That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Parrots, finches and canaries can certainly provide a lifetime’s worth of enjoyment to the bird fancier, but sometimes we feel the urge for something “different”.  Other types of pet trade and domestic birds – peafowl and other pheasants, ducks, geese and such – are often large, expensive and difficult to provide for in most home situations. 

The diminutive Chinese Painted, or Button Quail, however, is none of these, and is an excellent choice for those seeking a ground-dwelling bird. These beautiful miniature quail are a pure delight to keep, and are quite hardy to boot.  I first became acquainted with them quite accidentally – while working at the Bronx Zoo, I had often used their eggs as food for African egg-eating snakes.  Curious to see the egg-producers in person, I visited the breeder and became enamored of the tiny birds.

Although not as readily available as more typical pet birds, button quail are bred commercially.  

General

Note:  The following notes pertain to the button quail.  The Japanese quail is larger (to 8 inches) but can be maintained in similar fashion. 

Button quail are found from India to southern China and south through Indonesia to New Guinea and northeastern Australia, and have been introduced to Mauritius and Reunion.  At least 10 subspecies have been described over this huge range.  They favor moist grasslands and overgrown fields, marshy areas and rice paddies.

Description

At a mere 4-5 inches in length, button quail are the smallest members of the family Phasianidae, which contains nearly 200 species of quails, pheasants and partridges.

Males are brownish-blue with white and black-marked throats and faces.  The breast is blue-gray and the belly is chestnut-red.  Hens are mottled brown and have unmarked throats.  A number of interesting color mutations, including silver, white and blue-faced, have been developed.

Cooperative Behavior
The monk parrot’s ability to survive in noisy, threatening habitats near people is partially explained by its complex social behaviors. Birds delay breeding in order to help relatives raise young, and non-breeding adults alert others to danger and locate new food sources. Rather than disperse after fledging, most of the young stay with the natal flock and add their own chambers to the nest, thus becoming “helpers” and future breeders. As with other species of birds (i.e. scrub jays) that cooperate in this manner, the presence of older individuals who are familiar with local predators and other dangers and food sources greatly increases the younger birds’ chances of survival.

Sentinels
More so than most parrots, monks routinely post sentinels when feeding. On several occasions, I followed free-living monk parrots to feeding areas and never failed to see the guards, and they never failed to warn the flock of my presence. I was even able to observe the sentinel being “relieved” – a bird that had been feeding flew up to the sentinel’s branch, there was a most definite “conversation” between them, and then the original sentinel flew to the ground to feed. I was not able to determine if this is the species’ usual behavior, but I did see it on two occasions.

The Winter Diet
Monk parrots feed mainly upon grain, along with some fruits, tree buds and insects, but are remarkably adaptable as regards diet. This characteristic has also helped them to adapt to new environments. They are known to frequent bird feeders during the winter, and in rural areas they raid grain put out for farm animals. I have observed those living on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo to enter the paddocks of deer and cattle in search of grain, and to consume pellets put out for peafowl. They are also known to turn to pine cones for food in winter, and on farms have been observed consuming yams unearthed by plows.

Success at Home and Abroad
These qualities and survival techniques have rendered monk parrots among the most successful of all Psittacines, in both their natural and introduced ranges. In their native Argentina, monk parrots are considered to be a quite serious agricultural pest, costing farmers billions of dollars yearly in lost crops. Clearing land for farms encourages their spread, as they prefer open habitats to thick forests. In addition to at least 15 states in the USA, breeding populations of monk parrots can be found in Kenya, Japan, southern Canada, Spain, England, Italy, France, Belgium, Austria, Holland, Puerto Rico, Bermuda and the Bahamas.

Monk Parrots as Pets
Incidentally, these 12 inch long dynamos make fine pets for the right owners. Attractively clad in gray and green, with a bit of blue in the wings (blue, yellow and other color strains are also available), they are inquisitive and tame readily. They are, however, quite vocal, and a small group can be deafening.

