That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Bird-keeping is a most enjoyable hobby, and becomes a passion for many, but there’s no denying that expenses can add up.  Following are some simple ways to cut costs.

Cage and Furnishings

Your bird’s home is likely to be your biggest one-time cash outlay.  A number of beautiful cages and outdoor aviaries are available, but building your own cage, or hiring someone to do so, may be a cheaper option.  Creating a bird room within your home might also save money, especially for those who keep large parrots, macaws or colony-dwelling doves and finches. Read More »

Birds all across the USA are now returning from their wintering grounds and will soon be visiting feeders and raising new families.  Many migratory birds are threatened by loss of both summer and winter habitats, and by problems they encounter on route.  Anything we can do to help migratory birds will also benefit resident species, and of course will enable us to more easily observe and enjoy them.  Please consider the following suggestions.

Native Vegetation and Dead Trees

Allow a portion of your yard to “remain wild” by encouraging native scrub, bushes and grasses.  If you also have a garden and/or lawn, adding native plants will create an “edge effect” – a zone where different habits meet.  Such areas, whether they be forest/field or lawn/scrub, always attract far more species than either habitat individually. Read More »

Although a few commonly-kept finches dominate the pet trade, an amazing range of unusual species are available.  Many are delicate and rarely seen, but quite a few are just as hardy as the ever-popular Zebra Finch.  Today I’d like to introduce some of my favorite less-commonly-kept finches, each of which is special in its own way – the Red Avadavat, Gray-Headed Silverbill and the Star, Masked and Spice Finches.  All are hardy, breed well, and may be housed in large indoor cages or outdoor aviaries.  I’ll cover husbandry details in future articles; until then, please write in with any questions. Read More »

Contests in which parrots and other birds are judged based on their appearances are a long tradition…but what about their other qualities? Participants in human beauty pageants are judged on both appearance and talent…and now, it seems, that parrots are as well in some contests.  Recently, an African Grey Parrot named Mishka won the World Wide Parrot Talking Competition – without having to reveal any “skin”!

Tough Competition

The contest, sponsored by Besttalkingparrot.com, attracted 60 talented parrots from points as widespread as Chile, Canada, Australia and Africa.  The winner, three-year-old Mishka, resides with her owner and family members in a small apartment near Johannesburg, South Africa.  Read More »

Today I’d like to my shift focus from pet trade birds and introduce you to a species I’ve worked with for many years, the Pel’s Fishing Owl, Scotopelia peli.  One individual under my care at the Bronx Zoo lived into his 50’s, and provided me with insights into the owl-world’s most uniquely adapted predator.

Owl Diversity: Bug Hunters to Deer-Slayers

It seems that the various species of owls are viewed by most folks as “variations on a theme” – mysterious, nocturnal birds that feed upon rodents and vanish by day.  But within the owl family (Strigiformes) we find an incredible diversity of lifestyles – sparrow-sized Elf Owls that nest in cacti and hunt insects, Great Horned Owls that stalk cats in NYC and parrots in Costa Rica, massive Eagle Owls capable of taking deer fawns, day-flying Hawk Owls…the list goes on.  Among the most unique are those that specialize in hunting fishes, known collectively as Fish or Fishing Owls. Read More »