Pet Birds From Australia - An Introduction to Rosellas

Of all native Australian birds used as pets the rosellas are amongst the most sought after. This is due to their wonderful variety of colouring, their size and their unique markings. Their scalloped feather markings on the back is what makes them unique in the avian world. There are several different species of rosella, all of them unique in their own way, and they all have similar requirements when used in aviculture.

Common in all rosellas is the scalloped pattern to the feathers on the back and all have distinctive cheek patches. A very colourful and medium sized parrot native to Australia and the surrounding islands. On the Australian mainland these colourful birds tend to inhabit areas of farmland, woodland, forests and suburban gardens and parks, in the coastal mountains and plains but not the outback. Specific breeds tend to inhabit a particular area. Most species of rosella live in large flocks in the wild but not all.It is commonly held that their name originates from the area of Australia in which they were first noticed by early pioneers, the Rose Hill area of Sydney.

The most common species appear to be: Western Rosella - smallest of the species with two subspecies itself and is found in south west Australia. Crimson Rosella - five subspecies and inhabiting east and south east Australia. Green Rosella - the largest species and native to Tasmania. Pale-headed Rosella - two subspecies and found in the eastern part of Australia. Eastern Rosella - three subspecies and although native to the eastern area of the country they are found in many regions including Tasmania and have been introduced to New Zealand where feral populations can be found. Northern Rosella - mainly found in the north as the name suggests but can also be seen in open savanna country and a few other areas, this one is also more likely to be found in small groups or just in pairs in the wild. All these are popular as pets.

An aviary is the best option when keeping rosellas in captivity as this ensures an environment as close to their natural habitat as possible. If an aviary is not an option then they will do OK in cages, as long as the cage is adequately large enough for their requirements. They will need to have regular exercise outside the cage however and should get the opportunity to have a fly around. These birds are not usually talkers and will mainly chirp & squawk, although they could learn a few unique sounds or the odd whistle. A single rosella will form a very strong bond with its owner.

An important warning with regards to keeping rosellas:

They are best kept alone or in pairs as they can be very aggressive towards each other if a lot are enclosed together, a strange thing about captive ones this is as they tend to live mainly in flocks in the wild. Whether kept in aviary or cage try to only have no more than two, and ensure they are of the same species subfamily. These birds will fight to the death in captivity if different sub-species are allowed access to each other, so make certain that if keeping more than one type of rosella to separate the different sub-species by housing in separate aviaries or cages. If the aviaries are connected together you must at the very least double-mesh so as these birds cannot get any physical contact. Beautiful birds yes, they do have these requirements however, but they are easily achievable.

Most bird keepers will suggest that rosellas are not to be kept in a mixed aviary with other types of birds because of their aggressive nature. This may be so but I have in the past kept a pair of Eastern Rosellas (golden-mantled rosellas) in the same mixed aviary with budgies, cockatiels, grass parakeets and kakarikis and have had no problems, the rosellas tended to keep themselves to themselves and do their own thing. It would be best to get advice from an avian professional if unsure.

To summarise there are several types of rosella available to the bird keeper, but their demand can often lead to having to pay a substantial fee in order to purchase any. Their physical appearance however is well worth the expense.

Parrot Toy Safety - How To Choose Safe Toys For Your Parrot Or Cockatoo

Toys are necessary for the mental health of your parrot. Without toys, a parrot or cockatoo will suffer extreme boredom which can manifest as aggression, self-mutilation or reclusive behavior. Toys are not optional. They are mandatory enrichment items that help an intelligent creature survive in our world. That said, it is important to note that they can also be a deadly hazard to their health in captivity. In the wild parrots are known to exhibit behavior that is strikingly similar to children playing with toys. They have a whole wild world of natural toys in the jungles and forests with which to play. 

They have parents, siblings and flock members to show them the safe way to enjoy their freedom; large parrots and cockatoos have a five-year juvenile dependency period in which they learn how to live. In our world, they are taken from their parents before they hatch, raised in incubators, handled by human breeders and then sold frequently to novice caretakers that have no idea that they are bringing home a wild animal. These captive intelligent creatures are like autistic children in many ways. They do not know safe from unsafe unless someone takes the time to teach them. It is up to us to teach them how to play safe, watch them to make sure that they do, and choose toys carefully to both enrich their lives and ensure that they remain unharmed.

