Cockatiels are popular pets, becoming the 2nd most popular pet bird in the United States. Originally from the Australian interior, they look similar to cockatoos, but are much slimmer. Cockatiels have a very distinctive head crest, and long tails in relation to their body size. Cockatiels are very attractive birds. Wild Cockatiels are normally gray, with yellow coloring on their heads and crests. Breeders have developed many other coloring variations over the years. At Bird Crazy, we often have a good selection of colors. Proper diet is essential to the health of your Cockatiel. The diet plays an important role in the bird’s appearance, health, and happiness. Seeds were the staple diet of most pet birds until recent years when pelleted diets have become popular. Whether you choose to feed your Cockatiel seeds or pellets, supplement your bird’s diet with grit, fruits and vegetables. Water solubale vitamin supplements can also help add the proper nutrients to your bird’s diet.Cockatiels spend a lot of their days standing on perches. Make sure you purchase perches of different diameters to help exercise your Cockatiel’s feet. Natural tree branches are wonderful, but be sure they are non-toxic before placing them in your bird’s cage. Your Cockatiel will enjoy a cage that is large, with plenty of room to spread his/her wings. Dome-top cages are not recommended for Cockatiels as their feet may get stuck in the bars at the top. These birds are relatively low maintenance. Their low-cost, manageability, intelligence, and love of their owners have contributed to their popularity as pets. Cockatiels can live over 20 years. Small, relatively quiet birds, they possess the most endearing attributes of larger parrots, without many of the larger birds problems. Breeding season is variable, depending on climatic conditions. The clutch contains 4 to 7 eggs which are incubated for 18 to 20 days by both parents. Babies fledge after about four. |
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Macaws originate from South America. The smallest of the full size macaw is the Red Fronted, which was thought to be extinct until 1986 when a flock of 600 where discovered. Macaws are amazing birds, with the largest, the Hyacinth Macaw, distinguished from other macaws by its beautiful cobalt blue coloring. Reaching 40" long. Macaws lay two eggs in an average clutch and it takes 23 to 30 days to hatch. Macaws mate for life and are devoted mates who will die defending each other. Incredibly, macaws can live up to 150 years, and are extremely intelligent, loyal and loving pets. An important consideration before purchasing a macaw is to carefully check out the place you are thinking of purchasing the bird from. Ask yourself if the place is reputable and is the facility clean. Breeding of macaws can be done at the age of 4 or 5, but is strongly suggested they not be bred until they are 7 to 10 years old. The Blue & Gold with the Hyacinth. Additionally, the Shamrock (Military/Scarlet offspring), Catalina (Blue & Gold/Scarlet offspring), Calico (Green Wing/Military offspring), Camelot (Catalina/Catalina offspring) are frequently seen in the pet trade but are known for their bad tempers. No matter which bird you decide on, your bird will need a large cage at least 3’ wide, 2’ deep and 5’ tall. First time macaw owners should be aware that while macaw babies behave well, their actual personality and temperament is not full developed until the macaw reaches 8 to 10 years. Don’t assume that since the baby is well behaved, the mature macaw will also be well behaved. It’s important to remember to train your macaw. As a lack of discipline can be a problem. Remember to set limits, as they can turn out to be very loud and demanding if you let them. A macaws diet should consist of nuts, high fat foods, fruits, veggies and seed. They need calcium and vitamin D from the sun, but don’t just leave their cage by a sunny window, they need outdoor sunlight. Their diet needs to be watched, as they’ve been known to just about anything in the house. In the wild, these bird even eat meat in the small amounts. Veterinary care of the macaw is critical. The Macaw Wasting Syndrome (which is a virus) is deadly in this species. Signs include vomiting, passing whole seeds, and loss of weight. This is extremely serious as it leads to a long, suffering death and, unfortunately, this syndrome is quite prevalent in San Diego. The incubation period can take up to 6 months or more. Another common problem is Poloyoma Virus. Macaws are playful and like to roughhouse. They need mental stimulation and love to play with toys, such as their water station. With training, it’s not uncommon for a macaw to have vocabulary of over 100 words. Raise and nurture them in an environment that allows them to be active, climb and stimulate them mentally and you’ll have a well-adjusted, loyal friend for life. |
