Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.

The chipper little zebra finch, ever popular in the lab and home, has once again shed some light on topics important to those who study both birds and people.

Hearing and Correcting the Song

Researchers at Switzerland’s Zurich University have shown that certain cells in zebra finch brains become active when the bird makes a mistake in its song, or when a disruption is introduced into a recording of another’s song.  This offers the first proof that birds listen to their own songs, and compare what they hear to an “ideal” song that is stored somewhere in the brain. 

Implications for People

Human language skills are thought to develop in a similar manner, but the functioning of the neurons involved is largely unknown.  The recent discoveries concerning finches may point the way towards a better understanding of speech development in people.

Song and Speech Timing

In related experiments, it was discovered that a specific area of the brain, the High Vocal Center, controls the timing of zebra finch singing.  Cooling this area of the brain slowed the song’s tempo, but did not affect the sequence of the notes (one is tempted to wonder why the birds kept singing while their brains were being chilled!).

Birdsong and human speech both require a complex series of timing adjustments if they are to be understood by others of their species.  The Zurich researchers are hopeful that their work will have implications for those studying human speech impediments.

Please pass along any interesting research news you may come across, and I’ll include it in future articles.  Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

The zebra finch is one of the world’s most important laboratory animals, and studies of it have led to a staggering array of important discoveries.  An interesting summary of its many contributions is posted at:

http://genome.wustl.edu/genome.cgi?GENOME=Taeniopygia%20guttata

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.

The presence of whole, undigested seeds in a parrot’s stool is cause for concern.  It is usually associated with hyper-motility of the gastrointestinal (digestive) tract — in other words, food is passing too quickly through the system, and digestion is not taking place.  The problem usually centers in the glandular stomach (proventriculus) or the gizzard (ventriculus).

A gram-negative bacterial infection, which may be caused by organisms such as Enterobacter mega-bacteria or various spirochetes, is often involved.  Fungal infections, and parasites such as Giardia or roundworms, are also possibilities that must be considered.  Less frequently, gastrointestinal hyper- motility can arise due to cancer, or to problems in the functioning of the crop and pancreas.  The possibility that your bird has contracted the very serious Proventricular Dilation Disease (PDD, or “Macaw Wasting Disease”) must also be investigated (please see reference below).

You should contact your veterinarian if undigested seeds show up in the feces of any species of parrot that you might keep.  The first step is usually to submit a fecal sample.  This may be followed by a radiograph or, if necessary, a biopsy of the area in question.

Please write it with health-related questions or to share your experiences in caring for sick or injured birds.  Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

You can learn more about Proventricular Dilation Disease at:
http://www.gtpc.ca/documents/PDD-AABirds%20_1_.pdf

Click: Breeding the Melba Finch (Green-Winged Pytilia), Pytilia melba - Part 1 to read the first part of this article.

The Importance of Insects in the Diet

The Melba finch’s beak is much thinner than that of those finches, such as the Gouldian, that rely on a seed-based diet.  In the wild this species consumes a good deal of insect prey, and such is particularly important in bringing the birds into breeding condition, and when they are raising chicks.  This is true of Melba finches to a much greater extent than for any other finch species.

Melba finches do well when provided with small crickets and mealworm grubs and pupae, but increasing the dietary variety is always a good idea.  Waxworms, Canned Caterpillars and insects collected with Zoo Med’s Bug Napper Insect Trap (moths and small beetles are especially favored) will help assure your success.  Higgins Eggfood is indispensible for Melba finches, both in and out of the breeding season.  The young are fed entirely upon insects for at least 10 days after hatching, so be sure to have plenty on hand.

In addition to the aforementioned foods, the basic adult diet should consist a mix of high quality Finch Seed, sprouts and a bit of romaine and other greens.

Eliciting Natural Feeding Behaviors

Melba finches in the wild and in outdoor aviaries forage mainly on the ground.  Dry hay or grass can be placed on the cage bottom - insects or seed scattered within this will keep them occupied for hours.

The Breeding Cage

Although success has been had in fairly small cages, I would suggest using one along the lines of the Blue Ribbon Peaked Bird Cage.  Melba finches favor an open wicker cup as a nesting site, which should be situated behind Hanging Silk or live plants.

