That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Bonding with people is usually seen as desirable among pets of any kind…in parrots such often results in a friendly, affectionate bird that readily learns to mimic speech.  However, parrots can become extremely protective of the person to whom they have bonded, to the point of screeching at, biting or even launching full scale attacks upon others.  Also, as an extension of natural nesting behavior, bonded parrots are also very likely to become territorial, protecting their cage or larger area from intrusions by all except their favorite person.

Natural Parrot Instincts

It is important to bear in mind that bonding in parrots is a deeply ingrained instinct – one that you may be able to manage but which cannot be eliminated.  Wild parrots of nearly all species form long term, usually life-long, pair bonds.  Pairs spend the vast majority of their time in close contact with one another…even within large flocks, pairs are very evident by their proximity and physical interactions.  Most even fly side by side when moving about within a flock.  Captive parrots, no matter how many generations removed from the wild, are “hard-wired” to behave in the same manner.

Avoiding Problems

Bonding-related aggression can best be avoided by socializing your parrot, while young if possible, to all members of your household, or to those who regularly visit.  The bird will still be “closer” to certain people than others, but may not develop overly-protective behaviors.

An interesting article on the interplay of natural and captive behaviors in parrots is posted at:

http://www.auspigeonco.com.au/Articles/Stress.html

Now that bird-feeding season is upon us, I’d like to pass along some thoughts on one of the most pleasurable aspects of this hobby, the hand-feeding of wild birds.  Strange as this may sound, it is actually quite simple to train a number of species to feed from the hand – assuming, that is, that you have patience and the ability to remain still in cold weather!

I was first made aware of the prospect of hand-feeding by a wonderful little book given me by my grandfather, who was always looking for new ways to see animals up close: Hand Taming Wild Birds at the Feeder (Martin, A.G., 1963; Bond Wheelwright Co.: Freeport).  Over the years, I have found that chickadees, juncos and cardinals to be by far the boldest of the typical “backyard birds”.  However the occasional hairy woodpecker, nuthatch or catbird may surprise you with a visit, and the aforementioned book’s author has had success with an incredible range of species.

Keeping your Guests Calm

An important point raised by the author is that you not stare directly at a bird which alights on your hand.  This is good advice, and was borne out in my later experiences working with birds in zoos.  If you want birds to stay close so that you can observe them, don’t stare…they will allow a much closer approach if you use sidewise glances, at least at first.  Birds recognize eyes, and associate a stare with danger, it seems.

An Interesting Twist – an Owl that Fed People

I found it interesting that birds also seem to “know” what a mouth is.  The author makes the point that one ought not “swallow” when a bird is on the hand, lest it fly off.  A screech owl that I  once helped to raise definitely confirmed this.  He was imprinted on people and when ready to breed attempted to offer mice (a traditional owl nuptial gift) to his human friends.  Alighting on a shoulder, he would invariably attempt to jam the mouse in one’s mouth – never in an ear!

The Best Foods to Use

When feeding wild birds, choose a seed mix that contains a wide variety of ingredients (i.e. Scott’s Multi-Bird Blend), so as to attract many species.  A good hand-feeding technique is to offer pieces of suet.  Although often thought of as being specifically for woodpeckers, birds of all kinds crave this high-energy food in winter…its presence in your hand will help to overcome their initial shyness.

The accompanying photo shows yours truly with a friendly black-capped chickadee in hand.

Please see my article Introducing the Turacos (Family Musophagidae), With Notes on an Unusual Individual for a story about a bird that was a bit too habituated to human company.

The 56 lory and lorikeet species are among the most gorgeous and active of all parrots, and are usually quite bold in character.  In both the wild (particularly Australia) and in zoos, lory feeding stations are a great hit with tourists, with hundreds of colorful birds flocking onto treat-bearing visitors.

The Effect of Feeding Ecology

Lory and lorikeets rely primarily upon a relatively scarce, widely-scattered food source – pollen and nectar, and herein lays the explanation for their aggressive feeding behavior.  Competition at feeding sites has fostered in these birds a repertoire of over 30 threat displays…a far greater number than is seen in other parrots.  Unfortunately, these tendencies often express themselves as aggressive behaviors in captivity, with even long-paired birds sometimes running into difficulties.

Space and Aggression

A change in the environment is frequently a pre-cursor to aggression.  Giving the birds more room – a great concept in principal – often leads to fighting.  This is true for many birds (and other animals)…I once lost 2 white-crested laughing jay thrushes to aggression after giving birds that had lived peaceably together for 18 month access to an adjoining cage.  Of course, crowding can also lead to fights, but the possibility of extending or establishing a territory seems an especially strong factor.  Lories seem particularly prone to this phenomenon.

