That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Please see Part I of this article for general information and a discussion of the very unique Patagonian Conure or Burrowing Parrot (Cyanoliseus patagonus).

General Considerations

Conures in the genus Aratinga are often suggested as birds to purchase for those who wish to keep macaws but lack experience (Aratinga means “little macaw”).  Brilliantly colored but quite loud and with an indomitable spirit, conures do indeed resemble their larger cousins in many ways.  Most do best in outdoor aviaries, although they can be acclimated to large indoor cages as well.

The 17 species classified genus Pyrrhura are, in general, quieter and easier to manage than the Aratinga conures.

Green Cheeked Conure, Pyrrhura molinae

An affectionate personality, quiet voice and small size (10 inches) render this one of the most favored of the conures.  Hailing from western Brazil, northwestern Argentina and Paraguay, green cheeks enjoy being held and will even “wrestle” on their backs with those they trust.

Fresh fruit is, as with all conures, an important part of their diet, and should always be available.  A number of stunning color strains, including pineapple and turquoise, have been produced.

White Eared or Maroon Fronted Conure, P. leucotis

The White-ear is, at 8.5 inches, one of the smaller conures, and also among the quietest and most confiding.  It tames readily and is known for its trick-learning abilities, but like all related birds requires a great deal of attention if kept singly.

White-eared Conures are limited in range to eastern Brazil, and generally stay high in the forest canopy.

Blue Crowned Conure, Aratinga acuticaudata

This first of the larger conures that we will cover is also one of the most popular, and with good reason.  Although as rambunctious as its relatives, the Blue Crown has a very affectionate side as well, and is particularly quick to bond its owner.  Those I cared for at a nature center years age were crowd favorites – always in motion and eager for attention.  Two of the birds picked up several words on their own.

Jenday Conure, A. jandaya

Gorgeous golden yellow and deep red plumage keeps this bird on the “most wanted” list of parrot fanciers worldwide, but the jenday is best reserved for experienced aviculturists.  While many become wonderful companions, these natives of northeastern Brazil tend to be high strung, especially when kept alone.

Red Masked Conure, A. erythrogenys

A striking red head and face set this 13 inch beauty apart from other conures. Ranging from western Ecuador to northwestern Peru, where it is sometimes kept as a free-ranging pet, the red masked conure frequents arid habitats.

Free-ranging may be the ideal (but illegal outside of its native habitat) situation for this robust bird – extremely noisy and active, it is suited only for large, outdoor enclosures.

White Eyed Conure, A. leucopthalmus

Often described as “watchful”, this large, thick-billed conure is not a bird for the inexperienced aviculturist.  Nesting pairs are known for their habit of attacking anyone, even well-liked individuals, who approaches their aviary during the breeding season.

Further Reading

Two of the world’s most beautiful parrots are conures, and both are regularly bred in captivity.  For further information, please see The Golden Conure and The Sun Conure.

Aviculturists in the USA are sometimes surprised to learn that one of the world’s most splendidly-colored birds is a native, and is well established in captivity in other countries.  The male Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris), clad in bright blue, vermillion, red, orange and green, rivals any tropical species in beauty.

Range and Status

Two distinct populations of Painted Buntings range from North Carolina south through Florida to Cuba and other Caribbean islands and from northern Texas to Mexico.

Protected from capture in the USA, poaching is believed to be a threat to their survival in Mexico.  The Audubon Society has documented severe declines in the eastern population as well.

It is not legal to keep painted buntings in the USA, but hands-on work with them is sometimes possible for licensed rehabilitators (please see “Further Reading”, below).  These gorgeous relatives of the northern cardinal have, however, long been a favorite in European collections and, to a lesser extent, among Mexican aviculturists.

Husbandry

Painted Buntings are not particularly delicate captives, but are best kept in an outdoor aviary rather than a cage.  When provided with a warm shelter, they can overwinter outdoors in as far north as England.

Wild Painting Buntings consume a diet composed nearly equally of insects and other invertebrates and seeds, grains, buds and shoots.  Interestingly, they have often been observed to pluck insects from the webs of the huge orb-weaving spiders (Nephila spp.) that occur over much of their range. While captives survive on a seed based diet, variety is required if they are to remain in peak condition.

Maintaining Color

The plumage of male Painted Buntings typically fades in captivity.  The most brilliantly colored specimens that I have seen in zoos have been fed a diet rich in live insects, including wild caught species. The provision of natural sunlight or the use of a UVA-emitting lamp may also help to maintain the colors of the feathers.

