That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

August 1, 2008 – researchers working at the University of California (San Francisco) released the heartening news that they had identified the virus that causes Proventricular Dilation Disease (PDD), which has, since its emergence in the 1970’s, remained untreatable.  PDD has caused the deaths of wild and captive parrots of over 50 species, as well as birds in 5 other avian orders.  Aviculturists and conservationists consider it a major threat, especially to critically endangered species such as the Spix Macaw (of which less than 100 remain).

The virus, named Avian Bornavirus, is related to those that cause encephalitis in livestock, and attacks the nervous system.  Infected birds are unable to swallow, digest food or maintain their balance, and eventually die.

A test that enables technicians to positively identify the virus has also been developed.  Birds afflicted with PDD are often misdiagnosed, due the overlap of the symptoms with a number of other diseases.  It is believed that the test will assist in monitoring and limiting the spread of PDD, an extremely important step given that a cure still eludes us.

A veterinary journal article detailing a PDD outbreak in a parrot breeding center in Israel is posted at:
http://www.isrvma.org/article/61_1_3.pdf

Image referenced from Wikipedia Commons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Spixara.jpg

Twenty two species of turaco inhabit central and southern Africa and, oddly for a continent with such a diversity of unique wildlife, they comprise the only family of birds limited in distribution to Africa.  Many are spectacularly colored in glossy green, red and violet, and are lent some of these hues by pigments unknown in other birds.  They bound from branch to branch, uttering odd, bark-like cries and flaring their characteristic head crests.

All turacos are largely frugivorous and, indeed, are one of the few birds known to feed fruit to their nestlings.  The young are also unique in (along with the even stranger hoatzin) possessing claws at the wing joint that allow them to clamber about the branches.

The first turaco I had contact with was an Angolan Red-Crested (Tauraco erythrolophus), housed at the Bronx Zoo.  As we know, hand-raised birds often imprint upon humans and mature into animals that, while good pets, behave somewhat abnormally.  I have related previously the tale of a Great Horned Owl that attempted to “court” his keepers by attempting to stuff mice into our mouths.  Zoos seeking to release hand-reared birds back to the wild, as has been done with California Condors, utilize hand puppets when feeding the nestlings to prevent imprinting.

Well, the turaco in question, christened “Bloody Mary” for the cuts she left about the head and ears of anyone entering her exhibit, took a different view of “imprinting”.  Even when tossed away (gently, of course!), she would fly back and attack, so much so that keepers took to wearing hard hats when feeding her.  She was equally aggressive to other birds, forcing me to install an opaque barrier between her cage and her neighbors, in order to give them some peace. The accompanying photograph shows my friend not seeking a treat or a scratch on the head, but an opportunity to peck at whatever part of me presents itself!

Bloody Mary aside, turacos make spectacular additions to the collections of advanced hobbyists, but they do need a huge flight cage.  

You can read about the care of Red Crested Turacos at Cotswold Wildlife Park, and view photos, at:

http://www.turacos.org/redcrestedextra.htm#rct

The Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo, a conspicuous black bird with a deeply forked tail, often forages in flocks comprised of up to a dozen different species of birds.  The drongo perches above the flock, snatching insects that they disturb, and keeping an eye out for predators that might go unnoticed by its hunting flock-mates.  The associated bird species seek out drongos, apparently relying upon them heavily for protection.  Drongos feed more effectively when in such flocks, so the benefits go both ways.

Recent studies in Sri Lanka have revealed that, upon sighting a predator, a drongo will imitate the alarm calls of at least 4 other bird species (babblers, laughing thrushes, bulbuls and others), as well as the call given by the specific predator, i.e. a giant squirrel or eagle.

When unthreatened but hungry, the drongo will attract other birds to itself by imitating their calls – but this time it utilizes contact calls or mating calls.  It very effectively forms a small foraging group in this manner.  So, the drongo is not only choosing the calls of other species, but it’s using them in the correct context – hawk as opposed to snake, feeding as opposed to mobbing.  In essence, the bird is a true linguist.  When presented with a human intruder, one drongo improvised – after a very short “assessment” it gave forth the call of a Crested Serpent Eagle (perhaps because this is the largest predator it normally encounters?).

Male European Starlings, incidentally, mimic the calls of other birds in order to impress their mates.  An individual I visited often as a child, kept at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, was able to imitate several words as well.

Some parrots seem to exhibit a quite detailed knowledge of what they are saying.

An abstract of an article dealing with research similar to that mentioned above is posted at:
http://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI3179876/

This image was originally posted to Flickr by Kai Hendry at http://flickr.com/photos/16105436@N00/99531708. It was reviewed on 09:53, 17 August 2007 (UTC) by FlickreviewR, and confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

Overview
Lovebirds are among the smallest of the world’s parrots, and an excellent choice for those without the space for a large bird.  Although the Peach- Faced Lovebird was the first species to become widely available in this country, the colorful Masked Lovebird now rivals it in popularity.  Despite its very limited natural range (see below), this feisty African import is now familiar to aviculturists worldwide.

Physical Description
The Masked Lovebird appears to have been painted by an artist in love with contrasting colors.  The head is black-brown, bordered by a broad collar of bright yellow.  The throat and chest are yellow, with a red-orange tinge, and the rump is blue.  The balance of the body is rich green, and there is a black and red band along the edges of the outer tail feathers.  The eyes are ringed in white, and the bill, rather large for such a minute bird, is red in color.   A number of color mutations, including blue, have been produced in captivity.

