That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Sorting through the scores of bird interest websites can be very taxing, so I thought I’d highlight some especially good ones here (listed in alphabetical order).

Budgerigar Websites

While most clubs and societies focus on English Budgerigars, which differ a bit from the race more familiar in the USA (please see the article referenced below), English Budgerigar husbandry and natural history information will be useful to all Budgerigar owners.

Budgerigar Society

Based in the UK, the Budgerigar Society was founded in 1925 and boasts over 3,000 members – quite a reserve of expertise!

In addition to hosting exhibitions and providing a wealth of information on show standards and related matters, the society is committed to disseminating health, husbandry and conservation news, and does a fine job of it.  The posted research articles, many written by recognized experts, are top-notch.  The new Budgerigar owner, however, should not shy away – a series of wonderful articles for beginners is also available.

Great Western Budgerigar Society

Founded in 1952, this US-based society is one of the largest devoted solely to the care and exhibition of Budgerigars, and promotes the advancement of both scientific research and practical husbandry techniques.

It is well-known for hosting some of the country’s most popular shows…one of these, which featured over 1,300 Budgies, was the largest ever held in the USA.  I was particularly pleased to find wonderful photos of the various Budgerigar color types and printable Nest Box and Egg Log Cards.

World Budgerigar Organization

This international organization does a fine job of bringing together Budgerigar experts and enthusiasts from all over the world – governments should cooperate half as well!

At least 21 countries, including the USA, are well-represented.  I especially admire the group’s efforts in funding the translation and dissemination of important research articles.  Budgerigar show standards and conservation-oriented lobbying are also high priorities.

Cockatiel Websites

National Cockatiel Society

Now in its 25^th year, the National Cockatiel Society is a great resource for aviculturists seeking information on any aspect of Cockatiel care or exhibition.

The website’s library is one of the most impressive I’ve seen, with many of the posted articles having applicability to other parrot species as well.  Specific interest areas, such as those for breeders and exhibitors, assure that no site visitor will leave unsatisfied.

North American Cockatiel Society

In contrast to many Cockatiel interest groups, the North American Cockatiel Society focuses its efforts on pet care as opposed to exhibition (however, the well-researched information on Cockatiel genetics and mutations will prove of interest to both pet owners and those who exhibit birds).

I was happy to see that fact and fun strike an excellent balance on this website – the articles are well-written and informative, and the “Just for Fun” section is most entertaining.  The “Frequently Asked Questions/Tips” feature covers just about all one might need to know when getting started in keeping cockatiels, while a chat-room and “Cockatiel of the Month” photo serve to liven up the visitor’s experience.

Further Reading

The race of birds that has come to be known as “English Budgerigars” is larger (and, some say, quieter – apartment dwellers take note!) than the Budgerigars more typically seen in the USA.  Please see my article The English Budgerigar for more information.

The Cockatiel’s life in the wild is less well-known than is its captive care, but very interesting.  To read about Cockatiel natural history, please see The Cockatiel in Nature.

 

Please see Part I of this article for general information and a discussion of the very unique Patagonian Conure or Burrowing Parrot (Cyanoliseus patagonus).

General Considerations

Conures in the genus Aratinga are often suggested as birds to purchase for those who wish to keep macaws but lack experience (Aratinga means “little macaw”).  Brilliantly colored but quite loud and with an indomitable spirit, conures do indeed resemble their larger cousins in many ways.  Most do best in outdoor aviaries, although they can be acclimated to large indoor cages as well.

The 17 species classified genus Pyrrhura are, in general, quieter and easier to manage than the Aratinga conures.

Green Cheeked Conure, Pyrrhura molinae

An affectionate personality, quiet voice and small size (10 inches) render this one of the most favored of the conures.  Hailing from western Brazil, northwestern Argentina and Paraguay, green cheeks enjoy being held and will even “wrestle” on their backs with those they trust.

