That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Animals unknown to science, including sizable mammals, come to light every day (in fact, 1 every 3 days for the past decade in the Amazon Basin alone!).  But parrots, being loud, colorful and active by day, have a hard time remaining undetected, even in remote habitats.  Brazil’s Bald or Orange-Headed Parrot (Pyrilia aurantiocephala), however, despite being glimpsed in the past, was only recognized as a distinct species in 2002.

Incredible Species Diversity

The World Wildlife Fund recently announced that over 1,200 new species have been discovered since 1999 in the area of South America drained by the Amazon River, popularly known as the Amazon Basin.  The region is a hotbed of diversity (new insects are so numerous that they were excluded from the report, and more fish species have been found in the Amazon than in the entire Atlantic Ocean!), but birds accounted for only 16 of the new discoveries.  However, among these was a real shocker – a noisy blue and aquamarine parrot with a featherless, orange head. Read More »

Finches and softbills may be found in every color imaginable, but birds with black plumage are very scarce in the trade.  One exception is the aptly named Blue-Black Grassquit or Jacarina Finch (Volatinia jacarina).  Not a finch at all, this gorgeous little bird sports deep blue-black feathers that are highlighted with purple – always striking, but especially so when housed with brightly-colored species.

Natural History

The Jacarina Finch is actually classified as a Tanager (Family Thraupidae) and is more closely related to the brilliant Brazilian Tanager (please see photo) than to any of the common pet trade finches.  It is, however, finch-like in its behavior and captive needs, and gets along well with most species. Read More »

Also known as the Citron-Crested or Sumba Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea citroncristata), this beautiful parrot stands out among its relatives for a number of reasons.  Although restricted in range to a single Indonesian island, it has done well in the hands of private breeders, and captive-born individuals are available in the trade. Today I’d like to take a look at its natural history and captive care.

Description

The Citron Cockatoo is one of 6 subspecies of the Lesser Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo, and is distinguished by being the smallest (12 inches in length) in size and number, and in being the only one with an orange crest (others sport yellow crests, please see photo).  The effect of the orange crest and ear coverts against the white plumage, offset by yellow feathers on the undersides of the wings and tail, is startling. Read More »

Parrots are an amazingly diverse group of birds, and today I’d like to highlight one which is given little attention by hobbyists or zoos – the unique Cactus Conure or Caatinga Parakeet (Aratinga cactorum).  Unlike the rainforest denizens that usually spring to mind when mention is made of Brazil’s parrots, this enterprising bird makes it’s living in a unique cactus-studded habitat known as the Caatinga Scrub (please see photo).

Description

Cactus Conures average 10-11 inches in length, and sport green plumage above and a rusty-orange breast.  The head, face and throat areas are brown, shading gradually to olive.  Two subspecies have been described, neither of which has been well-studied. Read More »

The Wild or “Typical” Canary (Serinus canaria) is the world’s most commonly-kept finch.  However, several of its relatives are also well-established in captivity, and some have been hybridized with the Wild Canary in order to improve its color and singing abilities.  One of these, the Green Singing Finch (S. mozambicus), is a common pet; please see the article below for more information.  Today I’ll introduce the Gray Singing Finch, European Serin, Black-Throated and Black-Headed Canaries.

Note: “Wild Canary” as used here refers to the common pet trade Canary. Read More »