That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

 

Please see Part I of this article for information on zebra finch natural history and the story of its entry into the pet trade.

An Avian Lab Mouse

The zebra finch is one of our most important laboratory animals, so much so that researchers have christened it the “Avian Lab Mouse“.  Each year studies of zebra finches provide valuable insights into many aspects of human health, genetics and speech and brain development.

One particularly interesting group of zebra finch studies illustrated how a bird’s early experiences influence behaviors that are not put into practice until maturity is reached.  It seems that zebra finch chicks which are placed under the care of Bengalese finches overwhelmingly prefer Bengalese finches to zebra finches as mates once they mature.  The adopted birds also sing the song of the Bengalese finch, not that of their own species.  These findings have led to other studies with direct bearing on the process of learning and language acquisition in humans.

Please see my articles on Zebra Finch Research  for further information.

Zebra Finches as Pets

Zebra finches make great pets…their care in captivity is very similar to that of related species.  Please see my article on Nuns, Munias and Mannikins  for details.

The National Institutes of Health has posted an interesting article on the importance of zebra finches as experimental animals at http://science.education.nih.gov/AnimalResearch.nsf/Story1/Can+Zebra+Finches+Tell+Us+How+We+Learn+to+Talk+-+and+Walk.

 

 

 

Strict regulations requiring that all parrots sold within the USA be captive-bred have been very effective in controlling the trade in wild-caught birds, and in spurring captive breeding efforts in this country.  So it came as quite a surprise to learn that both legal and illegal collecting is still taking a significant toll on wild African gray parrots (Psittacus erithacus).  Studies showing declines in most of the 23 countries in which this magnificent bird occurs have sparked a review of its CITES and IUCN listings.

The Continuing Trade in Wild Parrots

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) statistics show that 360,000 African gray parrots were legally exported from Africa between 1994 and 2003, 93% of which went to Europe.  This is also surprising, given that adults trapped in the wild make poor pets, and chicks are difficult to ship safely.

These figures do not take illegally collected birds into account, and there is no way to access the environmental havoc caused by the felling of nest trees (a common collecting technique).

Proposed Conservation Initiatives

In view of the fact that current quotas have failed to protect the African gray parrot, CITES will review the matter when its members meet in July of 2009, and the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) may reclassify the species as “endangered”.  One nation within the parrot’s range, Angola, is not a CITES member and hence would be unaffected by any decisions rendered.

Leading conservationists are calling for a ban on all exports of wild-caught African gray parrots.  European Union nations temporarily suspended the importation of African gray parrots in 2008, after several wild-caught individuals were found to be infected with a lethal form of avian flu.

Further Reading

Please see my article on the Natural History of the African Gray Parrot for further information on this species in the wild.

You can read the most recent CITES report on the status of wild African gray parrots at http://www.cites.org/eng/com/AC/22/E22-10-2-A1.pdf.

 

 

Although several of the Amazon parrots are well-known to aviculturists and have long been pet trade staples, most species are actually quite rare in captivity and the wild, and several are, unfortunately, extinct.  Today I’d like to introduce you to some that are not often seen outside of their native ranges.  Please see Parts I and II of this article for information on commonly-kept Amazon parrots.

Extinct Species

Various Caribbean islands were the sites of several recent Amazon parrot extinctions.  The Guadeloupe Amazon, Amazona violacea, was last observed in 1779, and was apparently hunted to extinction shortly thereafter.  The Martinique Amazon, A. martinicana, was, according to the field notes of several naturalists and explorers, exceedingly common on its home island in the late 1700’s.  By the year 1800, however, it too had disappeared – also a victim of over-hunting.

The Lesser Antilles (the string of islands stretching from Puerto Rico to Trinidad) were reportedly home to at least 2 other distinct Amazon parrot species.  Unfortunately, today they exist only on the pages of travel logs and naturalists’ notebooks – preserved specimens are unknown.

Imperial or Dominican Amazon, A. imperialis

Reaching 18 inches in length and splashed in purple, brown and maroon, this magnificent parrot is the largest of its genus.  Limited in distribution to a single mountainside on the tiny island of Dominica, it is also among the rarest.  The wild population is estimated at 80-200 birds, and there is a small captive breeding effort.

Puerto Rican Amazon, A. vittata

With only 30-35 individuals remaining in Puerto Rico’s Loquillo Mountains, this is quite likely the Neotropic’s rarest parrot.  A related subspecies on nearby Culebra Island became extinct in 1912.  The captive population of approximately 100 birds (which suffered serious losses due to thievery in 2001) is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

An intensive reintroduction program is in effect, with captive reared birds being given predator-avoidance training (the island hosts a large population of red-tailed hawks).  However, less than 1% of the species’ natural habitat remains, and introduced black rats and mongooses pose a grave threat. Image referenced from Wikipedia Commons here.

St. Lucia Amazon, A. versicolor

I was very fortunate to have observed this colorful and rare bird while working with leatherback sea turtles on its tiny island home.  I had not really expected to see it at the time, and the intervening 20 years have not dulled the very pleasant memory.