Fresh fruit is, as with all conures, an important part of their diet, and should always be available.  A number of stunning color strains, including pineapple and turquoise, have been produced.

White Eared or Maroon Fronted Conure, P. leucotis

The White-ear is, at 8.5 inches, one of the smaller conures, and also among the quietest and most confiding.  It tames readily and is known for its trick-learning abilities, but like all related birds requires a great deal of attention if kept singly.

White-eared Conures are limited in range to eastern Brazil, and generally stay high in the forest canopy.

Blue Crowned Conure, Aratinga acuticaudata

This first of the larger conures that we will cover is also one of the most popular, and with good reason.  Although as rambunctious as its relatives, the Blue Crown has a very affectionate side as well, and is particularly quick to bond its owner.  Those I cared for at a nature center years age were crowd favorites – always in motion and eager for attention.  Two of the birds picked up several words on their own.

Jenday Conure, A. jandaya

Gorgeous golden yellow and deep red plumage keeps this bird on the “most wanted” list of parrot fanciers worldwide, but the jenday is best reserved for experienced aviculturists.  While many become wonderful companions, these natives of northeastern Brazil tend to be high strung, especially when kept alone.

Red Masked Conure, A. erythrogenys

A striking red head and face set this 13 inch beauty apart from other conures. Ranging from western Ecuador to northwestern Peru, where it is sometimes kept as a free-ranging pet, the red masked conure frequents arid habitats.

Free-ranging may be the ideal (but illegal outside of its native habitat) situation for this robust bird – extremely noisy and active, it is suited only for large, outdoor enclosures.

White Eyed Conure, A. leucopthalmus

Often described as “watchful”, this large, thick-billed conure is not a bird for the inexperienced aviculturist.  Nesting pairs are known for their habit of attacking anyone, even well-liked individuals, who approaches their aviary during the breeding season.

Further Reading

Two of the world’s most beautiful parrots are conures, and both are regularly bred in captivity.  For further information, please see The Golden Conure and The Sun Conure.

 

Aviculturists in the USA are sometimes surprised to learn that one of the world’s most splendidly-colored birds is a native, and is well established in captivity in other countries.  The male Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris), clad in bright blue, vermillion, red, orange and green, rivals any tropical species in beauty.

Range and Status

Two distinct populations of Painted Buntings range from North Carolina south through Florida to Cuba and other Caribbean islands and from northern Texas to Mexico.

Protected from capture in the USA, poaching is believed to be a threat to their survival in Mexico.  The Audubon Society has documented severe declines in the eastern population as well.

It is not legal to keep painted buntings in the USA, but hands-on work with them is sometimes possible for licensed rehabilitators (please see “Further Reading”, below).  These gorgeous relatives of the northern cardinal have, however, long been a favorite in European collections and, to a lesser extent, among Mexican aviculturists.

Husbandry

Painted Buntings are not particularly delicate captives, but are best kept in an outdoor aviary rather than a cage.  When provided with a warm shelter, they can overwinter outdoors in as far north as England.

Wild Painting Buntings consume a diet composed nearly equally of insects and other invertebrates and seeds, grains, buds and shoots.  Interestingly, they have often been observed to pluck insects from the webs of the huge orb-weaving spiders (Nephila spp.) that occur over much of their range. While captives survive on a seed based diet, variety is required if they are to remain in peak condition.

Maintaining Color

The plumage of male Painted Buntings typically fades in captivity.  The most brilliantly colored specimens that I have seen in zoos have been fed a diet rich in live insects, including wild caught species. The provision of natural sunlight or the use of a UVA-emitting lamp may also help to maintain the colors of the feathers.

Captive Breeding

Painted Buntings are not “easy” breeders, but a compatible pair that does reproduce will usually be quite consistent.  Males are absolutely intolerant of each other – fights between free-living individuals occasionally result in fatalities.

