Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Now that bird-feeding season is upon us, I’d like to pass along some thoughts on one of the most pleasurable aspects of this hobby, the hand-feeding of wild birds.  Strange as this may sound, it is actually quite simple to train a number of species to feed from the hand – assuming, [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Please see: Two Mid-Sized Parrot Clowns: the Black-Capped and White Headed Caique, Pionites melanocephala and P. leucogaster, Part 1, for general information on caique care.
Black-Capped Caique, Pionites melanocephala
Description
The caiques are unique among South American parrots in displaying a white breast.  This is set off, in this species, by the bright green wings [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
The 56 lory and lorikeet species are among the most gorgeous and active of all parrots, and are usually quite bold in character.  In both the wild (particularly Australia) and in zoos, lory feeding stations are a great hit with tourists, with hundreds of colorful birds flocking onto treat-bearing visitors.
The Effect of [...]

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Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Have you ever wondered why, in most bird species, the male with the loudest song, brightest plumage or most spectacular display is usually successful in attracting a mate?  Given that birds have so many predators, and that the efforts of both parents are usually required to raise the chicks, it always seemed [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.The two parrot species known as caiques (pronounced “kai-EKE) have not, until recently, been very popular in the pet trade. In fact, my introduction to both came about as a result of caring for several that were part of the Bronx Zoo’s collection, despite prior experience working for a large bird importer. [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.In an earlier article concerning the cordon blue (Introducing the Red-Cheeked Cordon Blue, Uraeginthus bengalus), I mentioned that this popular pet trade finch often nests close to wasp colonies in its native West Africa. It has long been known that certain birds derive protection from predators by nesting near colonies of ants, [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
With their calm dispositions, bright colors and cheerful songs, canaries seem extremely well suited to domestic life. Indeed, they are our most popular songbird…but the history of their entry into our lives is steeped in drama.
Canaries in the Wild
Wild canaries differ greatly from those we are accustomed to seeing, being clad in [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
We’ve thus far met the largest and smallest of the macaws (please see Part I and II of this article).  Today I’d like to cover a few that, while considered to be “miniatures” in the macaw world, are still quite substantial birds, and not at all small in character.
At 15-20 inches in [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Insects are readily taken by most captive softbills (finches, canaries and other “non-parrot” species), and are often essential in bringing birds into breeding condition and for the rearing of chicks.  Those of us who keep birds such as smaller finches, Peking robins, shama thrushes and leafbirds are often hard put to find [...]