The Masked Lovebird is, like all its relatives, a small bird and barely reaches 6 inches in length when fully grown.

Range and Habitat
The range is limited to a small inland plateau (3,600-5,600 feet above sea level) in northeastern Tanzania, East Africa. There are introduced populations in Tanzania’s capitol, Dar es Salaam, and in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Masked Lovebird is found in open habitats – grasslands dotted with trees such as Acacia and Baobab.  It apparently does not enter the heavily forested areas that border its range or the thick scrub that separates it from nearby populations of Fisher’s Lovebirds.  Flocks, ranging in size from 6-100 birds, forage over large areas and may attack crops.  Masked Lovebirds rarely roost in the open, preferring instead small crevices within baobab trees and similar locations.

Diet
Seeds of grasses and shrubs, sprouting plants, buds and some fruit.

Reproduction
Masked Lovebirds breed colonially, from March through August.  The female uses twigs and bark strips to construct a dome-shaped nest.  The nest is located within an enclosed space, such as a tree cavity or building crevice, or within the abandoned nest of another bird.  They have been recoded nesting below metal roof tiles fully exposed to the African sun, in spaces as narrow as 2.8 inches.  It is theorized that fresh bark strips are periodically added to the nest to increase the humidity in such situations.

Brooding is apparently carried out by the female only, but the male often sits next to her, within or close to the actual nest.  The 3-6 eggs hatch in 21-23 days, and the young birds fledge (leave the nest) after 41-45 days.

Miscellaneous
The small group of parrots known as “lovebirds” received their popular name from the near constant mutual grooming that is observed between pairs.  The name is, however, somewhat misleading – in my experience, these little birds are more than make up in courage what they lack in size.  They quite literally do not seem to grasp the concept of fear, and in a mixed species aviary regularly dominate much larger birds (they do, however, usually form close bonds with people).

I once cared for a flock of Fischer’s Lovebirds (A. fischeri) that was housed with several duikers (small antelope).  Despite being outweighed several-thousand fold, the lovebirds always fed from the duiker’s food bowls, choosing the most succulent greens for themselves.  On those rare occasions when the antelope attempted to roust them, the lovebirds stood their ground, screeching with indignation and refusing to budge.  They also seemed to delight in tormenting the meerkats (a small predator that could quite easily consume a lovebird) in a neighboring exhibit – I’m pretty sure they would have entered the meerkat exhibit given the chance!

The 9 lovebird species are all classified within the genus Agapornis, and readily hybridize in captivity.  All inhabit Africa, with 8 species living on the continent and 1 on Madagascar.  Lovebirds share a similar build – small and stocky – and have short, rounded tails and large beaks.

Several species, including the Peach-Faced Lovebird (A. roseicollis), transport bark and other nesting material by wedging it beneath the feathers of the rump and back.

Onto captive care next time.

An interesting article about Peach-Faced Lovebirds in the wild, with references to Masked Lovebirds and other species, is posted at:
http://wwwuser.gwdg.de/~ubns/Ndithia%20Perrin%20Waltert%20Breeding%20Agapornis%20roseicollis%20Ostrich%202007.pdf

Click here: An Overview of Less Commonly-Kept Cage and Aviary Birds – Part 1 to read part 1.

Japanese Hawfinch or Grosbeak, Euphona personata
If the Latin species’ name – “personata” is meant to hint at this bird’s characteristics, then it is indeed aptly chosen.  I’ve only cared for several in my time, but all were strikingly alert and curious, and I am told the same by colleagues.

Japanese hawfinches are not common in the trade, but well worth the effort of finding.  Stocky in build and 8 inches long, they are quite hefty for seed-eaters, and sport a thick, yellow bill to match.  They are superbly clad in various shades of tan and brown, with jet-black heads and throats and blue-gray collars.  Ranging from central Asia through Japan, hawfinches are quite cold-tolerant and can even winter outdoors in most of the USA.  Normal room temperatures suit them well.

Japanese hawfinches should be fed a finch seed mix along with some kale, romaine and other greens.  Their bill size indicates a need for larger seeds as well, and so a small amount of hemp and sunflower should be mixed in with the finch seed.  Hawfinches also appreciate crickets, mealworms and wild-caught insects from time to time.

Bananaquit, Coereba flaveola

Native to Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America, in times past these tiny (4.5 inch) fellows were often the aviculturist’s introduction to “offbeat” birds.  Black above and with a yellow breast, bananaquits are always on the move, searching every nook and cranny of their homes for insects.  Those I have cared for and observed in the wild were unfailingly curious – to the point of being trusting once acclimated to cage life.

Despite their small size, bananquits should be give as large a cage as is possible, and will really entertain you if housed in an outdoor aviary.  Flowering plants and strategically placed fruit will attract insects into the aviary, and the birds will delight you with their hunting skills.  They truly do seem to do best when kept occupied by foraging.

Bananquits may be fed as has been described for the golden-fronted leafbird, but require more insects.  Nectar should be given only 2-3 times per week – if offered on a daily basis, they may consume it to the exclusion of all else, and develop nutritional deficiencies as a result.  Bananquits benefit from a diet composed of a variety of insects – an insect trap, such as the Zoo Med Bug Napper, is a valuable asset to maintaining these beautiful, entertaining birds in top condition. Image by Leon Bojarczuk, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bananaquits.jpg

Interesting notes from Malaysia on the captive care of golden-fronted leafbirds, as well as photos, are posted at:
http://www.pet-cockatiel.com/Dboard/viewtopic.php?t=846