Breeds Of Birds

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Birds : Hyacinth Macaw  

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Hyacinth Macaw

DESCRIPTION 39 1/2 inches (100cm), the largest living parrot, now rare and expensive. Body deep blue-purple accented by yellow eye ring and bold yellow along mandible bottom. Greyish beak exceptionally strong, able to exert 300 pounds (136kg) of biting pressure per square inch. Female usually smaller.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION Central and southern Brazil, western Bolivia and northeast Paraguay.
HABITAT Hyacinth Macaw likes highlands, in palm forests, near rivers and lakes, in swamps, usually in pairs or small family groups.
DIET Hyacinth Macaw eats palm nuts, fruit and snails, also sunflower seed kernels, corn ears and fruit, occasionally a bone and cooked meat.
SPECIAL NEEDS Particularly strong cage or aviary; climbing tree if in house. Replace perches regularly. Do not keep on chain or ring.
CAGE LIFE When screeches, circles overhead with tail streaming, then settles in treetops. Especially close pair bonding and tame with trusted people. Lays 2 to 3 eggs, incubation 28 days, fledging 100 to 120 days.

Birds : Masked Lovebird  

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Masked Lovebird

DESCRIPTION 51/2 to 6 inches (14 to 15.5cm). Dark brown head, yellow collar and breast, yellow-orange throat and chest yellow, body green, blue rump and tail, which has black and red band near ends on outer feathers. Brown eyes, red bill, grey legs. Immatures duller with black on beak. Females •weigh more than males. Blue mutation also available.

NATURAL DISTRIBUTION Northern Tanzania; introduced into Kenya.

HABITAT Nomadic. Grassy prairies with some trees. Nests in abandoned nests, breeds in 23/4 inch (7cm) space between tiles of roof and boarding underneath. Broods in colonies. Visits corn and millet fields.
DIET Cereal seeds, sunflower and safflower seeds, grain mixes, green food and fruit.
SPECIAL NEEDS Pairs. Cage with sleeping box and shallow bathing dishes. Free, supervised flight in house. Susceptible to frost, gnaws fresh branches for building.
CAGE LIFE Attractive and quiet. Distinctive coloration. Male scratches its head with feet before mating, female lines nests. Provide more boxes than pairs, 19% X 10 inches (50 X 25cm). Lays 3 to 6 eggs, incubation 21 to 23 days, fledging 40 to 46 days.

Birds : Zebra Finch  

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Zebra Finch
DESCRIPTION
Zebra Finch is 4 inches (10cm). Greyish-blue on head and neck, turning to duller greyish-brown back and wings, and black tail with white diagonal bands. Bluish-grey chest with black wavy markings, lower chest black, belly almost white. Sides orangish-red with white round marks, white 'moustache', black band under eye marks front edge of orange ear spots. Eyes and beak red, legs brownish. Female grey on top with almost-white ear mark, and grey on throat, neck, chest and sides. Immatures have dark beaks.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Zebra Finch is found in Australia, except coastal waters of New South Wales and Victoria.
HABITAT
Open woods and grassy areas, arid interiors near water, in large flocks year round.
DIET
Mixed millets, canary seed and greenfood.
SPECIAL NEEDS
Don't breed females until 9 to 10 months old. Separate cocks and hens during winter, preferably indoors in unheated, frost-free area.
CAGE LIFE
The Zebra Finch is adaptable, social, vivacious, hardy and easily tamed. Male has bright, vigorous trumpeting song. Good for all types of aviaries and large cages. Prolific breeders in outdoor aviaries, but limit to three, per season to avoid egg binding and weak young. Remove all nesting materials (grass, plant fibres, feathers, wool), as soon as the nest is completed, to prevent further construction. The free nest is bottle-shaped, with an extrance tunnel. Likes to use all types of nest boxes. Lays 4 to 5 eggs, incubation, 13 to 16 days by both partners, fledging 20 to 22 days. Independent 3 weeks after it has flown out. Hang nest boxes near roof of cage or aviary to prevent birds from making another nest on top of it.
STATUS IN WILD
Not listed as endangered.