Typical Reproductive Behavior

The male will indicate his breeding readiness by singing and commencing nest-building (provide dry grass or 8 in one nesting hair).  Females lay 3-6 eggs, which are incubated by both parents. Most importantly - these birds will not tolerate nest inspections.  Doing so almost guarantees that they will toss the eggs from the nest.

The eggs hatch in 12-13 days, and fledging usually occurs at day 19-21.  The fledglings are fed by the parents for approximately 2 weeks after leaving the nest.  They should be removed shortly thereafter, and can be kept as a group for 7 months to 1 year.  However, I suggest splitting them at age 5-6 months, as aggression triggered by maturity can come on quite suddenly.

Adult plumage is attained at age 7 months, but birds rarely breed before 2-3 years of age. 

Melba finches and their relatives are still not commonly bred in captivity - please pass along your own observations concerning successes and failures.  Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

Techniques used by Australian aviculturists to breed this and related finches are discussed at:

http://www.hawkesburyfinchclub.com/pytilia.html

Click here for an image of the Melba Finch.

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.The hardy Melba finch is among the most popular of the Estrildidae (an order of approximately 130 species of waxbills and grass finches), but after reading most husbandry accounts, you would quickly abandon any hope of breeding it in captivity. Most authors suggest not even attempting such unless you can provide the birds with a large, well-planted aviary.

True, I have observed this bird to breed regularly in huge zoo exhibits, but I also know of hobbyists who have accomplished the same indoors, in surprisingly small quarters. Today I’d like to pass along a bit of what I’ve learned from them.

A Mix of Sensitivity and Aggression
I think that aviculturists often give up on this bird because they fail to realize how long pairs may take to settle in - both to each other and to their cages. Melba finches are quite sensitive and, while new birds may calm down and feed normally, they will not reproduce until conditions are exactly to their liking. They are easily stressed by conditions that might not phase related finches.

Mature pairs may take 6 months to 1 year before settling down to breed. Under no circumstances should more than 1 pair be housed together - even in large zoo exhibits I have had trouble with aggression. Pairs housed in the same room, but in different cages, may also inhibit one another from breeding… this is less likely if sight barriers are utilized.

Range and Description
Native to southern Africa, the Melba finch frequents dry savannas and overgrown, thorny scrub. It forages in pairs or small groups, and does not form large flocks.

Males have scarlet-orange to red faces, with traces of red on the breast. The gray underside is marked with white streaks, while the chest, wings and back are olive. Hens are somewhat duller overall, and lack red coloring on the face. Adults top out at 5 inches in length.

Reproductive Triggers - Humidity and Insects
A colleague who bred Melba finches in a small, standard-sized finch cage identified an increase in humidity and insect food as keys to her (or the birds’!) success. This makes sense, as budgerigars, cockatiels and other finch species hailing from arid climates are stimulated to reproduce by the onset of the rainy season (or even a passing storm).

Humidity
Humidity can be increased via a small room humidifier, but several contacts have reported that daily misting with a water bottle works just as well. I have noted that many zoo birds respond to seasonal “rains” delivered via a morning and evening hosing of their exhibits, so misting could well deliver the stimulus needed by caged finches.

Check out an excellent picture of a Melbra finch here.

Click: Breeding the Melba Finch (Green-Winged Pytilia), Pytilia melba - Part 2, to read the conclusion of this article.

Until than,

Frank

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.We’ve all handled our share of troublesome parrots, but 2 incidents that caught my attention recently seemed worthy of passing along…enjoy.

A bad Actor…or a Brilliant Prankster?
An Amazon parrot set to debut in a Christmas play for a professional theatre company in Dorset, England was summarily dismissed for replacing his painstakingly-learned lines with curses. Despite reciting his lines perfectly during rehearsal, the bird unfailingly broke into a stream of obscenities each time he was called upon to speak on stage. The bird’s owner expressed “shock” and claimed to be “at a loss” when asked to explain his pet’s behavior. As might be expected, a stand-in for the mischievous fellow is proving difficult to locate.

