That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Lories (parrot subfamily Lorinae) have long attracted aviculturists, yet there are many factors that weigh against their choice as pets. Noisy and aggressive towards other birds, all species feed on nectar and fruit, which, along with watery feces, they fling about their cages…keeping their living quarters clean is quite a chore.

Why then do so many people continue to put great efforts into their care? Simply put, they are the most gorgeously colored and acrobatic of all birds, and quickly become affectionate, playful companions. Fortunately, the availability of specially formulated lory food has greatly simplified their care.

Red or Moluccan Lory, Eos bornea bornea

This was the first lory I worked with, back as a boy helping out in a pet store (I say “helping out” because I was not paid, other than by being allowed to take sick animals home!). Without any real training, our red lory climbed down from his store-front perch each evening and walked to the back of the shop and into his cage. As soon as we began to close up for the night, off he went!

This responsiveness, along with “screaming” scarlet plumage, has rendered the red lory quite popular with parrot enthusiasts. It reaches 12 inches in length, and breeds fairly well, especially if exposed to temperatures of 90-93 F for a time. Like all their relatives, red lories do best in outdoor aviaries or large cages.

Red lories are limited in distribution to Saparura and Amboina Islands, west of New Guinea. They favor mangrove forests, but will feed in parks and farms if dense tree cover is available nearby. Relatives that also appear in the pet trade include the blue-streaked and black-winged lories.

Black-Capped Lory, Lorius lory lory

A quiet (for a parrot!) voice, hardy constitution and friendly nature suit this 12 inch lory well to captivity. Its plumage is better seen than described – the black crown contrasting spectacularly with the blue body and green wings.

Black-capped lories do best in an outdoor aviary at temperatures above 50 F. They tame readily, but will attack and kill other birds, including parrots much larger than themselves. Pairs sleep in a nesting box even when not breeding.

Black-capped lories inhabit Vogelkop, Batanta and nearby Papuan islands that lie northwest of New Guinea. The closely related chattering and purple-napped lories are also bred in captivity.

Tahitian Blue Lory, Vini peruviana

Despite having been bred in captivity since 1936, this tiny (6-7 inch) indigo and white lory is still found only in a few private collections and zoos. It is likely gone from its native Tahiti, courtesy of introduced rats, and now dwells only on the neighboring Cook and Society Islands.

In the mid 1970’s, a small group of confiscated Tahitian lories found their way into the Bronx Zoo and came under my care. Despite being well-bonded, the pair I kept quarreled frequently, but teamed up to harass the much larger Palawan peacock pheasants that shared their exhibit whenever the mood struck them.

Tahitians have smaller bills than most lories, and specialize on nectar and soft fruits. Mine did well on a “shake” of yogurt, honey, hummingbird nectar, papaya and blueberries, along with other fruits and insects. Like all lories, they squeeze insects to extract their softer parts, and discard the hard exoskeletons.

Further Reading

To read more about lory husbandry and natural history, please see my articles Aggression in Lories and Lorikeets and Lories and Lorikeets.

Red Lory image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Stephen.

Black Capped Lory image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Doug Janson.

The minute (4.5 inch) common waxbill, Estrilida astrilid, possesses a rare combination of subtle and conspicuous beauty.  Overall, it is quietly colored, being clad above in muted brown with darker bars and with cream breast feathers just barely washed with pink.  In stark contrast, the beak and eye band are a brilliant crimson in color.  The effect is really quite unique.  Add to this an innate hardiness and engaging personality, and it is easy to see why this bird is one of the more popular African finches in the pet trade.

Range and Habitat

Common waxbills are found throughout much of Sub-Saharan Africa, and on the islands of Madagascar, Mauritius, St. Helena and New Caledonia.  Their popularity has resulted in a great many translocations, and feral colonies are now well-established in Spain, Portugal, Trinidad, Hawaii, Brazil and elsewhere.

They are birds of grasslands and sparsely wooded habitats, and may be seen in savannas, scrubland, farms, parks and around homes and gardens.

Common Waxbills as Pets

Common waxbill care follows that of zebra finches and other pet trade staples, and may be kept in either spacious cages or outdoor aviaries.