Birds : Barbary Dove  

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Barbary Dove
DESCRIPTION
9 inches (23cm). Light fawn with pinkish on breast and black ring around back of neck. Eyes yellow, beak orange, legs pink. Males paler than females, but degree is variable. Domesticated form of African collared dove (S. roseogrisa). A white variety is called 'Java dove'; majority of Barbary carry white in genetic makeup, so may produce white offspring. There are also apricot varieties and frilled forms, both recessive.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Domesticated; also a 'wild' colony in Los Angeles, California.
HABITAT
More suitable for aviary than cage.
DIET
Canary and millet seeds and mixtures for domestic pigeon. Basic maintenance diet until breeding period, when protein should be increased. Grit, plus cuttlefish bone, should always be available; may take greenstuff, particularly young leafy plants such as chickweed. When breeding they may prefer to use leafy greens for nesting material. To avoid, cut greenstuff into pieces. Ingest seeds directly; do not dehusk. Drink by active sucking rather than passive swallowing. Prefer to feed off floor.
SPECIAL NEEDS
During winter house indoors at approximately 50°F (10°C).
CAGE LIFE
Often tame enough to perch freely on hand. Friendly, even towards small finches and such, but can be aggressive to males of own species. Extremely free-breeding, may nest on floor in corner of cage. Cage approximately 5 feet (1.5m) long, 23Vz inches (60cm) deep, and 35Vz inches (90cm) high. Allow daily exercise in room. For nesting, supply tray, 8x4 inches (20 X 10cm) and a few inches high, or flat basket, and materials such as twigs and straw. Lays 2 white eggs, anywhere in aviary if no breeding places provided, incubation 14 days.

Birds : Sun Conure  

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Sun Conure
DESCRIPTION
The Sun Conure is 12 inches (30cm). Orange head and belly, breast yellow, small primaries yellow edged in green, large primaries blue. White eye ring,-smaller on female. Eyes brown, beak charcoal; legs grey. Immatures less colourful, more green, less orange, black eye. Female more green on wings.

NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Northeastern South America.

HABITAT
The Sun Conure like forests, savannahs and palm groves, in flocks. Nests in palm tree cavities. Gathers to feed in treetops.
DIET
Parrot mixture, smaller cereal seeds, fruit, greenstuff, blossoms and nuts.
SPECIAL NEEDS
Recently imported birds cannot be kept at temperature below 68°F (20°C).
CAGE LIFE
The Sun Conure gives shrill, two-note screeches; an expressive bird. During the breeding season, males become excited when keeper enters the aviary and checks the nest box. Sleeps in tree hole or nest box, 16 X 10 X 10 inches (40 X 25 X 25cm), entrance diameter 3 inches (8cm) or 12-inch (30cm) cube. Lays 3 to 6 eggs, incubation 27 days by female, fledging 56 days but young still fed by both parents and spend night in original nesting box. More susceptible to vice of feather plucking than related species, and adults may even pluck immatures.

Birds : Cockatiel  

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Cockatiel
DESCRIPTION
12 to 14 inches (30 to 35cm). Resembles cockatoo, but has long tail. Although available in other colourings, the most common Cockatiel has yellow throat and head with greyish-blue crest and beak, orangish marks on ears, white wing coverts, brown eyes. Known for its variable pied form, borders of white along mostly grey body. Female's facial markings duller and wing coverts greyer. Young resemble female, but the cere is pink, not grey, and tail is shorter.

NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Most of Australia, rarer along coast; introduced to Tasmania.

HABITAT
Savannah, grassland, cleared country, near water. Usually in pairs, sometimes in flocks damaging to crops, especially sunflower, sorghum and millet. Nests in tree hollows and close to water. Usually breeds after rainfall.
DIET
Grain mixes for medium parrots, plain canary seeds, millet, sunflower seed kernels, hemp, safflower, apples, carrots and green food.
SPECIAL NEEDS
Pair by placing inexperienced bird with one that has raised family. Keep tame Cockatiels in a room cage, with daily free flight. Will readily breed in roomy aviary when housed by themselves.
CAGE LIFE
A Cockatiel is graceful and peaceable aviary or cage bird. Can talk and mimic, and cock especially has pleasant song; sometimes noisy. Hisses and swings body when disturbed while nesting. Lives 10 to 25 years. Aviary at least 6Vz feet (2m) long. Nest box 13 X 8 X 18 inches (35 X 20 X 45cm), entrance diameter 23/s inches (6cm) - low enough so chicks can stick heads out and make peeping/ hissing sound and so bird on the nest can see out. Line bottom with sawdust or peat moss. Lays 4 to 8 white eggs, incubation 18 to 21 days (male during day, female at night), fledging 30 to 35 days, fed by parents for some time.