Choosing toys using good judgment is one key to safety. Another key is vigilance. To be relatively safe a toy must be nontoxic, free of entanglements, and must not have easily swallowed small parts. As the director of a parrot and cockatoo sanctuary, I have seen many toys that appeared safe turned into dangerous weapons by a creative bird. Fortunately, keeping a vigilant eye on our flock has kept us from having deaths related to these "safe" toys. One such toy was a hanging wooden basket. This basket had nickel-plated chain so there was no danger of zinc poisoning. 

The chain attached to two sides of the wooden basket and came to a point with a small pear quick link to attach to the bars of the cage. One of our umbrella cockatoos, Snoball, broke the pear link and the basket fell. The basket wrapped around the umbrella cockatoo's neck. He panicked. Running with the basket he twisted his neck from side to side and managed to wrap his neck with the chain; he could have choked to death. He had to be subdued with a towel and then carefully extricated from the toy. Because I was there and vigilant Snoball was not injured. I no longer have hanging toys of this type in the play areas.

Buying toys for your beloved companion birds is no easy task. There are many things to consider. I will go over the dangers in detail but do not let this make you paranoid. The issues that I will discuss are real and important. Nevertheless, you will need to make the best decision that you can based on available choices. This helps to limit the dangers arising from playing with toys; keeping an eye on them during play protects against unseen danger. Just do the best that you can; that is all that anyone can do. 

I make most of the toys for our birds myself both to cut costs and to insure their safety. I buy the wood, cut it into shapes, drill it, color it and string it on nickel-plated chain using split metal rings at the top and bottom. Next, I attach string and put on beads and plastic shapes. Sometimes I put colorful cloth ribbons or other adornments. A few of my toys have been misused by the birds, too. I just do the best I can. Again, safety is a combination of both caution in purchasing toys and keeping an eye on the parrots during playtime.

The toy has not been made that a parrot or cockatoo cannot use in an unexpected way. Cecelia, an umbrella cockatoo, takes dowels and matches toys with drilled holes to them. She inserts the toy into one end and then uses them much like a magic wand. In a way they are magic. Anytime Cecelia holds a toy the other birds run away. Cecelia becomes quite aggressive when she holds a toy, especially one of her own creation, and the other birds are aware of her nature. I filmed her once picking a toy boat with a wooden handle of the floor. I did not realize at the time that she intended to use it against Murri, our Congo African Grey parrot. Murri had threatened her when she was at the top of the cage and she had climbed down right after this for the boat. She ascended the cage with it and confronted Murri. 

Murri continued to make vocal threats and actually saying, "Come on! Come on!" while raising the feathers on the back of her neck, bending down and clicking her tongue. Cecelia started swinging the boat back and forth in front of Murri. I thought that this was cute as I filmed her. All of a sudden she angled the boat right at Murri. Bang! Murri jumped back. Cecelia pushed forward and hit her with the boat again. Murri began to climb down the door of the cage and Cecelia beat her with the boat on the way down. Cecelia was using a toy as a weapon! Now who would have guessed that a cockatoo could think that far in advance and use a toy boat as a tool? Only Murri's pride seemed to be hurt. If there had been any chance of injury I would have dropped the camera but it was obvious that Cecelia only wanted to stand at the top of the cage. Never underestimate these intelligent creatures. The video is available at our YouTube page.

Let's take on the three major categories of toy safety. The first requirement is that the toy be nontoxic. One question to ask is, "Where was the toy made?" Since most of the toys available now come from China it is often difficult to know if they are nontoxic. Most of us have heard horror stories concerning the products coming from China. The label may assure us that the toy is made of safe natural materials but can we be sure?

There is no way to be one hundred percent certain that a toy is nontoxic but we do have a few tools that we can use. Checking out the brand name online is one good way to see if anyone has had problems relating to that manufacturer. Use the search feature of your web browser (Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc.) to see what you can find out. Good search techniques are actually simple. Think of the keywords you will use to search in their order of importance. One example of a set of good keywords is: "parrot treasures," toy, safety, (brand name, what the item is, and the issue at hand). I used quotation marks to tell the search engine that "parrot treasures" is a single search term: the manufacturer's name. If you find many complaints about the company then you have an answer. No complaints at least is a step in the right direction. If you find loud praise in many places then you can relax a little.

