That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

I’ve been involved in a number of field research efforts, and so am somewhat familiar with the difficulties inherent in funding and implementing conservation work.  However, I must admit that this situation is baffling – a recovery plan has not yet been formulated for the Thick Billed Parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha), despite the fact that the bird has been protected by the Endangered Species Act since the law’s inception in 1973!

Help for the US’s Last Native Parrot?

The Thick Billed Parrot is the only remaining Psittacine native to the US Mainland.  The other, the Carolina Parakeet, was hunted to extinction in the early 1900’s.  With less than 3,000 individuals surviving in the wild, this green and red parrot may be headed for a similar fate if remedial action is not undertaken soon.

To that end, the conservation organization WildEarth Guardians has filed suit against Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, seeking to compel the implementation of a recovery plan.  Let’s hope for a “parrot-friendly” outcome!

Wild and Captive Status

Thick Billed Parrots regularly ranged into central Arizona and New Mexico until the early 1900’s, and sporadically until the mid 1960’s.  Today they are virtually unknown within US borders.  A reintroduction plan instituted by the state of Arizona was not successful.

Although far from common in captivity, the birds do breed well when properly provided for… a group I’ve watched for years is a star attraction at the Queens Zoo in New York City.  Private keepers have had some success with this species as well, and even provided several of the individuals released in Arizona.

Further Reading

Please see The USA’s “Other” Parrot for more information on this fascinating bird (it forages in the snow!).

Please visit the WildEarth Guardians Website for more on the group’s work with Parrots, Jaguarundis, Tortoises and other animals.

Thick-billed Parrots image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Paul Reynolds and Snowmanradio

As always, this year I spent ThatPetPlace’s annual sale weekend on site at our giant store (the world’s largest!) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  I was, as usual, thrilled to meet so many readers – thanks for stopping by.  I also took the opportunity to take a close look at our larger bird cages, some of which are sold at 60% below chain store and local pet store prices.  Today I’d like to highlight 2 that are ideal for Macaws, Cockatoos, Toucans, Mynas, Doves and larger Parrots.

The Importance of Cage Size

Cage size is a critical consideration when keeping any animal, but takes on special importance where active, intelligent species such as parrots are concerned.  This is especially true in situations where the birds are confined to their cages for most of the day.

The proper cage will add greatly to your bird’s health and quality of life, and will certainly render it a more responsive pet and companion.

An Ideal Cage for Larger Birds

I’m particularly impressed by our enormous A&E Dual Space Saver Cage. Of course, all parrots do best when allowed time to explore outside their cages in a safe, bird-proofed room, but this cage is ideal for times when this is not possible.

Suitable even for the largest Macaws and Cockatoos, the Space Saver can also accommodate pairs of smaller Parrots, as well as larger Doves, Toucans and Mynas.  This behemoth of a cage is almost 7 feet long and over 3 feet wide, and stands 6 feet high.  A sliding partition enables one to create 2 cages – ideal for introductions or the permanent housing of multiple species (or for use during avian “marital disputes”!).

The Space Saver is designed so as to fit into one’s home, not stand out– it is well constructed, attractive and available in charcoal, blue, green, platinum, white and sandstone.

Mammal Keepers Take Note

While looking over this cage, my animal-keeper’s mind wandered back to those times when I kept mammals as well as birds.  With a few simple modifications, I can see this cage as being very useful for those of you who care for Prehensile-tailed Porcupines, Red, Prevost’s and other Squirrels, Spotted Skunks and similar creatures.

Large Cages for Tight Spaces

Another nicely designed enclosure that caught my eye is the A&E Space Saver Hexagonal Cage.  Nearly as large as the Dual Cage, it has a pleasing shape that allows one to make use of corners and other such spaces in the home.  Available in 6 colors, its tough bars and built in seed-catchers suit it well for the toughest of our avian friends.

Free Shipping!

As you might imagine, the shipping costs on huge, metal cages can be substantial – so we eliminated them!  Both cages are shipped free-of-charge.

Further Reading

A unique take on the importance of cage size is given in this Duke University article.

Please see How Much Room Does a Finch Need? for thoughts on cages for smaller birds.

Surprisingly, a rare little bird from South America is responsible for all the red and orange Canaries (Serinus canarius) in existence today.  Known also as the Venezuelan Red Siskin or the Black Hooded Red Siskin, this brilliant songster (Carduelis cucullata) “donated” the red genes responsible for the birds that have come to be known as Red Factor Canaries.

A Pairing of Different Species

New color phases of birds are produced by breeders all the time, but the story behind Red Factor Canaries has an odd twist.  Usually, species within the same genus are bred together during such experiments.  Canaries and Siskins, however, are not all that closely related, and are not even classified within the same genus. 

What About Color-Enhancing Foods?

