That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Overview
Today I’d like to cover a bird that, while generally illegal to keep in the USA, is one of the largest and most impressive species that might reasonably be encountered anywhere within the USA, and beyond – the Great Horned Owl.

Their occasional propensity for living near people (until recently, a pair nested in Battery Park, Manhattan) results in a number being injured each year.  I have cared for several such birds, and suggest that anyone interested in doing likewise apply for the necessary state permits and seek training as a Wildlife Rehabilitator.  Hand-raised Great Horned Owls are gaining popularity with European aviculturists, and a few are even used, falconry style, to hunt game.

Physical Description
One of the largest of the world’s 135 owl species, in the Western Hemisphere the Great Horned is exceeded in size only by the Great Gray Owl (which it outweighs) and the Snowy Owl.  It reaches 25 inches in length, and the wings may span 5 feet (sizes vary greatly among various populations).

The eyes are bright yellow, the throat white and the head is topped with prominent ear tufts.  The color ranges from white in the Arctic to near black along the Pacific coast, but most individuals are varying shades of mottled tan, brown or dark gray.  Females may be up to 20% larger than males.
Range
The vast range encompasses nearly all of North and South America.  At least 13 subspecies are found from northern Alaska and Labrador through the southern 2/3 of Canada, in all 48 lower states and Mexico and south to the extreme southern tip of South America.  Only the Barn Owl, which lives on all continents except Antarctica, is more widespread.

Habitat
Extremely varied, including tundra, deserts, swamps, grasslands, agricultural areas, city parks, mixed and coniferous forest, salt marsh, rainforest edges and mountain slopes.

Densities can be quite high in prime habitat.  Suburban areas, with their mix of towns, fields, forests and parks, prove quite inviting to Great Horned Owls.  Wildlife rehabilitators on Long Island, NY rarely release birds there as nearly every suitable area has been claimed by a nesting pair.

I have found Great Horned Owls nesting in California desert caves and abandoned buildings in NYC, along a salt water bay in a NYC suburb, at a rainforest edge in Costa Rica and on farms in the Venezuelan llanos.

Diet
This is our most powerful owl, and one of the world’s most formidable avian predators.  Over 260 prey species have been recorded, including raccoons, opossums, muskrats, flying squirrels and other rodents, smaller owls and birds to the size of red-tailed hawks and great blue herons,  small alligators, snakes, turtles and frogs, large insects, fish (will wade in shallow water) and road-killed animals.

It is one of the few predators that regularly takes striped skunks and porcupines.  It will, in most “un owl-like” fashion, do battle on the ground – I still recall a striking series of photos from the 1960’s Time-Life Nature Library Series depicting a Great Horned Owl “wrestling” with (and nearly losing its life to) a large bullsnake.

Owls living near farms take ducks, turkeys, geese and other fowl, and have been observed walking into coops to snatch chickens.  In NYC and other urban areas, Great Horned Owls feed largely upon rats and roosting pigeons, but have been known to take domestic cats.

Reproduction
In the northeastern USA, mating occurs in January, and females are incubating eggs by February, when snows are still likely.  The owls often appropriate the nests of red-tailed hawks and other large birds – sometimes driving off or even killing the owners.  Depending upon the habitat, rock ledges, tree cavities, abandoned buildings, barns, large cactus plants or even the ground may serve as a nest site.

The female lays 1-5 eggs and incubates the clutch for 35-40 days (males in some populations may incubate as well).  The young are fed by both parents and fledge in 8-10 weeks.

Both parents are extremely aggressive in defending the nest, and quite literally will not cease their attacks until the intruder, human or otherwise, has been driven off.  A coworker of mine at the Bronx Zoo once entered a pair’s exhibit without a hard hat and landed in the hospital with severe scalp lacerations as a result.

Great Horned Owl pairs defend specific home territories for many years, but forage singly outside of the breeding season.