They do well on a diet comprised of finch seed, sprouts, egg food and a bit of fruit.  Small insects are appreciated, and are essential for birds rearing chicks…canned insects are a convenient means of adding this important but often over-looked food to finch diets.

As with all waxbills, bathing opportunities are important.

Breeding

Captive breeding is not uncommon, but mated pairs become rather high strung and require quiet surroundings.  The male alone constructs the enclosed nest, which may be used (in captivity) simultaneously by several females.  The eggs are incubated for 10 days, and the chicks fledge within 14 days.

Further Reading

For further information on the captive care and natural history of Estrildid finches, please see my article Nuns, Manikins and Munias.

Image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Andre Simons

Most cockatoos sport white plumage, but some of the most magnificent, typified by those in the genus Calyptorhynchus, are actually jet black in color.  Although not commonly seen in captivity in the USA, they are considered highly desirable pets in their native Australia, with the red-tailed cockatoo being especially popular.

In addition to their unique plumage, these birds also distinguish themselves by unique feeding habits.  In fact, several species within the genus have evolved beaks specifically adapted to a particular food source (please see below).

The Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus banksii

I’ll start off with my favorite.  The original species name, “magnificus”, was truly fitting.  Males are jet black with brilliant red tail patches; females have a brownish cast to the plumage and their tails bear orange-yellow bands.  The contrast of these colors against one another is quite striking – you will not soon forget your first look at this bird.

Four subspecies are found across Eastern, Northern and Western Australia, where they are noted for two unique characteristics – the loud clicking sounds made by their broad, powerful bills when feeding and their odd habit of flying about on moonlit nights.

Red-tailed cockatoos vary greatly in their behavior from place to place.  Some populations are nomadic, appearing suddenly at locales from which they have long been absent, perhaps in concert with a favored food.  Others are regular migrants and can be counted on to appear and move off on a seasonal schedule.

The Black Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus funereus

Two subspecies of this impressive bird (recently considered species by some authorities), aptly named the yellow-tailed black cockatoo and the white-tailed black cockatoo, inhabit widely separated regions of coastal southeastern and southwestern Australia.  Their habitats vary as well, with the yellow tailed subspecies being restricted to wet woodlands and the white tailed black cockatoo favoring dry scrubland.

The upper mandible of the black cockatoo is elongated and sharp, an adaptation that assists it in extracting wood-boring beetle grubs from within tree limbs and logs.  In addition to this unusual fare, the black cockatoo also takes food items favored by other cockatoos, including seeds, fruit, nuts and flower blossoms.

Black cockatoos are said to form particularly strong pair bonds.  When feeding, sentries are always posted to warn of approaching danger.

The Glossy Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus lathami

This impressive brownish-black bird is limited in range to a narrow band of coastal Eastern Australia from central Queensland to Eastern Victoria.  An isolated population inhabits Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia.

Within this range, the glossy cockatoo frequents a variety of habitat types, including temperate rainforest, dry woodlands and dense mountain thickets.  The deciding factor in its distribution seems to be the presence of its favorite food, the seeds of the Casuarina tree, especially the species C. littoralis.  The glossy cockatoo’s odd, bulbous beak is uniquely adapted for opening the cones within which are found the seeds that make up the bulk of its diet.

The Palm Cockatoo, Probosciger aterrimus

This magnificent bird, the largest of all cockatoos and nearly the largest parrot, is all black with bright red cheek patches.  It is not closely related to the black cockatoos described above, and is even more unique in appearance and habits.  I had the good fortune to be involved in the hand-rearing of two confiscated palm cockatoo chicks.  Please see my article, Hand rearing Palm Cockatoos, for more information.

Further Reading

You can learn more about the natural history and conservation status of the black cockatoos at http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMFindResults.asp&hdnAction=SEARCH&hdnPageMode=0&cboFamily=-2&txtGenus=Calyptorhynchus&txtSpecies=&txtCommonName=&cboRegion=-2&cboCountry=-2.

Images referenced from Wikipedia and posted by Peter Campbell and Snowmanradio

Hummingbirds have provided some of my most memorable bird-watching and bird-keeping experiences.  While most birders are aware that they can be lured to special feeders, it is less well-known that there is also great interest in keeping hummingbirds in captivity.