Birds : Canary  

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Canary
DESCRIPTION
4 to 8 inches (10 to 20cm), depending on the breed. Some have been developed for body type, some for coloration, some for singing ability. The variety of forms and colours bred from the wild greenish-coloured species is considerable because it is impossible to produce birds of all types in three different ground colours: yellow, white and buff. Ground colour of the wild bird is yellow and, like the other two colours, is divided into two feather textures, known as yellow and buff. Feathers of the yellow are shorter, firmer and richer than those of the buff, the feathers of which are longer, softer and appear less deep in shade. Feathers of buff have paler edging, usually more noticeable on the back of neck and head. Whites are more tightly feathered than the buff. Yellow should be paired with buff. If two yellows are mated, feathers become tight and birds are too slim. When two buffs are bred it results in fluffy, over-feathered offspring. Immatures smaller with shorter tails. Cocks distinguished from females by song.

NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Does not occur in the wild. Descended from Wild Canaries (5. C. canarius), found on islands off northwestern coast of Africa, including the Canary Islands. Wild canaries introduced to Europe, and may have been crossed with native songsters, such as the Serin (S. serinus). Early in the 16th century, yellow and white variants were recorded and selective breeding began in earnest, which has given rise to wide variety of breeds today. Best known of singing Canary category is Roller Canary, which originated in Germany around the Harz Mountain region.

HABITAT
Cages and aviaries.

DIET
Canary seed mixture, with plain canary seed and red rape, plus other seeds such as niger, and greenstuff.
SPECIAL NEEDS
If interested in a singer, obtain a cock no matter what the breed. Housing two birds in separate cages in same room often stimulates competition, encouraging both to sing for long periods. Do not house two cocks together because they are liable to fight.
CAGE LIFE
Can breed in home if in a breeding cage with nesting pan attached inside. Pan should be lined with piece of felt and hen provided with safe nesting material. Lays 4 eggs, 1 each day. Remove the first 3, store in matchbox lined with cotton wool, replace them with dummy eggs. On fourth day, restore first 3 and hen will start to incubate. This ensures they will be of similar age when hatched, more likely to survive. Remove the cock bird just before laying to allow hen to rear chicks on her own. Alternatively, the pair can be left together throughout. Incubation 13 days, fledging another 13. Offer rearing food throughout this period, introduce seed gradually.

Birds : Umbrella Cockatoo  

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Umbrella Cockatoo
DESCRIPTION : 15% to 18 inches (40 to 46cm). White body, with black eyes (reddish-brown in female), beak and legs.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION : Northern, south and central Moluccas.
HABITAT : Forest and near farms, in pairs or small groups.
DIET : Seeds, fruit.
SPECIAL NEEDS : Large aviary.
CAGE LIFE : Friendly, quiet, beautiful, gentle, easy to tame. Can be long lived, not a good talker. Aviary breeding rare but possible. Nest box (or barrel) 19'/2 X 16'/2 X \9V2 inches (50 X 40 X 50cm), entrance diameter 5 inches (12cm). Lays 1 to 3 white eggs, incubation 25 to 27 days by both parents, fledging 11 to 16 weeks, fed by male for some time after.

Birds : Budgie  

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Budgie
DESCRIPTION :
7 inches (18cm). Green with yellow forehead and cheeks. Horizontal black and yellow bands on back. Cere blue in male, brown in female. Many mutations. Immature Budgies may show barring on head down to cere. Beaks of newly fledged may be dark, their eyes solid lacking white irises.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION :
The Budgie is found in Australia, except eastern coastal areas and Tasmania. Nomadic by nature. Brought to Europe in 19th century, now one of most popular of all cage birds.
HABITAT :
Grassland with a few trees, close to water. In dry spells millions of budgerigars gather in watery areas. Travels in nomadic flocks. Nests in tree hollows, such as eucalyptus knotholes. Brooding period dependent on food supply (rainy season). Collects seeds from ground vegetation including grasses and weeds.
DIET :
Millet, canary grass seeds, oats, greenstuff, carrots, sweet apples.
SPECIAL NEEDS :
Indoor birds need iodine.
CAGE LIFE :
Budgies are inexpensive, easy to care for. Most common bird species in captivity. Sociable, quick to tame, and can prove a talented talker. Keep in pairs, or dolls and other toys serve as substitute partners. Large cage with gauge, daily free flight in the room. Nest box from poplar or birch, which should be removed in August to prevent attempts to rear chicks during colder months; replace the following spring. Lays 4 to 8 eggs, up to 10 in as little as 10 days, incubation 18 days, fledging 20 days.

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