Miscellaneous
Owls are often referred to as “Birds of Prey”, along with hawks, falcons, eagles and vultures.  They are not, however, related to any of these birds.

Great Horned Owls are classified within the owl family Bubonidae (the Eagle Owls) and are the only representative of the group to dwell in the Americas.  Eleven other eagle owl species, all large, formidable predators (the massive European eagle owl occasionally takes deer fawns), are found in Europe, Africa and Asia.  In terms of their role in the environment, eagle owls are considered to be the nocturnal equivalent of the diurnal eagles and larger hawks.

Next time I’ll discuss Great Horned Owls in captivity, and relay a few personal experiences.

Further information on the Great Horned Owl, including photos and voice recordings, is posted at:
http://www.owling.com/Great_Horned.htm

Image originally posted by Billy Hunt and referenced from Wikipedia Commons.

Click here to read the first part of The Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata) In the Wild and Captivity.

Social Groups and Compatible Species
Diamond Doves get along well with most finch species, including canaries, but only when housed in large outdoor aviaries or rooms within homes. They are intolerant of other dove species. Although gregarious in the wild, captives do best when kept in pairs as opposed to groups.

Captive Longevity
Average longevity is 12-14 years, with some birds reaching their late teens. The longevity record is in the neighborhood of 21 years.

Handling
Diamond Doves take well to gentle handling, and birds kept singly often bond strongly to their owners…in males this can lead to incessant “courting attempts”. Training should take place in a small room. The dove should be encouraged to perch on one’s finger via gentle pressure against the breast – never grab and place a bird on your hand.

These birds are quite sociable by nature – the interactions among wild flocks approach the levels exhibited by parrots. A single bird will do fine if allowed frequent contact (out of the cage) with its owner. Females make better single pets, as males kept alone tend to be noisy. If you are away for most of the day, then a pair of doves should be kept – birds left alone all day rarely fare well.

Breeding
Diamond Doves breed readily in captivity, and a pair cannot fail to delight you with their mutual preening and other interactions. They communicate with a wide variety of “cooing” sounds, and separated pairs emit a unique distress call until re-united.

Diamond Doves, especially captive-produced color strains, can be difficult to sex by appearance. Courting behavior is often more reliable. In general, naturally-colored males tend towards silver-gray in coloration, while females appear more brown-gray. The orange-red eye ring of the adult male measures 2-3 mm in width, while that of the females is 1 mm….surprisingly, this slight size difference is noticeable among birds perched closely together.

Diamond Doves lay 2 eggs, usually 1 day apart. Males incubate by day and females by night, but sometimes both share the nest. The eggs hatch in 13-15 days, and the nestlings fledge at day 12-15. Be sure to leave the young with their parents for at least 2 weeks after fledging, as they are fed “pigeon milk” during this period and only gradually learn to take seeds.

Basket nests are readily accepted. Doves do not build much of a nest, but be sure to provide a variety of straw and dried grass – some can be very picky as to nest material size and thickness!

You can read about some Diamond Dove relatives that are also kept as pets at:
http://www.diamonddove.info/bird10%20Geopelia.htm

Image referenced from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Golabek_diamentowy.jpg. Author M. Betley, under the GNU Free Documentation License.

General
This charming, canary-sized bird is an ideal choice for those drawn to doves but unable to meet the space requirements of Ring-Necks and other larger species.  Both wild and captive-bred strains are beautifully colored and possess a wide range of pleasing calls.  Diamond Doves tame easily and make responsive and affectionate pets, often bonding quite strongly to their owners.

Please see Diamond Dove Natural History for more information on these fascinating birds.

Enclosure and Physical Environment
Provide your doves with as much room as possible – the minimum cage size for a pair would be along the lines of the A & E Victorian Top Cage (28” x 15”).  If kept in a cage of this size, the doves should be let out for exercise on a regular basis.  Larger bird cages are preferable if you are not able to give your birds much free-flight time

Diamond Doves spend a good deal of time on the ground, and do best in a solid-bottomed cage.  Remove the bottom grate from your cage, as such will lead to foot problems.