Captive Breeding

Painted Buntings are not “easy” breeders, but a compatible pair that does reproduce will usually be quite consistent.  Males are absolutely intolerant of each other – fights between free-living individuals occasionally result in fatalities.

A large, well-planted aviary situated in a quiet location is common to all successful breeders, and a steady supply of live or canned insects is necessary if the young are to be reared successfully.

Further Reading

Although Painted Buntings may not be kept as pets in the USA, people licensed to rehabilitate birds do occasionally have a chance to work with them.  The National Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators offers advice to those wishing to become trained and licensed as rehabilitators.

Painted Buntings are in decline, and your observations can be of use in helping to conserve them.  Please visit Ebird to learn more and report sightings.

Next time we’ll take a look at some of this bird’s equally colorful relatives.

Painted Bunting (male) image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Doug Janson

The term “conure” includes a number of small to medium-sized parrots (i.e. genera Aratinga, Pyrrhura, Cyanoliseus and Nandayus) found from Mexico to southern South America.  While not necessarily closely related, aviculturists lump them together for convenience sake.  North America’s Carolina parakeet, closely related to Aratinga, would likely have been considered a “conure” had it not been hunted to extinction in the early 1900’s.

Nearly all accounts of conures include the word “clown”.  Having observed flocks of conures in the wild and worked with others in huge outdoor exhibits, I can vouch that this description is most appropriate…they are among the most active and engaging of all parrots.

Popular Conures

Many popular pet conures belong to the genus Aratinga, which means “little macaw”.  Certainly they have outsized personalities, and “act” as though they are as large as macaws – if anything, they are even more boisterous.

The genus Pyrrhura is comprised of conures that, while more somberly colored than their relatives, are never-the-less quite beautiful.  Their personalities are also subdued, exhibiting the intelligence of the Aratinga without the noise.  Many make wonderful, affectionate pets.

Other parrot genera contain species that are usually referred to as conures as well.  Of these, the Nanday Conure (Nandayus nanday) and the Patagonian Cconure (Cyanoliseus patagonus) are popularly kept as pets.

Patagonian Conure or Burrowing Parrot, Cyanoliseus patagonus

This largest of all conures is also one of the most unusual.  It excavates nesting burrows of 6-9 feet in length in the sides of limestone or sandstone cliffs, usually overlooking the sea or a river.  Patagonian Conures nest colonially, and the burrows may interconnect with each another, reminding one more of a rabbit warren than a parrot-nesting area!  As there is usually no “landing area” in front of the cliff-side nests, Patagonian Conures fold their wings as they near and enter directly from the air, running as they hit the ground.

Patagonian Conures are now rare over much of their range (south-central Argentina and Chile; possibly Uruguay), but they rebound rapidly when protected; despite laying only 2-3 eggs, their inaccessible nest sites and communal breeding system assures that most nestlings survive.

Working with a Flock

I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with a flock of Patagonian Conures in a huge outdoor exhibit, complete with nesting burrows, at the Bronx Zoo.  I must say that these birds were perhaps the most interesting of any I have ever worked with – they literally do not stop interacting all day.

Seeing parrots like this, or in the wild, really helps to give one a sense of their true natures, and to explain some of the problems they face as captives.  I also helped to hand-rear 6 chicks, all of which became quite popular in outreach and educational programs.

Suitability as Pets

Patagonian Conures are quite a handful in the home, vocalizing often and at high volume.  They are highly social, even by parrot standards, and remain in a close-knit flock even during the breeding season.  Pets therefore require a great deal of attention and stimulation.

That being said, their popularity is increasing…exceptionally responsive and entertaining, they are wonderful pets for those with appropriate time, experience and space.

Further Reading

Please see my article on Half Moon Conures and False Vampire Bats for a peek at an odd bit of conure natural history.

Burrowing Conure image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Hedwig Storch

Among the130+ species of the family Estrildidae we find popular cage birds and highly endangered species.  Some, such as the gorgeously colored Gouldian Finch, are both – at once rare in the wild yet abundant in the pet trade.

Waxbills and their relatives are often the first finches aviculturists obtain after having gained experience with the hardier zebra or society finches.  The black-headed munia and several others are well suited to this role – slightly more sensitive than Zebra Finches, yet robust enough to fare well when given proper care.

Natural History

Estrildid finches range throughout Africa, South and Southeast Asia and Australia and, with the exception of a few Australian species, favor warm climates.  They range in size from the 3.3 inch long Fernando Po Oliveback to the Java Sparrow or Rice Bird which, due to its stout build, appears larger than its 5.5 inches.