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Gouldian Finches are found in the northern areas of Australia where they inhabit eucalyptus scrub and open grass lands. This bird has not been exported from its original habitat for over 30 years and all Gouldians that are found in the U.S. have been domestically produced. In fact, the Gouldian is now considered to be a domesticated species as are cockatiels and zebra finches. Gouldians occur in several different (naturally occuring) head colors: red, black, and orange (sometimes called yellow). In its 100 or so years as an avicultural favorite, it has been selectively bred into color variants too numerous to mention but all have the same basic character. In practically every reference book on finches, the Gouldian is described as being about as delicate as a hot-house orchid. With the idea that they must never experience temperatures below 77 degrees and 65 percent humidity and that the slightest draft will render them dead in a matter of minutes, it’s no wonder that so many people, who might otherwise have been enjoying them for years are intimidated by the idea of keeping them! Gouldians are no more and no less difficult to maintain than any other finch. We have the good fortune of living in Southern California, and it gets much colder here than people think. Gouldians included, live in outdoor aviaries all year long with no additional heat and for that matter very little shelter. Anyone who may wonder whether their climate zone would be suitable for outdoor Gouldian keeping are strongly advised to consult a reputable and knowledgable source before proceeding. Feeding Gouldians is a simple and straightforward matter. My usual finch diet consists of a good quality finch seed mix, daily green food, finely chopped broccoli and fresh corn. Occasionally I offer mealworms, some Gouldians take them but most of mine do not. Crushed cuttlebone, oyster shell, and an occasional offering of charcoal granules makes a very sensible diet for these birds. Constant and unlimited supplies of spray millet and a suitable rearing food are necessary at breeding time. Obviously, all birds require a very fresh supply of water at all times. The breeding of Gouldian finches is a subject of great specialization for many bird keepers. In general, they are quite free-breeding in large cages or in aviaries. They do equally well in colony situations or as single caged pairs. Gouldians usually like to use a standard finch nest box which has been loosely stuffed with dry and clean grass or straw. Gouldians are excellent subjects for aviaries. They are peaceful and friendly toward most other birds but can be nosy in regard to the nesting activity of other birds. Therefore, I would probably not keep them with extremely shy, rare or valuable birds which are trying to nest. |
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Parakeets, a word meaning certain small parrots. They are one of the top ten talking birds of the world. A Parakeet has as many variations of its breed as there are varieties of its color. The most common colors are green with blue. Overall, there are approximately 90 varieties of Parakeets in a variety of colors. Some of the variations include Budgerigar or English Parakeets (a man-made creation). The English Parakeet, the largest of the breed, has an enormous chest and head. Their life expectancy is only 6 to 8 years, compared to the normal life expectancy of 8 to 10 years of more common parakeets. It is also no longer uncommon for Parakeets to live up to 20 years. English parakeets are also better talkers, very laid back and mellow. A female parakeet does not tend to make as good of a pet as a male parakeet. They can be very aggressive at times towards other birds and become little bullies. They will even beat up larger cockatiels and kill their young. Female parakeets also do not speak and are much quieter by nature. Many Parakeets are hard to distinguish from the baby to adult stages. If you are looking to buy a baby, the best way to tell is if the tips of his beak are black. The beak turns to a normal color in four weeks after leaving the nest. After that, you will have to rely on the person or the store selling the bird to you. It can be very difficult to find a hand-raised Parakeet since most are not hand-raised. When, or if, you can find a hand-raised Parakeet, it most likely has a very outgoing personality and can be an adorable little pet. This also depends on it’s individual temperament. If you cannot find a hand-raised parakeet and would like one for the children, the best way to tame it is in 20-minute sessions. Do this two to three times a day for several weeks. If you start with only one bird at a time, this also helps. There is a huge group of birds named Parakeets. They eat almost anything green, mostly fruits, mix of grains, like oat groats, hemp and buckwheat. They like to eat the smaller grains. Parakeets can breed as young as six months of age. Their average clutch size is four to five eggs, but seven is not uncommon. They nest in wooden boxes, roughly eight inches front to back, and six to seven inches, left to right. The babies leave the nest at about five to seven weeks of age. A parakeet will breed year-round, except for the three hottest months of the year, typically June, July and August. While nesting in the box, the mother bird will stay inside with the babies while the father bird will feed the mother. Then, in-turn, the mother will take the food from the father and feed the babies. When the babies leave the nesting box, then the father takes care of the babies about 80 percent of the time. Parakeets often mate for life, but the male will colony breed if a lot of females are in the cage. |
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| Weird Birds of the World | ||