Hummingbirds in Zoos

When I began working with hummingbirds in zoos, I was quite fearful that I would not be up to the task of caring for such obviously delicate little birds. While captives do have very specific requirements, I soon found out that these dynamos were surprisingly hardy.

With the ability to speed forward and backwards on wings that beat up to 78 times per second, hummingbirds seem to “know” that nothing can catch them.  They are, therefore, quite bold.  Anna’s hummingbirds were remarkable in this regard – approaching to within in a few inches of my face when I entered their exhibit, and very carefully travelling up and down my body from head to feet. Needing to consume at least half their weight in food each day, hummingbirds are always hungry and readily fed from nectar tubes that I held out to them.

Hummingbirds in Private Aviculture

Not surprisingly, serious aviculturists have long sought to keep these unique, brilliantly colored birds in captivity.  Although none can be classified as simple to maintain, several species are well-established in private collections.

Of these, the sparkling violet-eared hummingbird (Colibri coruscans) is perhaps the best known.  At 5 ½ inches, it is quite large for a hummer.  Like all, however, it needs a large, spacious greenhouse or aviary in which to live, and must be supplied with live fruit flies and other tiny, flying insects (in addition to nectar) if it is to thrive.

Hummingbird Feeders

Over 320 species of hummingbirds range from Alaska to the southern tip of South America.  Thirteen species nest in the USA with only one, the ruby throated hummingbird, occurring east of the Mississippi River.

The easiest way for most of us to enjoy hummingbirds is to observe them in the wild.  Fortunately, many take readily to hummingbird feeders  stocked with specially formulated hummingbird nectar.  Give hummingbird feeding a try – assuming they show up, you will not be disappointed.

Further Reading

You can learn more about hummingbird natural history at the web site of Cornell University’s Laboratory of Ornithology.

Image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Wolfgang Wander

Over 130 species of tiny, colorful sunbirds are distributed across Africa, southern Asia and northern Australia.  They are, in many ways, the ecological equivalents of the hummingbirds and honey-creepers, and are just as brilliantly colored.  I have worked with several species, none of which I would describe as “hearty”, but all of which I find irresistible.

Sunbirds should only be kept by aviculturists who are well-experienced with other delicate tropical birds.  I consider them to be nearly as demanding as hummingbirds in their dietary requirements, and far more delicate in terms of stress tolerance.

Today I would like to introduce the Van Hasselt’s sunbird, Nectarinia (Cinnyris) sperata, a species that, while not commonly available, has been captive bred for some time now.

Description

At a mere 4 inches in length, Van Hasselt’s sunbird is one of Asia’s smallest species, and arguably among the most beautifully colored.  Males sport a purple-blue gloss to their black backs, iridescent gold-green napes and foreheads and amethyst throats.  Females are olive-green with yellow under parts.

Housing

Despite their tiny size, these brilliant little birds require a great deal of room.  If breeding is desired, the pair should be housed in a densely planted outdoor aviary if at all possible.  They have been bred indoors, but usually when at liberty in a sun room equipped with live plants.  They will not accept artificial nest boxes, and must in stead be provided with fine grass, bark and moss.

Feeding Sunbirds

A high quality hummingbird nectar mix  can provide the bulk of the diet, with lorikeet nectar  being provided for variety as well.

Sunbirds will not thrive, and certainly will not be able to rear their young, unless provided with large quantities of tiny, flying insects.  Fruit flies, either bred or attracted to outdoor aviaries, can form the bulk of their insect-based food.  Tiny moths are also readily accepted.  Most individuals will attempt to take tiny, newly molted (white) mealworms and waxworms, but their thin bills are not well suited for this “rough” fare.  Birds housed outdoors (in warm, protected locations) invariably fare better than those kept indoors, partially due to the greater variety of insects available to them.

Although not for everyone, these tropical gems are well worth consideration if you are prepared to meet their demands.

Further Reading

You can read more about this and all related sunbirds at http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMFindResults.asp&hdnAction=SEARCH&hdnPageMode=0&cboFamily=180&txtGenus=&txtSpecies=&txtCommonName=&cboRegion=-2&cboCountry=-2.

Image referenced from Wikipedia and orignally posted by snowmanradio.