Besides the origin of the product and the company background, we need to decide if we trust the material from which the toy was made. Should we get natural untreated wood or will dyes be safe? Paints are to be avoided but some dyes are rated as safe for parrots, such as VitaCritter. Even so-called natural wood may have been treated and often there is no way to be sure on an imported product. Natural wood may also harbor mold or bacteria. If you dye your own wood with VitaCritter then you can use isopropyl alcohol as the base for the VitaCritter dye and that will kill the mold and bacteria in the wood; it will also clean up any mouse or rat feces from the lumberyard. The alcohol evaporates quickly and the dyed wood is safe in 24 to 48 hours. Some woods are unsafe for birds such as Cherry wood. If you are making your own toys be sure to check the safety of the wood that you are using. 

Some materials have a bad reputation. PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and Vinyl toys (a form of PVC) have toxic chemicals that may leach into your bird's beak or through their pores in their feet. Yet, as far as I can tell, none of the long-time caretakers that I know has seen any evidence that vinyls cause toxicity in parrots; this potential for danger has not been known for long. The Wikipedia lists lead and other toxic metals as potentially leaching from vinyls. One Avian veterinarian advised me that he had never seen a problem arising from metal toxicity that had not been due to ingesting a piece of metal directly. Specifically, he was talking about feather destructive behavior that arises from such toxicity but this applies to other health issues as well. I watch our birds carefully when they are playing with plastic toys and look for signs that they may be ingesting pieces of them. If I have any doubts then I remove the toy from the play area.

Our next category is "free of entanglements." Anything that becomes worn or tattered might be a potential hazard either from ingestion (small parts) or from entanglements, especially rope. A frayed toy or perch might entrap the bird's foot. If the bird panics severe injury may occur. This is also true of materials such as towels, sheets, and furniture with material attached. I have seen both happen. Chloe, the umbrella cockatoo after which our sanctuary was named, chewed through the back of a chair (probably over a week or so of furtive chewing) and then wrapped the material around her neck. It looked as if she had a snake around her neck! One thing that I learned is that you must always check your birds to see if they can move. They are prey animals. When I saw Chloe I was unaware that she was trapped. She stood and looked at me as if nothing was wrong. Following my rule of checking for mobility I walked over to her and removed the small piece of material covering her back. That is when I discovered her predicament. 

Rarely will a prey animal tell you that something is wrong. One acquaintance of mine failed to follow this rule and assumed that her bird just did not want to come out and play; she thought it was nesting. Sadly, her bird died because it was unable to get food and water. It's leg had been trapped far back in the nest box. I cannot stress enough that prey animals pretend to be fine when they are in these predicaments; this is because a predator will attack a wounded or trapped prey animal. So, when you are buying toys think, "Can my bird be trapped or injured by this toy?" Try and imagine how the toy can be torn apart, wrapped around, or twisted. Looking on the Internet under "dangerous parrot toys" can help, too!

The last category is "easily ingested small parts." Buy toys of appropriate size. The small parts that make up some toys should not be small enough for your bird to swallow. Keep in mind that their powerful beaks can sometimes turn a larger toy into a smaller one. Don't buy a toy meant for a cockatiel for your macaw. If a toy is recommended for smaller birds, do not buy it for a large one. Safety is one reason for size recommendations.

In summary, a toy should be of appropriate size with no ingestible parts, free of toxins and as free as possible of potential entanglements. Parrots and cockatoos may have roughly the intelligence of a five-year-old child and the emotional development of a two-year old but they have outwitted me time and time again. We must be as vigilant as a devoted mother for her toddler and that vigilance must be maintained for many years. Many parrots and cockatoos live as long or longer than we do. If you think safety when you make or buy toys and keep an eye on them while they are playing, then you have done your best for your feathered children. Besides, watching them with an open heart can bring awe and wonder back into your life. They are amazing.

Pet Birds - The Popularity of Native Australian Birds in Aviculture

Lots of popular pet bird species originate from Australia, most of the well-known pet birds are native to this country but not allof them. Many are from the Americas, Africa, and Asia, but the most popular by far and through the sheer numbers in captivity are the Australian species, which range from small finches, right through the range to large parrots.