The cage should be located in a draft-free room that receives a good deal of sunlight (but beware of over-heating).  Diamond Doves love to sunbathe, and will gather in sunlit spots with wings and tails fanned.

As window glass filters out the sun’s beneficial UVA and UVB rays, be sure to provide your doves with a full spectrum bird bulb (Please also see my article Providing the Proper Type and Amount of Light to Pet Birds).  These little doves are quite alert to their surroundings, and definitely enjoy looking out a window.

However calm your doves may be by day, they will likely respond frantically to unusual nighttime noises (this is true of most birds, but particularly so for doves).  If nocturnal disturbances are possible, leave a small bulb lit at night so that the birds will not crash into cage walls if startled.  R-Zilla’s Incandescent Nightlight and similar bulbs (designed for reptiles, and usually tinted red or blue) provide light and some heat but will not disturb the birds’ sleep cycle.

Diamond Doves are ideally suited to outdoor aviaries, and in such situations will display their full range of natural behaviors to best effect.

Heat and Humidity
Diamond Doves hail from harsh Australian environments, and are consequently quite hardy despite their fragile appearance.  Temperatures of 50-90 F are handled easily, and humidity is rarely a concern (if kept outdoors, however, they should be provided a dry shelter).  Drafts should be avoided.

Feeding
Diamond Doves consume a varied diet in the wild and should be provided with the same in captivity.  Please bear in mind that doves swallow seeds whole, without cracking them – most commercial pigeon or dove foods (seed or pellets) will be too large for these little fellows to handle.

I suggest as a basic diet a mix consisting of 50% Pretty Bird Premium Food for Canaries and Finches and 50% white millet.  To this add a daily ration of pre-crushed Lefabre Premium Daily Pellet Diet for Parakeets, which will assist in their getting enough Vitamin D3 (especially important if the doves do not have access to unfiltered sunlight).  You can also offer some Goldenfeast Australian Blend, but some of the ingredients are bulky and will need to be crushed.

Diamond Doves will also enjoy picking at millet sprays  and sprouting grass sprout pot.  Finely grated sweet potatoes, carrots and various greens should also be provided.  Hard-boiled eggs (ground with shells) should be offered once or twice each week, especially to nesting females (this is not always taken).

Finch grit  must be available at all time – doves cannot grind ingested seed shells without it – and Avitron Liquid Vitamins should be added to the drinking water.

Check back next Monday for the rest of this article.

Image referenced from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Golabek_diamentowy.jpg. Author M. Betley, under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Click here to read the first part of this article.

Social Groups and Compatible Species
Wild lovebirds live colonially, and can be kept in groups if your cage or aviary is large enough.  Of course managing a group can be difficult, as squabbles will arise, and, perhaps due to some form of stress, certain individuals will pluck the young of others.  It is best to separate breeding lovebirds from the group.

These plucky birds can hold their own even when housed with much larger parrots, but care must always be taken in these circumstances.  But if you are set on mixing small and large parrots, Masked Lovebirds are a good choice.

Handling and Enrichment
Natural clowns, Masked Lovebirds have quite bold, inquisitive personalities, and are relatively fearless (please see The Masked Lovebird – Natural History).  They seem naturally pre-disposed to become trusting pets, but only if acquired at a young age.  Adults that have not been tamed are nearly impossible to handle.

Masked Lovebirds are capable of imitating words, but rarely do so.  Tame ones are so charming that this will not be noticed, and their constant antics will leave you wanting little more from a pet bird.  They are highly trainable and will readily use a variety of bird toys.

Breeding
Pet Masked Lovebirds breed readily but the sexes are difficult to distinguish.  Paired birds preen each other incessantly, but same-sexed birds often form close bonds and may appear to be a mated pair.

