General Bird Care
Holiday Season Treats and Cautions for Parrot and Finch Owners
Dec 16th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Holiday visits and celebrations, pleasurable as they are, can also bring some nasty surprises to both people and pets. A bit of planning now can help make the upcoming season safe and enjoyable for you and your birds.
Stress, Noise and Late Nights
Responsible bird owners know that certain holiday treats and, of course, alcohol, are bad for birds. But many overlook the important role that sleep plays in bird health (please see article below). If you entertain late, or will be out often during the holidays, keep in mind that most birds need 10-12 hours of sleep in a dark, quiet environment. If necessary, move your pet’s cage to an area that is off-limits to guests, and shut the room lights via a timer if the rest of your house will be lit after the usual “lights-out” time. Maintaining a stable day/night cycle is good for your birds mental and physical health.
Holiday parties can mean a house stocked with loud, tipsy guests, excited children and unfamiliar dogs. Each of these “creatures” (especially, those influenced by alcohol!) may take liberties with your pets that they otherwise would not. If it will be difficult for you to monitor all that is going on, consider keeping your birds in a locked room while parties are in progress (or “raging”, as the case may be!). More >
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Loading ...Winter Bird Feeding – Rare Bird Update and Some Useful Products
Dec 13th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Winter brings with it unique bird-watching opportunities, as cold weather forces otherwise-shy species to visit feeders in search of food. Rare visitors driven south by severe weather and others blown off course during migration also brighten birders’ days. Today I’d like to alert you to several new (and standard) bird feeding products, and highlight some ways to see the unusual avian visitors to your neighborhood.
Birding Surprises
Wherever you are located, winter birding is an exciting prospect. Often, unexpected birds tend to stay put for quite awhile, due to disorientation and the need to remain near a newfound food source. Checking with the many on-line and telephone services (yes, phone-based reports still exist, check here!) is a great way to remain aware of what’s going on nearby; if luck is with you, you can then go out and see the bird that has been reported. More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Is a Macaw the Right Pet for You – a Species-by-Species Review
Nov 30th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Many parrot enthusiasts view macaws as the ultimate avian pets. Huge, personable, gorgeous and enormously intelligent, macaws seem to embody all that is desirable in a pet parrot. However, macaw ownership is not to be undertaken lightly…while the rewards are great, there are many responsibilities and “downsides” to consider as well.
General Considerations
If you’ve ever been surprised by the volume of noise a budgie or lovebird can generate, consider what their massive relatives can do! Macaw vocalizations must be heard to be believed. I’ve observed Scarlet Macaws and others on Venezuela’s wide open grasslands, and have worked with them in huge zoo exhibits – even in these habitats, their calls were often deafening. Highly social, it is in their nature to vocalize almost continually. More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...The African Silverbill – a Near-Perfect Finch Pet
Nov 25th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Zebra and Society Finches are often recommended to those new to finch keeping, and with good reason. However, in my opinion, the attractive little African Silverbill or African Warbling Finch, Lonchura cantans, deserves consideration as well. In addition to being a hardy captive, it is also a prolific breeder that hybridizes readily with several other species – ideal qualities if one wishes to experiment with the creation of new finch color phases.
Description
The African Silverbill may seem “plain” to some, but its varied shades of brown, tan, buff, fawn and black both blend and contrast, lending this 4 inch-long mite a unique beauty. The sexes are alike, but only males produce the pleasant, warbling song.
Chocolate, fawn, cinnamon, white and other mutations have been produced, often influenced by related species with which the African Silverbill has been crossed. More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Mate Aggression in Parrots – Why Parrots Fight with their Partners
Nov 18th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. In the wild, the pair-bond between mated parrots often lasts a lifetime. Captive pairs, however, face unique “relationship challenges” that often complicate the mating process. Owners may find it difficult to find two birds that get along, and even long-established pairs may suddenly begin to fight.
Mate Choice
Parrot breeding is rarely as simple as putting 2 birds of the opposite sex together…both males and females can be quite choosy when it comes to selecting a mate. Coloration, behavior, vigor and a host of factors that we do not fully understand all come into play, with the ultimate goal being the production healthy offspring. The process has evolved over millions of years, and works fine in natural situations, where the birds can choose from numerous potential mates.
Captives face an entirely different situation. Even in large breeding groups, they are limited to a fraction of the potential mates that would be available in the wild. Being naturally social, many parrots “give in” and accept whatever mate, or same sex friend, presents itself; parrots that live alone often transfer their need for companionship to human owners. More >
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