An Avian Barfly
On a more serious note, in terms of proper pet-keeping, a parrot of unidentified species was banned from a pub in South Wales, where he had been a beloved mascot. According to the pub’s manager, the bird had become “too fond” of beer, to the point of stealing sips from patron’s mugs at every opportunity, and rarely rose “before noon”. The errant bird also cursed “continually” (wonder where he picked that up!), “heckled the pool players” and produced a loud “wolf whistle” each time a woman entered the pub. This last transgression proved to be the last straw, as some women blamed other pub patrons for the whistles, and fights broke out as a result.

Happily, the bird was adopted by a concerned neighbor and is now living in much more appropriate surroundings. It seems the bird’s “peers” were a bad influence - he is now happily guzzling water instead of beer, and is up with the sunrise!

Please write in with your own stories. Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

An Indian Hill Myna’s vocal talents once landed me in a bit of hot water with a zoo director…please see my article The Natural History and Captive Care of the Hill Myna (Myna Bird, Indian Hill Myna), Gracula religiosa.

Hi Frank Indiviglio here.

Last time we took a look at some of the fine foods available to those who keep softbills and lories as pets (Please see Alternative Bird Foods - Yesterday and Today, Part I).  I mentioned that these products have greatly simplified the captive husbandry of a number of species, and alluded to the difficulties involved in preparing certain diets from scratch.

Today I’d like to recount what it was like to be a bird keeper assigned to prepare food for the huge collection of insectivorous birds at New York City’s Bronx Zoo.

Birds and Bird Keepers Must Eat Early

I rose at 3:20 AM (despite the dreadful hour, I awoke hungry and so allowed time for feeding myself before even thinking about birds of any sort!), and arrived at the zoo by 5:15 AM or so.  The walk from my car to the World of Birds took me along the Bronx River, and my arrival at the door was often delayed by the parade of creatures out and about at that time - perhaps a family of striped skunks, or any of the 265+ bird species recorded nearby. 

Cooking and Mixing

The first order of business was cooking 80 pounds of horsemeat which, I must admit, smelled quite sweet and roused me to hunger once again. I also hard-boiled 60 dozen eggs, which were then ground (with the shells) and, along with vitamin and mineral supplements, mixed with the meat.  

Diets for individual exhibits and birds were posted over the mixing table, on a board that measured about 18′ x 3′.  Individual ingredients were then added to the pans, as per the needs of the various species - mealworms, newly molted mealworms, blueberries, mixed fruits, chopped vegetables and innumerable other ingredients all had a place.

Delivering the Food

We kept a great many mixed species exhibits, so food pan placement was of paramount importance. Some pans went to areas accessible only to tiny birds; others went in wire cages that functioned as traps, allowing the keepers to capture birds needing attention, while many were positioned so as to afford the public a good view of the feeding birds. 

Without carful attention to such details, birds in large exhibits often become malnourished.  Oddly enough, the most dominant individuals often fare the worst, as they select only favored treats, such as mealworms and crickets…leaving the others to consume the more nutritious basic diet.

An Array of Other Foods

Diets for specialized feeders - nectar for hummingbirds and sunbirds, nuts and fruits for cassowaries, fish for bald eagles, mash for flamingos, rodents and insects for burrowing owls, and so forth - came next…more about that in the future.  Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

Please check out my other articles on bird nutrition:

Grit and Gizzards - how birds digest seeds

Feeding Insects to Pet Birds - useful products designed for reptiles

Iodine Deficiency (Avian Goiter, Thyroid Hyperplasia) in Parrots, and Other Cage Birds

Product Review: Vitakraft’s Sprout Pot - a Convenient Method of Supplying Your Birds with Valuable Nutrients

Sprouting Seeds at Home: A Useful Method of Providing Pet Birds with Nutritious Treats

Pet Birds and Plants, Part I & II - avoiding toxic species

Please write in with your questions and comments. Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

An interesting perspective on feeding birds and other animals at Australia’s Taronga Park Zoo is posted at:

http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/future/Transcripts/s1053563.htm

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.Peer into a nest containing hungry Estrildid (order Estrildidae) finches and you may be surprised by the array of colors and odd tongue and mouth markings that greet you.

