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Holiday Season Treats and Cautions for Parrot and Finch Owners

findiviglio — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:05:43 +0000

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!).

I’ve worked with parrots that thrived in hectic surroundings, such as busy nature centers and classrooms, but these individuals were exceptions. In general, parrots regard strangers and unusual events as threats. It’s important to remember that, however tame they may be, parrots are not domesticated animals, and remain governed by instincts and behaviors that have evolved over many millions of years.

Canaries, Finches and other Birds

All birds are highly aware of their environments, even though most do not show this as obviously as do parrots. Wild finches, canaries, doves and softbills are on the menus of a wide array of predators, and they are, therefore, exceedingly cautious by nature. I’ve even had small birds die “of fright” in my hand…please keep the delicate natures of your smaller birds in mind as the holidays approach.

Un-caged Parrots

Parrots that adjust well to strangers, and which spend time out of their cages, face different risks than do their shyer cousins. Most of these threats are well-known, but they bear repeating. Shiny ornaments, unique foods, ribbons, toys and electric wires may all be dangerous to curious pets.

Also, think carefully before offering your parrot a taste of those special holiday foods that may come your way. Since they may not familiar to you, take time to read the list of ingredients. Some hold unpleasant surprises for birds (and us!), even if they “appear” healthful…there’s a lot more than just “fruit” in the typical holiday fruit cake, for example!

Bird-Friendly Treats

I’m not a complete Scrooge…there are many tasty, nutritious surprises that you can buy or make for your pet birds, and for wild ones that you may feed. Please see the article below for holiday snacks that are quite simple to prepare, and check out our line of treats for pet and wild birds.

Gifts for Bird Owners

Need a gift for the bird owners on your list? From simple “build your own bird toys” to extravagant, mansion-like cages, the options are limitless.

In my opinion, Joseph Forshaw’s classic Parrots of the World makes an unbeatable gift for parrot enthusiasts. Covering the natural history of every parrot species and subspecies, it goes way beyond what can be found in typical pet care books, and is an enjoyable read besides.

Please check out my posts on Twitter and Facebook. Each day, I highlight breaking research, conservation news and interesting stories concerning just about every type of animal imaginable. I look forward to hearing about your interests and experiences as well, and will use them in articles when possible.

Please also post your questions and comments below…I’ll be sure to respond quickly.

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Using Flowers as Food for Parrots, Finches and other Birds

findiviglio — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:24:53 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Sending flowers is a time-honored way of showing affection and concern, but did you know that your parrots and other feathered pets might appreciate a bouquet as well? I’m not suggesting actually having flowers delivered to your parrot (although I know several who have done that!), but rather that you consider edible flowers as a source of bird food and behavioral enrichment.

The Role of Flowers in Bird Diets

Flowers, buds and nectar figure heavily in the natural diets of many parrots, finches and softbills. In fact, lories and lorikeets are actually “floral specialists” (please see drawing of lorikeet tongue, adapted for nectar feeding). However, with the exception of nectar-mixes, flowers have largely been ignored by most pet keepers.

Flowers are also a major food item of several less commonly-kept softbills, including hummingbirds, sunbirds and the aptly-named flower-peckers. Ornithologists speculate that the brilliant colors of some species may have evolved to provide camouflage during feeding sessions in flowering trees.

Behavioral Stimulation

In addition to their nutritional value, flowers can provide important behavioral stimulation for parrots and other birds. Most parrots delight in tearing them to bits, and bud-covered fruit tree branches (apple, pear, plum etc.) will provide hours of entertainment for both pet and pet-owner. Finches, White-Eyes, Pekin Robins and other small birds will also poke about in flowers for insect treats, real or “imagined”, and may consume petals and nectar as well.

Purchasing Flowers

Fortunately, it’s quite simple to incorporate flowers into your birds’ diets. Many bird-safe flowers are relished by people, and are available in food stores. In NYC markets, I’ve come across squash, zucchini, rose and daylily flowers (note: not all daylilies are safe for people or birds, so do not pick your own), as well as a number that I did not recognize. Korean, Chinese and Indian neighborhoods have proven especially rich flower-hunting grounds.