Famous breeds like the budgerigar (know as parakeet in some countries), cockatiel, zebra finch, lorikeet, and the cockatoo all became available throughout the world via importation from Australia.

When our ancestors first discovered the Australian continent they found many types of animals that were unique to this part of the globe, such as the now infamous 'duck-billed platypus' and the 'echidna' (egg laying mammals! How strange must that have been?); marsupials such as the 'kangaroo', 'wallaby', 'koala' and many new and unique bird species; many of which were vey brightly coloured. So they desired specimens of these birds to take home, and in doing so boosted the fondness of exotic pet bird keeping.

Starting with the smaller breeds; Australian finches that are popular as pets include the 'star finch', 'gouldian finch' and the well known and readily available at a low price 'zebra finch'. However there are many more.

Small to medium sized parrot-like species from Australia include the most popular small pet bird of all, the 'budgerigar' (or 'parakeet'). The almost as popular 'cockatiel' is also an Australian native, plus no end of other well known pet birds. The list is almost endless: 'lories' and 'lorikeets' (several types of these), parakeets such as 'turquoisine', 'bourke', 'splendid' 'elegant' and 'red-rumped' to name a few, there's loads more. The medium sized 'eclectus parrot' also hails from this part of the world.

The 'rosellas' are also medium parrot from Australia and about 6 different varieties are used as pets; 'Eastern', 'Northern', 'Western', 'crimson', 'green', and 'pale-headed'. All are unique and different in their own way but are closely related. Rosella are known for their strikingly rich colouring, making them a very desirable pet.

Finally the big daddy of Australian pet birds, the 'cockatoo'. There are about 20 different species of cockatoo but not all are popular as pets, and believe it or not the famous 'cockatiel' mentioned earlier is a member of this bird family but of course nowhere near as large as some of its cockatoo cousins. All birds in the cockatoo family are distinguishable by the crest of feathers on the top of the head.

Many breeds of Australian birds live in massive flocks in the wild. The sight of hundreds of budgerigars, cockatiels, finches or lorikeets flocking together is an awe-inspiring sight, and very noisy.

To summarise there is a massive range of Australian birds available as pets all over the world. Many are very colourful, easy to keep, very hardy and all have unique and sometimes entertaining characteristics. The least costly of exotic pet birds are also native Aussies. Is it any wonder that these pet birds are so popular?

Breeding Zebra Finches

Zebra Finches are very eager breeders if they are happy and well cared for. These birds will readily breed even in smaller or breeding cages. They display mating behaviors all year-long, but once you notice the male beginning to show signs of gathering behavior, your birds are ready to breed.

The breeding cage should be at least one square foot per bird. They should be provided with two nest boxes per pair of birds, that are mounted as high as possible opposite the food dish and separated from any other nest boxes if breeding more than one pair per cage. They should be provide with nesting materials like coconut fibers, soft bits of string and leaves. They will pack their nest with everything they can reach for about a week before the female begins laying eggs.

Zebra Finch clutches can be anywhere from 3 to 12 eggs at time. It will take the female a few days to lay all the eggs. Nests should be left alone after the egg laying begins and until the young begin to venture out alone. Be aware that it isn't uncommon to have a couple of eggs not hatch. Good eggs will hatch within two weeks of laying and the fledglings will begin to venture out in about three to four weeks of hatching. Expect the nest to be very busy as the eggs hatch. Zebra Finches are very good parents and will take turns sitting on the nest and feeding the young.

The breeding pair must be at least 9 months old and they can be bred as a single pair or with more breeding pairs. Be sure you have an even amount of males and females or else fights for dominance and breeding partners can break out. Proper nutrition including cuttlebone for calcium is important for the health of the breeding pair as well as the health of the clutch. 

The calcium from cuttlebone helps to prevent egg binding in the females. You will need to provide fresh sprouts every day along with soft foods such as mashed hard-boiled egg, bread soaked in milk or grated vegetables. Banding for identification should be done on day 12. The young begin leaving the nest at about 4 weeks after hatching and will be independent in 5 to 6 weeks.

In the wild Zebra Finches can live up to 5 years, in captivity they normally live from 8-10 years. If they are well cared for and are kept happy and healthy, they can live up to 12 years.