The species’ name – “versicolor” – suits this most strikingly-marked of the Amazons well.  Its bright green feathers are rimmed in black, while blue and purple mark the head and red colors the throat and upper breast.   Wild specimens, which likely number less than 500, keep to St. Lucia’s mountain forests. Image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Brennan Mulroony

St. Vincent’s Amazon, A. guildingii

Another oddly marked (for an Amazon parrot) Caribbean island denizen, this parrot’s plumage contains a good deal of black, blue and violet, offset by orange, red and white about the head.

Advanced aviculturists and several zoos are working to produce captive offspring to offset the massive decline in the wild population. Image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Stavenn.

Yellow-Billed Amazon, A. collaria and Black-Billed Amazon, A. agilis

Jamaica’s only 2 parrot species are both highly endangered.  Neither was very well-known in US collections until comparatively recent times – the yellow-billed being first bred in 1963 and the black billed in 1978.  Both are now occasionally available in the pet trade, and deserve serious attention from those with the experience and resources to attempt captive breeding.

Red-Browed Amazon, A. rhodocorytha

The word “bright” comes to mind the first time one views this bird’s brilliant blue, green and red plumage…usually that view is of a photo, unfortunately, as the bird itself is exceedingly rare.  All but 2 of the specimens known to be in the USA are housed at Florida’s Rare Species Conservancy.

Captives breed fairly well, but, as only 2-10% of its rainforest habitat in eastern Brazil remains, re-introductions are not likely.  The scant reports that filter out of that area indicate that nest-poaching and deforestation continue at an alarming pace. Image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Duncan Rawlinson

 

The Houston Zoo has long been involved in parrot conservation efforts, and was the first US institution to breed the St. Vincent’s Amazon.  You can read about their recent progress with this species at:

http://www.houstonzoo.org/en/rel/?101

 

If your interests include both pet bird keeping and the conservation of wild birds, you may wish to consider becoming involved in a local bird-banding program.  My own first crude attempts at this fascinating endeavor involved trapping birds as a child with an old-fashioned “stick-holding-up-a-box-trap”, and really took off when, courtesy of my naturalist grandfather, I acquired a professional Havahart Live Animal Trap.

I did not realize at the time that my activities were both illegal and ill-advised (bird banding is a skill that must be studied), but I must say that I was fascinated to see that my prize catch, a male cardinal that I “banded” with a child’s plastic ring, remained within a very limited territory and tolerated no other males of his species.

I later became involved in professionally organized bird banding projects, and found the close contact with wild birds to be most gratifying.  I was surprised to learn that over 70% of the bird banders in the USA operate on a volunteer basis, and that well-trained people are often in demand for various projects.

Obtaining a Federal Bird Banding Permit

Those wishing to band birds in the USA must obtain a federal permit from the US Department of the Interior.  Applicants must show that they can identify and safely trap, handle and band those species with which they will be involved.  Prospective banders can take courses or participate in organized banding programs as interns in order to gain experience.

Value of Banding Data

Bird banding programs have been in operation in the USA for over 100 years, and the resulting mass of data has given us important insights into the behavior, ranges, population trends and conservation needs of a great many species.

Banding studies have been particularly useful in showing us that international cooperation is required if wide-ranging bird species are to be effectively protected.  Migratory birds may winter, feed, breed and pass through several continents and dozens of countries in the course of their travels.  Conservation efforts for such birds will be effective only if protection is provided in each of the habitats that they utilize.

Feeding and Observing Local Birds

Of course, you don’t need to trap and band birds in order to enjoy their beauty.  Providing wild birds with food, water and shelter will draw numerous species within viewing range, and will help them to survive and reproduce.  Please check out our wide variety of wild bird foods, feeders, books and related items.

Further Reading

You can apply for a banding permit and learn more about the process at www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl.

Information concerning bird banding courses is posted at www.osnabirds.org/on/187.

 

 

Last time I highlighted the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count, the nation’s oldest wildlife survey.  Although it is easy for one to become involved, the count is run only at a specific time.  If you are a casual birder, or even someone who only occasionally takes notice of our avian neighbors, you can still participate in conservation efforts.  Even the “Hey, I haven’t seen northern orioles here before” – and similar sporadic observations – are welcome!

The Great Backyard Bird Count, managed by the National Audubon Society and Cornell University’s Laboratory of Ornithology, offers casual birders a wonderful opportunity to be heard.  The information generated by over 100,000 volunteers has been especially valuable in documenting the appearance of birds (i.e. snowy owls) outside of their usual ranges.  You can learn more at http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/.

In association with several Canadian groups, the aforementioned organizations also sponsor Project Feederwatch, a winter-long assessment of birds visiting feeders throughout the USA and Canada.  Assisted by nearly 20,000 volunteers, the project has generated information that has made its way into scientific journal articles dealing with avian feeding ecology, population trends and disease.  Participant information is posted at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/.