Do not buy edible flowers from garden supply outlets or florists, as these will not have been slated for human consumption and would likely have been exposed to toxic chemicals.

Dried flowers specifically marketed as bird food are also a useful option. Goldenfeast’s Hibiscus and Chamomile

may be offered to a variety of parrots, finches and softbills.

Growing and Collecting Flowers for Your Birds

If the option is available to you, growing your own edible flowers is a great alternative to shopping.

Harvesting wild flowers is also possible, but you must be confident in your ability to identify the various species and have access to a pesticide-free collecting site. A field guide will be useful in this regard.

Common, Easy-to-Grow Edible Flowers

The following common flowers are readily accepted by many birds and can easily be grown or, in some cases, purchased at food markets. Do not buy flowers intended as food anywhere other than at a food market; please see above.

Daisy Marigold

Dandelion Rose

Carnation Sunflower

Violet Zucchini Blossoms

Tulip Squash Blossoms

Elderberry Hibiscus

Impatiens Apple,Plum and Pear Blossoms

Please also post your questions and comments here…I’ll be sure to respond quickly.

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Parrot Health – Obesity and Related Nutritional Problems

findiviglio — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:20:23 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Avian veterinarians report that obesity, and related health concerns such as atherosclerosis, fatty liver and hernias, are now among the most common maladies exhibited by the parrots under their care. The problem is approaching epidemic proportions.

Obesity in Parrots

Much of what we know concerning obesity in parrots parallels what we have learned about the same condition in people, and leads to similar health concerns. When lab tests are run on overweight parrots, a condition known as Hyperlipidemia – high levels of fat in the blood – is usually diagnosed.

As in people, the fats involved, cholesterol and high density lipoproteins, and their effects on cardiac health, are similar. The harmful fats stick to the lining of the blood vessels, thereby increasing blood pressure and placing a strain on the heart. In time, pieces of hardened fat may break off and be carried to the heart or brain, where, again as with people, they cause strokes or death.

Related Health Concerns

Obese parrots are often afflicted with Fatty Liver Disease, or Hepatic Lipidosis. Liver cells become filled with fats and are not able to perform their usual functions; the cells die and scar tissue forms. Milk Thistle has shown some promise in the treatment of Fatty Liver Disease…please see article below.

Despite taking in too many calories, overweight parrots may suffer from malnutrition. This is especially so for those birds which eat only a few favored food items (i.e. sunflower seeds) as opposed to a balanced diet.

Lipomas (fatty masses) and hernias often manifest in obese parrots, and problems such as joint strain and bumblefoot may arise due to the extra stress being placed on the legs and feet.

How Does Obesity Develop?

Simply put, the problem usually arises from too much food, the wrong types of food, and a lack of exercise (thyroid and other problems can also be involved, so a vet exam is essential before formulating a treatment plan).

In the wild, parrots spend most of their day actively foraging for food, and go through times when certain foods are unavailable. Most pets can meet their daily nutritional needs by spending a few minutes at the food cup. Always encourage your parrot to search for food – hiding food, using foraging toys, and providing whole foods that must be manipulated are all useful techniques.

Seed-only diets are often criticized as promoting obesity and malnutrition, but again a detailed study of your bird’s natural foods is needed before proper captive diet can be planned. Certainly, balanced pellet-based diets have their place, as do nuts, seeds, fruits and other foods, depending upon the species.

Different Parrots, Different Rules

It is important to understand that there is no single fail-safe formula where parrots are concerned. Certain species thrive on very high fat diets, and need such in captivity. Others are adapted to foods that are relatively low in nutrients, and cannot handle fatty seeds and high calorie foods on a regular basis. Amazons, Budgerigars, Quaker Parrots and Cockatoos are often cited as being especially prone to obesity, but studies are lacking.