Although natural foods containing carotene and commercial Color-Enhancing Diets can brighten the reds and oranges in Canary plumage, genes put the color there in the first place.  The same principle applies to other species as well – early on while working at the Bronx Zoo I learned that if I did not mix enough whole red shrimps into the Chilean Flamingo food, the birds took on a “bleached-out” appearance very quickly – which angered the zoo’s director, who had collected the birds himself!

Fertility Problems

Originally, male Siskins were mated to female Canaries, and the chicks exhibited characteristics of each.  These hybrids were then bred back to Canaries, and eventually a bird that looked just like a Canary, but sported the gorgeous plumage of the Siskin, was developed – and thus we came to have Red Factor Canaries.  The male offspring of a Siskin/Canary cross are only partially fertile, and females are usually infertile.

Fertility among Red Factor Canaries is still not high; breeders usually find it necessary to utilize pure Red Hooded Siskins as breeding stock from time to time.

In Part II we’ll take a look at Siskin care and natural history. 

Further Reading

Hobbyists interested in Siskin breeding and conservation can join the AFA’s Black Hooded Red Siskin Project.

Please see my article on Canary Types for more on other interesting Canary strains.

A video showing a colony of breeding Siskins is posted here.

A great deal of research goes into the husbandry of domestic fowl, some of which has important implications for pet bird owners as well.  In scanning the literature, I recently came across the following important study.

How Does One Keep a Chicken Busy?

The European Zoological Nutrition Center reports that the wild relatives of domestic chickens (I’m assuming Red or Green Jungle Fowl) spend at least 60% of their day foraging for food.  Domestic chickens, however, are fed high energy foods in easy-access feeders and usually take but a few minutes to meet their daily needs.  That leaves the bored fowl a good 16 hours in which to get into trouble – which they do quite handily by pecking at their own and their neighbors’ feathers and skin. Read More »

Most aviculturists are aware that most parrot species face threats to their continued survival in the wild.  However, I sometimes feel that the successes that we have had both in and out of captivity blinds us to the fact that a great many, including several that are well-established in the pet trade, are still declining in the wild.

Parrot Central

The region extending from New Zealand northwest through Australia to New Guinea and the islands of Indonesia is home to the world’s greatest diversity of parrots, with over one half of the known genera represented.  Conservation efforts are most effective in Australia and New Zealand, but less in evidence in New Guinea and islands in the Southwest Pacific.

Threatened Species

Of the many parrot species in need of attention in the area, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) considers 20 to be threatened with.  Particularly troublesome is the fact that almost half of these are listed as either “Endangered” or Critically Endangered”, including the New Caledonian, Kuhl’s and Ultramarine Lorikeets, the Night, Orange-bellied and Golden-shouldered Parrots, the Forbes’ and Orange-fronted Parakeets and the Kakapo.

Australia

Habitat Loss

Habitat loss and alteration is the gravest threats facing Australia’s parrots.  The felling of old trees bearing suitable hollows for nesting is particularly serious, as many parrots have specific requirements as to the size, height and location of nesting hollows, and will not utilize alternatives.  Especially hard hit have been Baudin’s, Carnaby’s and Mitchell’s Cockatoos, but most others are affected as well.

The loss of unique feeding habitats, especially lightly wooded grasslands, has severely impacted superb and swift parrot numbers.  These fertile areas are scarce in Australia, and most have long been converted to agricultural use.

The spread of agriculture and the introduction of exotic plants has benefitted those parrots that have been able to adapt to new diets.  Included among these are Galahs, Long-billed Corellas and Turquoise Parakeets.  However, these species are thriving at the expense of others, and their unnaturally high numbers radically upset the normal species compositions of their habitats.

Livestock and Kangaroos

Centuries of intensive grazing by introduced domestic and feral animals such as rabbits, cattle, sheep, goats and camels has rendered natural plant and tree re-growth impossible in many regions.  Populations of native kangaroos have skyrocketed in those places where permanent water holes have been established for livestock, adding to the overgrazing problem.

Fire

Certain parrots rely upon fire to spur the reproduction of food plants, while others inhabit stable environments that rarely experience natural fires.  Human engineered fire use – burning off brush in some habitats while suppressing natural fires in others, threatens parrots in both categories.  Night, Princess, Golden-shouldered and Orange-bellied Parrots have declined radically due to changes in fire frequency.

Islands of the Southwest Pacific

While logging is a grave concern on the Solomon Islands and elsewhere, introduced predators account for the greatest losses in this region.  Five parrot species on New Zealand alone owe their threatened status to non-native predators such as Brush-tailed Possums, cats, black and Norway Rats, ferrets and stoats.

It often surprises those unfamiliar with the region that hunting is still a concern in New Guinea.  The highly endangered palm cockatoo is a much valued food item in some areas, and Pesquet’s Parrots are frequently killed for their plumage.

Further Reading

You can learn what the IUCN is doing to help conserve parrots in the Southwest Pacific here.

Kakapo image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Mnolf
Cockatoo image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Snowmanradio