Females are more sturdily built and a bit heavier (but only by a few grams) than males, and perch with their legs spread out a bit.  The female’s head is flatter and broader than that of the male (which is dome-shaped), but this varies among individuals and may only be apparent after you have observed a good number of birds.  The males’ pelvic bones (just above the vent) are close together, almost touching, while those of females in breeding condition are widely spaced.  Males often scratch their heads with their feet prior to mating.

Masked Lovebirds build bark and stick nests and will utilize nest boxes (20” x 10” x 10”) or hollow logs.  Females carry the nesting material, transporting it in their beaks (some related species carry bark wedged beneath their feathers).  Provide large amounts of willow and other fresh (from live, sap-bearing branches) bark to nesting birds, and continue to do so throughout the incubation and rearing periods.  Wild lovebirds use this to increase humidity in the nest (please see The Masked Lovebird – Natural History), and even if not necessary in captivity, doing so may be an important behavioral component in the nesting process.  It takes the pair (mainly the female) 4-7 days to complete the nest.

Females lay 3-6 eggs, the first 10 days after mating, and then 1 every other day thereafter.  Incubation lasts 21-23 days, and is carried out solely by the female (the male often sits near her – big help that is!) and the young fledge at day 41-45.  Breeding adults should be provided with extra greens, corn and bits of hard-boiled egg.

Information about Masked Lovebirds at the Honolulu Zoo is posted at:
http://www.honoluluzoo.org/black-masked_lovebird.htm

Image referenced from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Masked_Lovebird_(Agapornis_personata)_pet_on_cage.png, uploaded by Epoulin

General
Small size, a hearty constitution and fearless personality render the Masked Lovebird an excellent choice when venturing into parrot-keeping –  yet these Tanzanian natives are so engaging that they remain common in the collections of even very advanced aviculturists.  Please see The Masked or Yellow-Collared Lovebird, Agapornis personata – Natural History for information on Masked Lovebirds in the wild.

Cage and Physical Environment
As with all birds, the largest enclosure possible should be chosen, with a minimum size being 36” x 36” x 18” for a pair (or slightly smaller if the birds are exercised often – Blue Ribbon Series T-10 Cage).  The width between the bars should be no more than ¾ of an inch – frightened lovebirds may squeeze through wider bars that contain them when calm.

The cage should be provisioned with perches of various widths and materials, with the most-utilized perch being of a thickness that allows the birds’ feet to extend about three quarters of the way around.  A birdbath should be provided.

These little dynamos should be kept busy – they have an affinity for shredding bark and should be given lots of willow, fruit tree and other non-toxic branches.

Masked Lovebirds housed in an outdoor aviary will provide you with quite a treat – they never stop exploring (or destroying any plants they get hold of!) and interacting with what is going on outside the aviary.

Light, Heat and Humidity
Having evolved in a harsh environment, Masked Lovebirds are resilient as regards temperature.  On winter nights in their native Tanzania, temperatures regularly drop to 45 F, and sometimes lower.  Properly acclimated birds have been over-wintered outdoors in England (they are provided with a dry, frost-free shelter).  They are, however, sensitive to moisture, and will not thrive if allowed to become damp and chilled.

An average humidity of 60% or so is ideal, but drier is fine except in the case of breeding pairs (please see below).

Masked Lovebirds kept indoors should be provided with a full spectrum bulb, such as the Zoo Max Avian Sun UVB Bulb.

Feeding
Despite their rather outsized beaks, the majority of the Masked Lovebird’s diet should be composed of a small seeds, such as canary and white and yellow millet, along with a bit of hemp and sunflower (Sunburst Medium Parrot Food) and a high quality pelleted food (Lafeber Daily Diet – Pellets).  They favor sprouting greens (Vitakraft Sprout Pot), a variety of fruits and some vegetables (individual preferences vary).  Cuttlebone and grit should always be available.

Image referenced from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Masked_Lovebird_(Agapornis_personata)_pet_on_cage.png, uploaded by Epoulin