Overview
Lovebirds are among the smallest of the world’s parrots, and an excellent choice for those without the space for a large bird.  Although the Peach- Faced Lovebird was the first species to become widely available in this country, the colorful Masked Lovebird now rivals it in popularity.  Despite its very limited natural range (see below), [...]

Click here: An Overview of Less Commonly-Kept Cage and Aviary Birds – Part 1 to read part 1.
Japanese Hawfinch or Grosbeak, Euphona personata
If the Latin species’ name – “personata” is meant to hint at this bird’s characteristics, then it is indeed aptly chosen.  I’ve only cared for several in my time, but all were strikingly alert [...]

Introduction
One could spend a lifetime caring for a small number, or even a single species, of the most frequently encountered pet-trade birds, and never lack for new and interesting experiences. However, sometimes we long for something different – after all, keeping birds in captivity has long fascinated human-kind and many, from hummingbirds to ostriches, [...]

Traditional wisdom holds that birds rely chiefly upon eyesight and hearing in getting about.  This month (July, 2008), however, biologists at Germany’s Max Planck Institute of Ornithology established that a number of species use olfaction (sense of smell) in navigation, foraging and, perhaps, recognition of other individuals.
 
Those who study and observe birds have long suspected [...]

Click The Chinese Painted Quail (Button Quail, Blue-breasted Quail), Conturnix chinensis, and the Japanese Quail, C. japonica, Part 1, to read the first part of this article.
Enclosure
Although ideally suited to a grass-bottomed outdoor aviary, button quail also do quite well in large bird or small animal cages, such as the Pets International Premium Hutch or [...]

Parrots, finches and canaries can certainly provide a lifetime’s worth of enjoyment to the bird fancier, but sometimes we feel the urge for something “different”.  Other types of pet trade and domestic birds – peafowl and other pheasants, ducks, geese and such – are often large, expensive and difficult to provide for in most home [...]

Introduction
Every aviculturist remembers her or his first pair of successfully breeding birds – nothing quite matches the experience. However, attempting to breed many popular species is often a time consuming and frustrating experience, and usually demands a good deal of space. Parrots in particular are notoriously choosy about both mate and nest site selection. Finches [...]

In the mid to late 1990’s, I had the great fortune of being able to participate in field studies of the green anaconda in Venezuela.  Working in the country’s central llanos (seasonally flooded grasslands) region, I was awestruck by the variety and abundance of bird life. 
 
In my mind, many sightings vie for the title [...]

Welcome to the new home of That Avian Blog!
Certain of North America’s birds, such as cardinals, indigo buntings and bobwhite quail, feature prominently in European aviculture but are prohibited by law to bird keepers in the USA.  Licensed wildlife rehabilitators may, however, care for injured birds in certain circumstances (the birds must be released once [...]

To Read the first part of this article, click here.
Introduction
In Part I of this article I related my observations of a monk parrot nest, and we looked at some of the nest’s unusual properties (this is the only parrot that constructs a free standing nest as opposed to utilizing a tree hollow). The use of [...]