Conservation

While certain Estrildid finches are among the most numerous birds in their habitats, others, such as the Gouldian and several of the parrot finches, are classified as either vulnerable or endangered by the IUCN.  The Black-lored Waxbill, known only from a tiny range in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, has not been seen since 1950, and may be extinct.

Keeping Waxbills

Waxbills, nuns and munias are best housed in large indoor flight cages or, when the weather permits, outdoor aviaries. Warm temperatures are the rule, especially for breeding pairs (they leave the eggs unattended for longer periods than other finches), but healthy birds easily weather occasional exposure to temperatures in the low 50’s (F) if conditions are dry.

A covered nest should be included, even for non-breeders, as many Estrildids roost in nests outside of the breeding season.

Most species are gregarious in the wild, and do well in groups in captivity.  Mated pairs, however, are best kept alone.

Diet

Although primarily seed eaters that will thrive on a base diet of high quality finch food, Estrildids need a good bit of protein as well.  Egg food and softbill food should always be available.  Small live mealworms, waxworms, crickets and other insects are preferred however.  Canned insects and anole food (dried flies) are often well-accepted also.

Grit and cuttlebone should be available at all times.

Breeding Estrildid Finches

A number of species, especially the more popularly-kept munias and nuns, will breed readily in captivity if provided with ample room and quiet surroundings.  Tri-colored Nuns and other long-kept species are best suited for ones first attempts at breeding Estrildid finches.

All species studied thus far construct covered nests, and many roost in these even when not raising chicks.  Protein requirements soar during the breeding season – the provision of additional protein, especially in the form of live insects, is also useful in bringing finches into reproductive condition.

Further Reading

For specific information on individual Estrildid finches, please Introducing Nuns, Munias and Mannikins and The Common Waxbill.

I’ll cover the care of individual finch species in the future.

Gouldian Finch image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Kjacques

Recently, a bird owner confided to me that, although pets were prohibited in her tiny Manhattan apartment, she was able to keep an English budgerigar because it was very quiet and also a good deal less active than the American budgies which she had kept.  Thinking back, I realized that English budgerigars, which are actually the same species –  Melopsittacus undulatus – as the “parakeet” typically sold in American pet stores, have also impressed me as being somewhat reserved in nature.  Perhaps they are ideal for those of you who need to keep birds surreptitiously?

Appearance and Exhibition Standards

English Budgerigars, or budgies, are sometimes referred to as “show or exhibition budgerigars”.  They are stouter than the “American Budgerigar”, which is also known by the common name of “parakeet”.  Both are larger than wild budgerigars – twice as large in the case of the English race.

English Budgerigars have long been bred as show birds, with strict standards governing their colors, plumage type, and body plan.  Their faces and breasts are more thickly feathered than the typical American Budgie…some individuals sport feathers that nearly obscure the eyes and beak.  The actual size of the head, in relation to the body, is also greater than in the American race.

Over thirty primary, and hundreds of secondary, color mutations are recognized, with individual colors often being brighter and somehow more clearly defined than those of their American counterparts.

Personality and Vocabulary

Behavior varies greatly from bird to bird, but overall English budgies are quite calm in nature, with even parent-raised individuals being relatively easy to tame.

Many, but not all, are also on the quiet side, but they retain wonderful mimicry abilities.  Like American Budgies, English birds can amass huge vocabularies, a skill that is sometimes not fully appreciated due to their low, subdued voices.  However, aviculturists rank budgerigars alongside African Grays, Amazons, Eclectus Parrots and other gifted mimics.  In fact, a budgerigar holds the record for the largest bird vocabulary known – over 1,700 words!

Keeping English Budgies

In common with all parrots, English Budgies do best in pairs or well-planned groups.  All-male groups, or several pairs, often work out well, but females can be quite vicious towards one another.  English Budgerigars have the reputation of being somewhat short lived – 7 to 10 years as opposed to the American Budgerigar’s lifespan of 12 to nearly 20 years – but there have been notable exceptions.

English Budgerigars are not all that common in the USA, and will more usually be available through private breeders as opposed to pet stores.  However, the search is well worthwhile – their plumage imparts a very comical look to the face (some find them to resemble minute old men!), and, if noise and space is a concern, they may well be the best parrot option available.

Further Reading

Please see my article The Captive Care and Natural History of Budgerigars  for further information.

The Great Lakes Budgie Society posts English Budgie show standards and results here.

Budgerigar Head Detail image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Kirk