Mary Allen
Each bird is adapted to its habitat and has specific needs. Fulfilling them is the duty of the holder. A look at the habitats provides ideas.
If someone grew up in the country and suddenly comes to the big city, they feel lost: underground, high-rise buildings, streets, noise, everything is completely foreign. A city dweller who has hardly ever left the rows of houses in his life and suddenly finds himself in the middle of the forest is overwhelmed, so to speak. So have the birds. A dipper at the stream flies from one stone to another. Suddenly she dives to collect her food underwater. But she would never fly onto a branch of a willow tree on the bank of a stream and peer into the water from there.
A pond surrounded by reeds in Valais, with mountains towering on both sides. A warm wind blows through the valley and through the reeds. “Kryt glyt, kryt glyt,” calls out over the water. Colored bee-eaters hunt for flying insects. They fly like arrows, fluttering like big, yellowish-orange butterflies, only to turn abruptly. Again and again, they land on the tips of branches sticking out of the water or in exposed places in trees. Meanwhile, the oriole yodels from the dense canopy of poplar leaves. You only see him once, when he flies over the pond because the melodiously whistling one immediately disappears again into the protective canopy of leaves.
Three examples of native birds showing species-specific behavior in specific habitats tailored to their species. The dipper feeds on freshwater shrimps in the shallow, flowing water, which settle under small stones on the bottom. They build their nests on cliffs in ravines. It doesn’t seem to matter to her when it comes to concrete walls in the suburbs. Bee-eaters peer into the air from watchtowers were their prey, the insects, buzz, and hover. The oriole, on the other hand, reads caterpillars from tree leaves and catches small beetles and spiders in the foliage.
Copy the Habitat
The species described are good examples, as it is no different from exotic bird species. They are also well adapted to their habitats. Australian parakeets are often kept in elongated, spartan aviaries. They come from savannas and desert-like, dry landscapes. There they sit on partially bare trees and look into the distance. Similarly, they can keep it in sparsely furnished aviaries. But they also invade leafy eucalyptus trees in nature. That is why fir or leafy branches attached to the aviary wall make sense. Australian parakeets often ingest grass seed on the ground in the wild. They also regularly stay on sandy aviary floors.
Many species of Australian and African finches also live in dry savannah areas. Since the mites feed on grass seeds, they live mostly in the lower reaches, hiding in bushes, nesting in fallen leaves, and pecking at grass panicles. Grass stumps, sandy soil, a water hole, and dense undergrowth are ideal conditions in your aviary. Species from reed zones such as bulrushes and nuns should also be provided with plenty of reeds and tall grasses in the aviary.
Gray parrots are rainforest dwellers. Climbing branches, ropes, dangling rootstocks and regularly fresh branches with leaves meet their needs. It is known that all of the exotic species described here also fly on stones. That is why stones in the display case or aviary make sense.
Some species are adaptable, like our blackbird, which lives in the forest and in the city. The budgerigar is also an opportunist, although it originally comes from dry areas. He reacts positively when he finds plenty of food. That is why it is so well suited to keeping and could be domesticated. Specialist books contain detailed information on how birds live. It is important to read them before setting up an aviary or display case.