thus not so easily available, unlike Greater Hills that are mostly from Thailand. Java Hill mynahs are totally protected in this country, permit is needed to keep one, which has to be renewed every year.Squeek stays in the balcony overlooking the carpark and hills, a wide open space for him to gaze at. He enjoys looking at the cats and people getting in and out of cars. He doesn't care for toys, I've tried putting them inside his cage and either he's not interested at all, or he's afraid of them. He says 'hello' in at least 6 different ways, only to me, like when he wants attention/looking for me, when he wants something or complaining or is just plain playful. Other words are 'how are you', 'naughty boy' & 'naughty!' He learned to say 'hello' two weeks after I brought him home, these are the only words that he wants to learn though it's easy for him to pick up all sorts of sounds like car alarm, bikes, other birds' calls, generally sounds in this area. His day begins at 7-ish when it's bright, he will 'beep' as soon as he hears the click of my bedroom door (he sleeps inside with a blanket over cage). He likes bread for breakfast, I tear them in bits. He likes to dunk them in water just for a second to soften. I only give him fruits when I am home because he will thrash them on the mynah pellets, making them soggy which he will never eat again. So he gets to eat fruits when I'm back in the evening. I feed him one type of fruit a day: banana, apple, pear, papaya (mashed), watermelon, mango and various types of tropical fruits. For treats: cheddar cheese, peanut butter, grapes, fruit juice and baby food in jar (pudding, yogurt and fruits). He eats all day long, about 12 hours till about 7pm when he's less active. He sleeps perching - I put in a box for him but he never used it. He 'slumps' on the perch when relaxed, with only 2 claws showing or he will perch on 1 leg. At night time he can be aggressive and does not like to be disturbed at all!We're very happy to see each other when I'm home in the evening. As soon as I put my hand in, he will hop right on to 'tell' me how his day has been. When he's out of his cage, he's usually perched on the curtain rail or a pillow to sleep, and amuses himself looking in the mirror.

Back to Profiles