Animals that have evolved in habitats where food availability fluctuates wildly are often able to gorge themselves and add weight rapidly in times of plenty. I have found this to apply to creatures as diverse as Orangutans, Cockatiels and African Bullfrogs, and scores of others. Certain cockatoos and many other parrots are native to such environments, and therefore their food intake must be watched very closely…many seem willing to eat as long as food is available, irrespective of hunger. This is a useful survival mechanism in the wild, but backfires when food shortages are no longer a fact of life.

Be sure to carefully research your bird’s natural history, and write in if you would like diet recommendations. Commercial foods specifically formulated for individual species or groups of parrots can be very helpful when you are formulating a diet for your pet.

Determining if Your Parrot is Obese

I feel that the best way to assess your bird’s condition is to have an avian veterinarian show you how to perform a manual examination of the bird’s muscle tone and fat deposits. Many guidelines have been published, but I find them to be confusing and too general to be of much use…species and individuals vary greatly, as do conditions that may be mask weight gain or loss.

If your parrot is found to be overweight, your vet can show you how to take its weight and advise you on a weight loss program (5% monthly is often suggested as a weight loss-goal). Exercise, either via flying or walking, is critical, and should be part of any weight loss plan.

Parrot Nutrition – Pellets Re-visited

findiviglio — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:17:30 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. I read an interesting parrot nutrition article recently and was inspired to expand on a few points that I made in an earlier post on parrot pellets (please see below for both articles).

Pellet Pros and Cons

Great progress has been made in the development of pelleted parrot foods in recent years, and they now play an important role in both zoo and pet parrot care. However, the convenience offered by pellets may lead one into poor bird-keeping habits. Ideally, as mentioned in the articles below, a species-appropriate combination of natural and pelleted foods should be provided.

Providing a complete diet based on seeds, nuts, fruits, nectar, insects and other natural foods is difficult and time consuming (I find it interesting as well, but not everyone agrees!). In addition, it can be difficult – maddeningly so at times – to induce parrots to eat “what they should”. Diets comprised of whole food items allow birds to pick and choose – indeed, nutritional deficiencies caused by this problem spurred the development of pelleted diets. As parrots must eat the whole pellet, choice is removed from the equation.

However, whether we are dealing with people, zebras (yes, there is a zebra pellet, and scores of others) or parrots, certain nutrients are difficult if not impossible to incorporate into processed foods.

The Food-Boredom Link

The article linked below highlights many problems that may be linked to the inappropriate use of pellets, such as formula variations and chick rearing concerns. One of these is a topic that I tend to focus on as well – the importance of food in keeping an animal occupied and interested in its environment. This holds for all creatures, but especially so for parrots and other active, highly-intelligent birds.

Responsible zoos now require that “behavioral enrichment” be a part of parrot husbandry, and pet keepers should as well. Seeds, nuts, whole fruits, tree branches with buds and flowers and other such food items play an invaluable role in this regard. From sunbirds to elephants, most animals spend the majority of their time gathering food. A parrot that fills up in 5 minutes by eating a bowl of pellets is in for an unhappy existence.

What to Do

When formulating a diet for your bird, nothing beats careful research into its natural history. The information is out there, but one must usually go beyond “googling” the species…please write in for details if you need further information. Pellets eliminate this step, but at what cost? Even if your bird thrives, much of value will be lost if you do not go through the research yourself.

Achieving the proper balance between natural foods and pellets will be an ongoing process, and dependent upon the species, individual and a great many factors…please write in for further information.

Species Specific Diets

Species specific pellets, such as Pretty Bird Cockatiel Food, are an important step forward. Several seed-based diets are also now formulated with specific groups of birds in mind. Please review what’s available in pelleted and natural bird foods and be sure to write in if you need assistance.

Bird Weights – How can you tell if your pet bird is too heavy or too thin?

findiviglio — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:10:53 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Your bird’s weight can be an important indicator of its health. Unfortunately, however, it’s difficult to access weight by eye – feathers hide most of the useful signposts, and by puffing up or flattening its plumage a bird can give very different impressions of its size.