Choosing the Proper Finch Aviary Can Make All the Difference

When you embark on the journey to raise finches, you start by first purchasing a couple of the little birds and placing them in special finch cages. Later on when you have expanded your number of birds, or when you decide you are prepared to breed the birds you will want to look at finch aviaries to find the proper size and style to fit your needs, and the needs of your birds.

The finches aviary must be large enough that all the birds housed in it can stretch their wings, and fly just a little. These birds are very active, jumping, and stretching their wings often during the course of a day. If the aviary you construct for them is inadequately sized then the birds will become depressed. A depressed bird can quickly seem to become sicker, not eating, or grooming itself, much like a depressed person. So make certain that your aviary provides space to move about.

When you place the perches inside the finch bird house make sure you do so where they have to fly, or jump a little to get to the next one. Do not have their resting perches so close together that they can step off of one and onto another.

There are some basic numbers you can consider when you are getting ready to buy or build a new cage to house your pets. For every pair of birds you have, provide three to four feet of space for them to move around in. The height of the birds cages does not seem to matter as much as the room you provide each bird for their own personal use. Mainly this is because the little birds tend to fly more horizontally than they do vertically.

If you have a cage designed to be six feet in length, two foot in depth, and three feet in height, you will be able to house three to four pairs of birds in this aviary space.

When you are choosing the cage for these birds you always want to avoid buying cages that are ornate, extremely decorative, or have a convoluted design to them. Steer clear of the cages that have multiple crevices in them, or that have hard to reach places inside that will make cleaning difficult. Do not buy the really tall cylindrical cages for these birds, they will not be happy in this type of enclosure. 

You do not want cages constructed from copper, or bronze, or other metals that have a tendency to become corroded, or toxic to the birds. Make certain that the spacing between the bars is adequate to allow for the birds safety. You do not want them getting their toes entrapped between the bars. Any cage that has paint that is peeling, or decorative items that are toxic, can make your birds sick. Some woods are treated with varnishes or polishes that can be harmful to your pets.

To have birds that are happy and healthy you have to pay a little attention to the size and shape of the aviary you provide for the bird to live in.

Pet Birds - The Impact of Domestic Demand on the Natural Habitats of Exotic and Foreign Birds

Bird keeping is a very popular pass-time throughout the world. However the demand for exotic or foreign birds in the past and mankind's increasing intrusion has had a dramatic effect on wild stocks and their natural habitats. Fortunately new laws are being introduced throughout the world in an attempt to maintain the ecosystem and put back what has been taken.

Some time ago many wild birds were captured from wild sources to be kept in captivity with the intention of breeding for the pet, zoo and show bird markets. This unfortunately led to many wild bird species being brought to near extinction. Fortunately nowadays this activity is carefully monitored and policed around the globe which has gone some way to restoring wild stocks. 

Unfortunately many species are still endangered - to a critical extent in some cases - so careful policing and monitoring methods will need to be ongoing for many decades yet to come - some possibly permanently. However mankind is now beginning to notice the damage done to wild animals, native plant life and natural habitats and is constantly striving to pay back what has been taken so, with optimism, things can only get better for our wildlife, however this will undoubtedly prove to be a very long task. Only with dedication and determination will this ever be achieved.

Many countries now ban the import of domestic livestock and many others impose a strict regime with regard to the matter. This is of course an absolutely necessary precaution to help achieve the desired results. This does of course mean that many previously easily available exotic or foreign pets now have to be bred in the country to meet the demand in the market. This coupled with inflation, has ultimately had an impact on the availability and cost associated with each species; They're not as cheap as they used to be! However many exotic or foreign pet birds are readily available for the right price with the most popular breeds being the least costly.

Many people keep birds as pets and many new enthusiasts are appearing all the time so the market is by no means saturated and there is still much demand. This assures that breeding conditions are being improved continuously with new technology being incorporated to improve the chances of success. Also many private breeders are making use of the demand to help fund the cost of their bird keeping ventures. Mass breeding is still going on but fortunately new regimes are often being incorporated to improve the living conditions of birds in captivity, sometimes brought on by the influence of animal rights activity, but this is a good thing and can only help.

To summarise almost anyone with a desire to keep exotic or foreign birds for whatever reason can find many to choose from and some at little cost. Almost every pet shop in the civilised world will have a stock of pet bird related foods and equipment. Bird keeping is proving to be a desirable pass-time with a massive market to meet demand.