Monk parrots routinely cover great distances when feeding, and are always busy with nest repair. These habits render them quite active, and they definitely need a good deal of space, and much to amuse themselves with, in captivity. If circumstances permit, a group housed outdoors in a large aviary will provide countless hours of enjoyment. It was long popular in Europe to allow monk parrots to fly free once the nest was constructed, as they rarely fail to return to this home base. As interesting as this prospect may be, it has likely been a factor in the establishment of feral populations throughout Europe, and should be discouraged.

Monk parrots will breed in pairs as well as groups, and will utilize a nest box if unable to construct a free standing nest. The incubation period is 26 days, and the young fledge in 6 weeks or so. The adults rarely experience difficulties in raising the young.

If you do decide to keep monk parrots, be sure to provide them with a high quality seed based diet along with fruits and some greens, and equip their cage with full spectrum lighting .

Please write in for further details concerning captive care, or to share your observations of free living monk parrots.

Interesting articles concerning Brooklyn College’s studies of free living parrots are posted at:http://www.freeparrots.net/article.php?story=20031221072241561

Physical Description
The greenish-grey upper parts merge with the lemon-yellow breast and chin, and a yellow streak tops the eye. Females are somewhat duller than males, and have a faint ring of black spots about the neck. Reaches 4- 4½ inches in length.

Range and Habitat
Most of sub-Saharan Africa, especially in semi-arid areas. Favors open forest and scrub, as well as farms and ranches.

Status in the Wild
Not well studied. Listed on Appendix III of CITES (the Committee on International Trade in Endangered Species).

Diet
Feeds mainly upon the seeds of grasses and shrubs, but also takes plant sprouts, berries and insects.

Reproduction
A cup shaped nest is constructed of grasses, moss and animal hair. The eggs are blue-green with brown speckling, are incubated by both parents, and hatch in 13 days. The young fledge in 2 weeks, and sexual maturity is reached in 4-6 months.

Miscellaneous
Green singing finches forage in pairs or small family groups, and do not form large flocks.

Green Singing Finches as Pets

General
These birds are hardy and active, and the male’s song is a real pleasure to hear. They can, however, be aggressive towards other species of finches unless ample room is provided. Pairs cannot be housed with other green singers, and when nesting may harass other birds even in quite large aviaries. Males sing their melodious, cheerful song throughout the day during the breeding season.

Space and Other Physical Requirements
Despite their small size, green singers need a good deal of room as they are quite active. They will do fine in a large indoor cage such as (http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/237219/product.web), and will show off to great advantage in a planted outdoor aviary.

Light
The cage should be lit by a full spectrum bird bulb if the finches are housed indoors.

Feeding
A basic finch seed mix, such as ZuPreem Fruit Blend should be fed, as well as occasional mealworms and small crickets. Green singers consume a bit more green food than do other finches – Vitakraft’s Sprout Pot will provide much-relished grass sprouts. They will also enjoy picking at small slices of apple, orange and other fruits.

Social Grouping/Compatible Species
Green singing finches are aggressive towards others of their kind, and should be housed in pairs only. Parents will co-exist with fledglings only until the next clutch of eggs is laid.

They will get along and even interbreed with canaries in a large, well-planted aviary, provided there is ample cover and perching and feeding sites. Even in this situation, however, breeding pairs may become aggressive. Individual green singing finches vary greatly as concerns their tolerance of other species, so you will need to experiment a bit if you plan on mixing them. Mixed species grouping should only be attempted in a large, outdoor aviary – in a typical indoor cage, they will not get along with other birds.

Other species that may be tried with green singing finches include red-crested cardinals, larger finches such as bullfinches, goldfinches and certain waxbills, diamond and other small doves and Japanese quail.

Captive Longevity
Green singing finches have lived for over 20 years in captivity.

Breeding
Please see “Reproduction”, above. Although an open cup nest is typical, some green singers will also utilize a nest box. Additional green food, in the form of grass and other plant sprouts, as well as insects, is required when the pair is raising young. The parents tend to leave the nest at even slight disturbances. They usually return quickly, but when breeding should be provided with as much privacy as possible.