Gauging Your Bird’s Weight

With experience, it is possible to develop an “eye” for a bird’s weight – several older keepers I worked with at the Bronx Zoo were amazing in this regard – but a manual check is generally best. With your bird in hand, feel along each side of the keel, or breast bone. Even on the tiniest of finches, there should be a layer of muscle (in active, full-winged birds) or fat. You should not be able to easily feel each side of the keel (the outer edge of the keel, which runs along the breast, will not have a fat/muscle covering).

If you are concerned about your bird’s weight, periodic checks with a gram scale are advisable.

Typical Weights

I’ve listed below some average weights for various birds (in grams). Bear in mind that captive breeding has led to different strains of birds that vary widely in weight from what is “normal”. Also, the weights of many species differ from population to population. Budgerigars, for example, typically weigh between 25-70 grams, while Moluccan Cockatoos range from 650- 1,050 grams.

Zebra Finch 10-18 Grams

Canary 15-30

Pionus Parrots 200 (Blue-headed Pionus to 250)

Quaker Parrot 100-150

Crimson Rosella 130-160

Lovebird 50 (Peach-faced Lovebird to 85)

Red Lory 160-170

Rainbow Lorikeet 125-140

Sun Conure 100-130

Golden Conure 260-280

Goffin’s Cockatoo 230-400

Orange-winged Amazon 350-500

Reasons for Weight Gain

Cage Design, Exercise Options:

A small or poorly-designed cage leads to boredom, lack of exercise and increased weight. This is as true for finches as for parrots. Even when given ample out-of-cage time, birds with clipped wings tend to burn less calories than do their full-winged brethren.

Diet:

Many species are notoriously picky eaters, and tend to choose the worst diets possible. Sunflower seeds and mealworms, are common culprits. Low Fat Pellets are an excellent option; acceptance of these can be encouraged by using LaFeber NutriBerries which integrate pellets with tasty foods.

I consider Foraging Toys to be indispensible – by forcing the bird to work for its food, they stimulate both mind and body.

Fluid Accumulation:

Liver and heart problems can cause fluid to be retained and a consequent increase in weight.

Egg Binding/Retained Eggs:

Egg-bound females will usually seem in acute distress and cease feeding.

Tumors

Hepatic Lipidosis/Fatty Liver

Reasons for Weight Loss

Disease:

Many diseases depress appetite or the ability to digest food. In some cases (i.e. Avian TB), the afflicted bird may continue to feed but will lose weight none-the-less. Weight loss is typical of Aspergillosus, PDD, Psittacosis, Candida and many other ailments.

Poisoning:

Via airborne toxins (pesticides) or through chewing toxic materials or plants.

Digestive System Blockage:

From ingested wood chips, plastic, inappropriate grit; feces are usually retained.

Aggression from Cage Mates; Stressful Surroundings:

Check for aggression from a hidden vantage point; consider noise or lights at night as well.

Overgrown or Damaged Beak

External (mites) or Internal (roundworm) Parasites

Springtime Tips for Bird Owners and Bird Watchers

findiviglio — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:01:20 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Spring is an exciting time for those of us who keep birds as pets and observe them outdoors. In the past I’ve written articles dealing with special concerns and opportunities that arrive with the spring…I’d like to summarize them here, and add a few new thoughts.

Canary and Finch Chicks

Finches tend to breed in the spring. While adults do well on a seed-based diet, the young of most require a great deal of protein and, if possible, insects.

Be sure to provide the parents with large quantities of small live crickets, waxworms and mealworms. Wild-caught insects offer nutrients unobtainable elsewhere…The Zoo Med Bug Napper Insect Trap is well worth considering.

Other foods that should always be available to finch parents include Egg Food, Finch Nestling Food, Anole Food (dried flies) and Canned Insects.

Parrot Chicks

For reasons that are not yet entirely understood, otherwise attentive parents sometimes pluck their chicks’ feathers. This is most commonly seen in budgerigars, lovebirds and cockatiels, and may be caused by an inherited, genetic defect or a misguided re-nesting instinct.