A large, well-planted aviary situated in a quiet location is common to all successful breeders, and a steady supply of live or canned insects is necessary if the young are to be reared successfully.

Further Reading

Although Painted Buntings may not be kept as pets in the USA, people licensed to rehabilitate birds do occasionally have a chance to work with them.  The National Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators offers advice to those wishing to become trained and licensed as rehabilitators.

Painted Buntings are in decline, and your observations can be of use in helping to conserve them.  Please visit Ebird to learn more and report sightings.

Next time we’ll take a look at some of this bird’s equally colorful relatives.

 

Painted Bunting (male) image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Doug Janson

The hazards of second-hand cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke to non-smokers have been well-accepted for years.  As many have expected, these health concerns extend to the lungs and hearts of pets exposed to smoke as well.  New evidence, however, indicates that nicotine may be harmful not only to bird respiratory systems, but also to their skin.

Respiratory Disease

Birds are especially sensitive to airborne toxins…so much so that canaries and other species long played a vital role in warning workers of the presence of poisonous gases in underground mines (the birds weakened and died long before the fumes affected the miners).  It is, therefore, not surprising that veterinarians have documented a high frequency of respiratory disorders and eye irritations among birds kept by owners who smoke indoors.

However, it has also become apparent that problems of a different nature are also affecting birds owned by smokers, even when the birds are never exposed to second-hand smoke.

Nicotine on the Skin and Feathers

Nicotine is readily absorbed through the skin of some animals and clings to hair, fur and feathers.  In the course of working with amphibians in zoos, I’ve been made aware of many frog and salamander deaths that occurred, often instantaneously, after the animals were handled by someone who had smoked and not washed well afterwards.  It now seems clear that nicotine lingering on fingers also causes dermatitis and other skin afflictions in pet birds, and may lead to their deaths.

Birds with nicotine-stained skin often pick at their feathers, nibble on their feet and otherwise exhibit signs of discomfort.  Dermatitis often follows, with small sores or areas of eroded skin developing.  Birds so afflicted will pick at these areas and the scabs that form, opening an avenue of attack for opportunistic bacteria and fungi.  These micro-organisms (which are always present in the environment) can cause severe and potentially fatal infections.

Further Reading

To read more about the dangers posed to birds by nicotine and other common toxins, please see this article.

 

Photo by jdurham from Morguefile

The importance of dietary variety is a constant (annoyingly so, some say!) theme in my writing.  In my own and zoo collections I have noticed improved health, color, vitality and breeding success when appropriate variety is introduced to most any type of bird.  Providing foods in different forms, especially where birds must search or otherwise “work” for their food, is also a very useful means of improving the general quality of their lives.

I have found that even birds that are known to live long captive lives on somewhat limited diets show great improvements in their condition when variety is introduced.  Be it frogs offered to fishing owls or fresh sprouts provided to red bishops and other finches, the vigorous reactions induced by novel foods leaves me with no doubt as to their value.

A Practical and Inexpensive Tool

Of course, life often intrudes on our abilities to provide our pets with diets comprised of dozens of ingredients, however noble our intentions.  That Pet Place Variety Treat Packs offer an ideal solution by combining several types of difficult-to-find foods in one convenient package…and at a lower price than if the items were purchased individually.

Group-specific Products

There is a specially formulated Variety Pack for all types of popularly kept birds, including large macaws and large parrots, conures and small parrots, lovebirds, cockatiels, doves, finches, canaries and parakeets.

Each pack contains a wide variety of foods, with some in the form of toys that encourage natural foraging behaviors.  Lafeber Nutri-Meals and Avi Cakes, which are helpful in introducing pelleted foods to bird diets, are included in some of the packs.  Other ingredients include fruit, nut and berry treats, dried coconut, papaya and other tropical fruits and honey-dipped seed sticks.

Further Reading

For a look at what it was like to prepare bird diets for a collection numbering thousands of individuals, please see my article Alternative Bird Diets, Yesterday and Today.