Additional Resources
http://www.honoluluzoo.org/green_singing_finch.htm

The work showed that pigeons have a well developed sense of “self”, and can distinguish their own images from those of another pigeon after a delay of up to 7 seconds. This places them ahead of most human 3 year olds, who fail at self-recognition tests after a 2 second delay. Amazingly, the pigeons were also taught to distinguish the paintings of Van Gogh from those of Chagall – a task at which, I am embarrassed to say, I would likely fail!

Prior to these findings, only mammals with highly-developed brains, such as chimpanzees, elephants, dolphins and (possibly) dogs, were known to be capable of recognizing their own images.

In another interesting project, Rohr University Bochum (Germany) biologists were able to determine that pigeons moderated their choice of a large versus a small reward based upon how long it took for each reward to be delivered. The research revealed that pigeon impulse-control is regulated by a single forebrain neuron, and could have important implications for the treatment of addictive and attention-deficit related disorders in humans.

Parrots seem, at least on the surface, to exceed pigeons in their learning abilities – I imagine that we will eventually learn that they have other very advanced capabilities as well.

An interesting article concerning the similarities between how birds and people perceive the world around them is posted at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070220131646.htm

Zebra Finches in the Wild
We are so accustomed to seeing zebra finches in cages that it is easy to overlook their existence as vital members of a natural environment. However, free-living zebra finches are perhaps the most abundant birds in the interior of their native Australia. With the exception of coastal Victoria and New South Wales, they inhabit the entire continent. In fact, their range is expanding due to the provision of water (they must drink daily) on livestock farms. A subspecies of the zebra finch (which was actually the first member of the species to be brought into captivity), the Lesser Sunda zebra finch, occupies nearby Timor and the Lesser Sunda Islands.

Classification
Despite their common name, zebra finches are not true finches but rather are classified as waxbills, in the family Estrildidae. Nearly 150 species of waxbills range throughout Africa, Asia and Australia. A number of the zebra finch’s relatives, including the gouldian finch, the cordon blue and the white-backed munia, are also popular in the pet trade. The nearly 200 species of true finches (family Fringillidae) are absent from Australia.

Habitat and Adaptations
Zebra finches favor open woodlands, grasslands and farms, but can also be found in Australia’s harsh, arid interior scrublands. They feed mainly upon seeds, especially those of various grasses, and take insects as well. Populations living in salt marshes have evolved the ability to drink salt water – excreting excess sodium via the kidneys. They are fairly sensitive to temperature and cannot generate enough heat for egg incubation if temperatures fall below 53 F.

Breeding
Like many of its relatives, the zebra finch forages in large flocks. Within the flock, however, monogamous pairs form. The pair bond appears, in most cases, to be life-long. Breeding is sporadic throughout the year and may not occur at all during droughts. As an adaptation to the harsh environment, this species has evolved the ability to breed quickly at the onset of rains during nearly any time of the year.

Zebra finches nest as discrete pairs, but communally – that is, with many pairs occupying the same tree. The female chooses the nest site and constructs the nest with dried grasses and other materials brought by the male. The 4-5 eggs are incubated by both parents and hatch in 13-16 days. The young, fed by the male and female, fledge in 20-21 days. In years with favorable rainfall and food supplies, 3 or more broods may be raised. The zebra finch’s ability to take advantage of good conditions can be a handicap in captivity – in response to the abundance of food and water, females may lay so often that their health suffers (this problem can be ameliorated somewhat by removing all nesting material).

A View from Taiwan
As mentioned earlier, zebra finches are popular pets, both here and abroad. A Taiwanese friend has informed me that they are much more “house pet” than “cage bird” in her country, and are commonly allowed to roam about. Her pet zebra finch would perch on a chair while the family ate dinner – begging for food but not actually approaching the table, and would sleep in her shirt pocket in the evening.

Further information on the parallels between zebra finch song the acquisition of speech in people is available at:
http://www.zebrafinch.org/