Short of pulling the chicks for hand-rearing, Bitter Apple Spray is the most effective solution to the problem

Outdoor Aviaries

Spring is an ideal time to consider an Outdoor Aviary. There’s nothing like providing your birds with fresh air, sunshine, exposure to natural light and weather cycles and an influx of nutritious insect food to get them breeding.

Available in 5 sizes ranging 3.5×4 feet to 9x 5feet, an aviary will please you as much as it does your pets, as they will no doubt reveal an astounding range of new behaviors once established outdoors.

Gardening for Pet Birds

“Bird conscious” gardening will ensure that you are visited by an assortment of interesting native birds as well as insects that can be fed to finches and softbills.

Trees will provide limbs for gnawing, leaves for shredding and tasty fruits and buds. Seeds and grasses of many types are also simple to grow at home. Some that find favor among many cage birds include figs, pears, various berries, sunflower, maize and flowers such as dogwood, magnolia, dandelion and gardenia.

A number of common plants are potentially toxic, and should not be fed to birds. Please see my article on Toxic Plants.

“Abandoned” Baby Birds

Many of us who keep birds are presented with nestlings by well-intentioned friends who have found them and fear for their safety. Actually, most birds leave the nest while barely able to fly, and are fed by the parents for a few days thereafter. If a nestling has feathers, it has most likely not been abandoned…the best course of action is to leave it be.

If the chick lacks feathers or is unable move about, return it to the nest if you can do so safely. Contrary to popular belief, the parents will not reject a chick that has been handled.

If this is not possible, contact The National Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators (320-230-9920) for a list of local experts who accept birds. If interested, ask how you can become licensed as a rehabilitator – it’s a lot of work, but very rewarding!

Conditioning Parrots, Softbills and Finches for Breeding – Diet Changes

findiviglio — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:34:50 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. As spring slowly makes its way across the Northern Hemisphere, aviculturists’ thoughts turn to nests and nestlings. Many birds, even those from tropical habitats, respond to the coming of spring by becoming increasingly active, hungry and interested in the opposite sex. While we often attribute this to longer days and warmer weather, this is only part of the story – the birds are more interested in the glut of new, nutritious food items that accompanies warm or rainy weather in nearly all habitats.

The Influence of Diet

One of the surest ways to bring your birds into breeding condition is to provide new, preferably natural types of food as spring arrives. I have found this to be true in every collection with which I have been involved. From hummingbirds to ostriches, novel foods bring results.

Most birds time their breeding to coincide with predictable increases in the availability of foods that will allow them to successfully raise their young. Budgerigars and others that inhabit harsh habitats may come into breeding readiness at the first hint of rain (and the promise of new plant growth), regardless of the season, but for the most part breeding is tied to specific seasons. Just as adding a nest box to a cage can cause some birds to begin courtship behavior, the provision of certain foods can be a breeding stimulus in and of itself.

Deciding What Foods to Offer

Read all you can about the natural history of the species in which you are interested, so that you can find out what types of food might become available during the breeding season in its natural habitat. Books and articles aimed at hobbyists will provide information concerning a healthy basic diet, but for specific dietary changes related to breeding you will likely need to consult field research reports published by ornithologists and students working in the field (or, of course, you can post a question on this blog!).

It is also useful to study the climate and weather patterns of your pet’s natural habitat – this may allow you to make an educated guess as to what foods to provide. You may not be able to provide the exact species of fruit or insect needed, but a close approximation may be enough.

Suggested Food Items

Following are some general ideas…please write in for information concerning specific birds:

Parrots: new types of fruits, flowers and seeds; Freeze-Dried Fruits may be useful in increasing dietary variety.

Finches, Softbills (i.e. Shama Thrushes, Pekin Robins) and Quails: Live and canned insects are invaluable in conditioning adults and raising chicks; also useful are hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese and Egg Food. Sprouts and chopped greens also signal “good times” to many species.

Hummingbirds and sunbirds are not the only species to feed upon nectar…a surprising number of birds consume it during the spring and summer. Lory Food is a useful alternative.