Mouth Adornments in Three Common Finches
Gouldian finch chicks sport bright blue and yellow nodules in their capacious gapes. Like those of related species, these reflect what little light is available in the dark nest hollow, and no doubt guide the parents during feeding.

Zebra finches take the strategy a bit further…in addition to black and yellow markings in the mouth, their tongues bear distinctive nodules that move about as the chicks beg for food.

The colorful firetail finch parent is guided to its chicks even before they open their mouths, as each bears a stark white flange of skin along the sides of the bill. Once opened, the mouths reveal a series of bright yellow and black nodules.

Deceiving Parasites?
In addition to their obvious role in garnering a meal, mouth markings may serve to deter parents from feeding the young of brood parasites - birds which lay their eggs in the nests of other species, leaving the chicks to be reared by unwitting foster parents.

Indeed, species whose chicks have distinctive mouth markings often make poor foster parents in captivity (fostering is commonly used when parents reject young, or if eggs are pulled in order to stimulate a second clutch). Zebra finches, for example, often reject the chicks of other species, and may even fail to properly feed their own albino or pale-colored offspring (such chicks often have indistinct mouth markings).

Birds have innumerable strategies to assure that their chicks reach adulthood…please pass along your own thoughts and questions. Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

The abstract of an article that proposes interesting theories for the development of mouth markings is posted at:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/4462l15300172428/

Image referenced from Wikipedia creative Commons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IMG_2535_1000_crop.jpg

Click: Goffin’s Cockatoo (Cacatua goffini): The Natural History and Captive Care of a Popular but Little-Studied Psittacine - Goffin Cockatoos as Pets - Part I, for the first part of this article.

Light
Be sure to install a full spectrum bird bulb over your pet’s cage. Please see my articles Providing the Proper Type and Amount of Light to Your Pet Bird and Lighting for Your Pet Bird: the Importance of Photoperiods for further information.Feeding
Goffin’s cockatoos consume a wide range of foods in the wild, and are at their best when provided with a rich, varied diet in captivity. The basis of their diet should be a high quality pellet, such as Lafeber Premium Pelleted Daily Diet for Macaws and Cockatoos, supplemented with nuts and seeds as contained in Sun Seed Vita Large Hookbill Bird Food. Lafeber Nutri-Berries and similar products can be used as treats and rewards.

Your cockatoo will also relish corn on the cob, broccoli, carrots and other fruits and vegetables, and should always have access to a cuttlebone.

Wild Goffin’s cockatoos are known to consume beetle larvae and other insects, and may have a higher need for animal-based protein than do their relatives. Most experienced aviculturists provide Goffin’s cockatoos with approximately ¼ of a hard-boiled egg each week or so.

Captive Longevity
Although typical longevities in the USA average 40 years, there are records of Goffin’s cockatoos living into their 60’s and 70’s, with individuals kept by European aviculturists reproducing until age 40.

Handling
This species is among the easiest of the cockatoos to train, and often becomes an affectionate pet. Like most cockatoos, it may bond to and jealously “guard” a favored person. Hand-reared birds, weaned between ages 12-16 weeks, usually make the best pets.

Breeding
Breeding is best undertaken in a large outdoor aviary. The pair generally mates for life. The iris of the male is dark brown, while that of the hen is reddish-brown.

The nest box should measure 24″ x 16″ x 16″, and have an entrance hole of 4″ in diameter. The male usually incubates by day, the female by night. Please see “Reproduction” in a prior article for further details.

Miscellaneous
Goffin’s are fine talkers but do not enunciate their words as clearly as do some other parrots. Like all cockatoos, they shed a fine, powdery down.

Please write in with your comments and questions. Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

An interesting article on feral Goffin’s cockatoos and other parrots in Florida, published in the Florida Field Naturalist, is posted at:
http://www.fosbirds.org/FFN/Articles/FFNv30n4p111-131Pranty.pdf

Image referenced from Wikipedia Commons

General
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.

I had my first contact with Goffin’s cockatoos in the mid 1970’s, while working for a bird importer. At that time, they were among the least expensive of the parrots, and for this reason were branded as a poor choice for a pet. Yet even in the importer’s chaotic holding rooms, amid thousands of other birds, I noticed that they stood out somehow - calm and, if given a chance, eager to engage with people.