Adding a Nest Box

The provision of a nest box may bring on breeding-related aggression in an otherwise peaceful male, and moving even a long-established pair to a new cage is always a cause for concern.  Be sure to observe your birds carefully at such times, and separate them if you will be away for long periods when the change is first instituted.

Introducing Birds

Introduce new birds by caging them side-by-side, and confine a possibly troublesome individual to a small cage or carrier within the larger cage, if space permits, to allow the birds to get used to each other.  I relied upon this method with a wide variety of birds in zoo situations, and found it most useful.  If using a carrier for the introduction, choose one with barred as opposed to solid sides, so that the birds can interact.  Pets International Take Me Home Traveler is ideal.

Other Considerations

Limiting mobility by clipping the wings of aggressive birds is another tried and proven method of easing the introduction process.  The availability of a wide variety of bird toys and a complex, well-perched cage will go a long way in keeping your birds occupied with constructive (rather than destructive!) activities.  Of course, proper lory nutrition is essential in fostering normal behavior and good relations among your pets.

Please also see my article on lory and lorikeet feeding behavior and natural history:

Lories and Lorikeets – why do they differ so from other parrots?

Image referenced from Wikipedia.

Have you ever wondered why, in most bird species, the male with the loudest song, brightest plumage or most spectacular display is usually successful in attracting a mate?  Given that birds have so many predators, and that the efforts of both parents are usually required to raise the chicks, it always seemed to me that females “should” prize males who went about their lives quietly and unobtrusively.  Wouldn’t these be less likely to attract a predator’s attention than those strutting about and singing for the entire world to see?

In no species is this phenomenon more clearly illustrated than the Indian peafowl, Pavo cristatus. The above-mentioned thoughts came to be with great force while I as contemplating the American Museum of Natural History’s spectacular Asiatic leopard display.  The exhibit features a leopard that has just captured a male peafowl, and the panoramic background painting depicts other peafowl flying off.  Viewing the scene, one can easily imagine how a huge, colorful train of feathers might hinder the peafowl in escaping predators.  Why then, does it assist the male in his efforts to secure a mate?

The answer is apparently to be found below the surface of what we see.  By displaying large adornments and reckless behavior (i.e. singing from an exposed perch), the male bird is, in essence, proclaiming his ability to survive despite such encumbrances.  He must, therefore, have sprung from fine genetic stock, and is perceived as being able to sire strong, healthy offspring.  The very act of growing such adornments or developing a strong voice also indicates his good health, and the ability to procure a generous amount of food.

Of course, here there arises a great temptation to make comparisons to human behavior, but I’ll leave such for my readers who are better versed in that subject than I!

For an interesting story on peafowl breeding behavior gone awry, please see my article Indian (Blue) Peafowl, Pavo cristatus and American Turkeys, Meleagris gallopavo – an uneasy relationship.

In an earlier article concerning the cordon blue (Introducing the Red-Cheeked Cordon Blue, Uraeginthus bengalus), I mentioned that this popular pet trade finch often nests close to wasp colonies in its native West Africa. It has long been known that certain birds derive protection from predators by nesting near colonies of ants, bees, wasps and other aggressive social insects. It has been shown that wasps eliminate nearly all parasitic botflies from nearby nests of oropendolas and yellow-rumped caciques, and wasp nests experimentally re-located (fun job!) to trees bearing the nests of rufous-naped wrens dramatically reduced predation by monkeys.

In the case of the cordon blue, pairs nesting near wasp colonies are usually more than twice as likely to successfully fledge chicks as are those in trees un-protected by wasps. An article in The Auk (Beir, P., 2006) has raised the possibility that certain wasps (Ropalidia cincta) may, in turn, derive benefits from living in proximity to nesting cordon blues.

Researchers working in Ghana noted that wasps establishing new colonies showed a strong preference for trees occupied by cordon blues. They discovered that the sting of the Ropalidia wasp is relatively ineffective against ants, which raid wasp nests, and smaller wasps, which parasitize the larvae. Cordon blues, on the other hand, relish small insects and may help the Ropalidia wasps by devouring ants and smaller wasp species. Further studies are under way.

I’m usually all for experimentation, but please do not be tempted to move any wasp nests into your cordon blue’s aviary!

An interesting article (Biotropica) on ant/bird nesting associations in Africa is posted at:
http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/K/Michael.E.Kaspari-1/PDF_reprints/Kaspari_1990_Biot.pdf