Once your birds hatch out their chicks, you’ll need to make other dietary changes. Nestlings require enormous amounts of food each day…a Zebra Finch was recorded as making 1,237 trips to the nest with food in a single day! More on that in a future article…until then, please write in with your questions and comments. Thanks, Frank Indiviglio.

Freeze Dried Mealworms – a Healthy, Convenient Food for Wild and Pet Birds

findiviglio — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:06:28 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. As I write this from NYC it is not yet officially winter, but I’m looking out over waist-high snow drifts. So I’m inspired to consider a special treat for the visitors to my bird feeders, and one which finches, softbills and other pets relish as well – mealworms.

The Importance of Insects

A bag of Freeze Dried Mealworms is a very useful item for both pet keepers and wild bird enthusiasts to have on hand. Providing both calcium and much-needed protein, insects continue to figure in the diets of many birds even during the coldest months. Although not visible to us, insects are always about – some species hibernate, while others pass the winter as eggs or pupae. These are avidly sought by many typical feeder visitors, but especially Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Blue Jays and Juncos. Insects become especially important in late winter, when female birds need to increase their calcium stores in preparation for egg-laying.

Mealworms and other insects are also taken by almost all commonly-kept finches, as well as by softbills such as Peking Robins, Shama Thrushes and Bulbuls, and they are a must for parents raising chicks.

All too often the hassle of maintaining live insect colonies gets in the way of providing our birds with the best diets possible – especially where those species that can “get by” without them (most non-breeding finches) are concerned. Freeze dried mealworms offer a great alternative, being easy to store for long periods of time and containing the same nutritional value as live mealworms.

Hand-taming Wild Birds

Habituating wild birds to feed from the hand is a wonderful and challenging hobby (please see article referenced below). Nothing overcomes the fears of wild birds like a succulent mealworm – especially if offered in winter, when insects are hard to come by.

Towards Balanced Bird Diets – That Pet Place Variety Treat Packs

findiviglio — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:31:31 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. 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.

Research Update: Carotenoids in Food are Important to the Health and Mating Success of Birds

findiviglio — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:20:49 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.

Carotenoids are compounds that, in most birds, impart red, yellow and orange colors to the feathers. They are obtained from the diet, and are most abundant in brightly-colored fruits and vegetables. In theory, a bird with bright plumage is “advertising” the fact that it has been eating well, and is in prime health. Until recently, however, this theory was largely unproven.

Health Benefits Conferred by Carotenoids

Findings released this month (Feb. 2009) by Arizona State University researchers indicate that carotenoids do indeed provide a great many health benefits to birds, and therefore the “advertisement value” of the plumage is quite significant. These nutrients seem to enhance both vision (specifically color perception) and sperm quality.

The researchers theorize that a diet high in carotenoids leads to better color vision which in turn allows the bird to find foods of higher quality (brightly colored fruits, for example) and a more fit (again, brighter-hued) mate.

Carotenoids function as antioxidants in people, but it has not been determined if the same applies to birds.

Choosing Carotenoid-Rich Products for Your Pets

Here at ThatFishPlace/ThatPetPlace, we carry a wide variety of bird foods that are packed with carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables. There are a number of products available for most types of birds – for starters, please check out Wild and Spicy Avian Entrees, Fiesta Food for Canaries and Finches and Sunny Orchards Nutriberries.

I also recommend as additions to your pets’ diets those foods consisting entirely of carotenoid-rich items, such as Veggi-Crisp Delights and Diced Blueberries, Raspberries and Papaya.

Of course, a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, with amounts and types tailored to the species of birds that you keep, should also be offered to your pets.

Further Reading

Goldenfeast Dried Sweet Potatoes are a great source of carotenoids and other valuable nutrients. Please see my product review and notes concerning the many zoo animals which I have found to relish this healthy food: Goldenfeast Sweet Potatoes Bird Treat

Please write in with your comments and questions. Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.

Post from: That Bird Blog

Research Update: Carotenoids in Food are Important to the Health and Mating Success of Birds

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