That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

The Wild or “Typical” Canary (Serinus canaria) is the world’s most commonly-kept finch.  However, several of its relatives are also well-established in captivity, and some have been hybridized with the Wild Canary in order to improve its color and singing abilities.  One of these, the Green Singing Finch (S. mozambicus), is a common pet; please see the article below for more information.  Today I’ll introduce the Gray Singing Finch, European Serin, Black-Throated and Black-Headed Canaries.

Note: “Wild Canary” as used here refers to the common pet trade Canary. Read More »

Autumn is a time of great anticipation for those who feed and watch birds, and surprising sightings are not limited to remote locales – a Snowy Owl once spent a few hours on the roof of my childhood home in the Bronx, and I’ve counted over 200 species on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo.  Resident birds begin to feed ravenously in preparation for the lean times ahead, and different northern migrants appear each week.  Today I’d like to highlight some foods and feeders that will help ensure that you see all there is to be seen in the coming months. Read More »

Cowbirds, cuckoos and whydahs are well known brood parasites, meaning that females deposit eggs in the nests of other bird species and leave them to the care of their unsuspecting foster parents.  Finch owners may be surprised to learn that some female Zebra Finches also use this reproductive strategy – but with a special twist.

Cheating…Zebra Finch Style

Researchers at Bavaria’s Max Planck Institute for Ornithology (the former stomping grounds of the legendary animal behaviorist Konrad Lorenz) have discovered that certain female Zebra Finches specialize in taking advantage of their neighbors’ nests.  Read More »

Toys are more than just “time fillers” for parrots.  Social and highly intelligent, pet parrots suffer badly when bored, and soon exhibit destructive behaviors or stress-related illnesses.  Zoos are now requiring that toys and foraging opportunities (they call it “Behavioral Enrichment”, sounds better in journals!) be provided to animals ranging from frogs to elephants.  A study recently published in Applied Animal Behavior Science (V.120, N.3) has revealed that, at least for Orange-Winged Amazon Parrots (Amazona amazonica, please see photo), all toys are not created equal.

Parrot Preferences: What and Why

The study compared the reactions of parrots to wooden toys differing in size, color and harness and to rawhide toys that varied in color.  The toys were attached to computer-monitored switches, so that the birds’ reactions would not be influenced by observers, and could be recorded round-the-clock. Read More »

Attractively colored in shades of brown, tan and cream, and with distinctive silvery-gray beaks, the Silverbills are hardy, peaceful and breed readily.  They almost always raise their chicks without incident, and many pairs are even tolerant of overly-enthusiastic nest inspections.  Today we’ll take a look at 3 readily available species that make wonderful additions to any collection.

Diet

Silverbills fare well on relatively simple diets – a high quality finch seed mix along with some greens and sprouts    will meet their needs.  Tiny mealworms, crickets and other insects may be offered to nesting pairs, but the addition of extra sprouts is all that most parents need in order to successfully raise their young. Read More »