As it turned out, these Indonesian natives have proven to be among the most gentle, and easily trained of the cockatoos. These qualities, combined with their small size and quiet tendencies (”quiet”, in that they are less likely to let loose with the “ear-bleeding” screams of their larger relatives) render the Goffin’s an ideal “first cockatoo”.

Enclosure and Physical Environment
Cockatoos are among the most active of the parrots, expressing themselves more with body and beak than with sound, and the Goffin’s is no exception. Your Goffin’s cockatoo will require a larger cage than other birds of a similar size.

The smallest cage I would recommend is the A&E Bird Dometop Cage (36″ x 28″ x 65″), but a macaw-sized model (i.e. A&E Bird Stainless Steel Bird Cage) is preferable. When choosing your pet’s cage, bear in mind that it will likely spend most of its time therein - more so than other parrots, cockatoos are liable to get into trouble if left out unsupervised. They are just too inquisitive and athletic to be given the run of a room unless carefully watched.

Your Goffin’s cage should be outfitted with a wide variety of perches of various materials and thicknesses….rope perches are especially appreciated and will give rise to all sorts of acrobatic performances. Your bird’s feet should extend ¾ of the way around the perch upon which it spends most of its time. Please see my article Choosing the Proper Perch for Pet Parrots, Finches, Canaries and other Birds for more detailed information.

Goffin’s cockatoos must be kept occupied when left alone. Provide your pet with a rotating supply of heavy duty parrot toys, especially models that can be dismantled. I’ve had great feedback on the Fetch It Pets Fill Your Own Piñata - your Goffin’s should have a ball with that one.

Check back on Monday for the conclusion of this article,

Until Then,

Frank

Recently I wrote about the nutritional value of seed sprouts, and highlighted Vitakraft’s Sprout Pot, a most convenient way of growing them (please see below). Today I’d like to describe a method of sprouting additional types of seed at home.

Seeds to Use
The seeds chosen for spouting should be fresh and be comprised of as wide a range of plant species as possible. A simple way to achieve this end is to utilize Kay tee’s Forti-Diet Safflower Seed Blend as the basis of your new “garden”. You can also purchase a wide variety of seeds from most health food stores. Particularly nutritious, and favored by many birds, are safflower, lentils, mung beans, sunflower, wheat berries, barley, buckwheat, popcorn, brown rice, oats and wheat - but there are many others as well.

Producing and Using Sprouts
You will need to rinse the sprouts several times each day, so they should be grown in a colander or other porous container. Then simply proceed as follows:

Rinse the seeds and remove those that are broken or damaged.
Soak in water overnight.
Spread seeds on a colander and place in a dark, well-ventilated location.
Rinse 2-3 times each day; discard moldy seeds.
Shoots will appear in 1-3 days.
Drain to dry and serve.

Unused sprouts will keep well in a refrigerator for several days. You can also dry the sprouts in an oven (use lowest setting) and later re-hydrate or feed to your pets as is.

Additional Notes and Cautions
A wide variety of animals relish sprouts - try them on cats, tortoises, herbivorous lizards, red-eared sliders, hamsters, gerbils, chipmunks or other pets you may have.

I have not experienced any mold-related problems while sprouting seeds, but if this or bacterial contamination is a concern, you can add grapefruit extract to your soak water.

Ventilation is extremely important…the sprouts will invariably develop mold if kept in a closet or similar location. Try using a shelf blocked off by a cloth if you have difficulty finding a dark, well-ventilated site.

Popcorn needs to soak for 18 hours before being set out for sprouting; buckwheat only ½ hour. Overnight works well for most other seeds.

Some hobbyists have reported that fava, black, kidney, lima, pinto, navy and similar beans have caused digestive upset in pet birds, while others note no problems at all. I have used lima and kidney beans for eclectus parrots without incident.

Please write in with your questions and comments. Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

You can read more about the nutritional value of sprouts, and how to grow them using the VitaKraft Sprout Part in my article entitled Product Review: Vitakraft’s Sprout Pot - a Convenient Method of Supplying Your Birds with Valuable Nutrients.