Mary Allen
Bird husbandry is not a closed book. Good technical literature provides information, breeders know advice. Answers to questions or claims that keep coming up.
Which Bird Species are Silent?
All species of finches are suitable for keeping in living areas because their voices are subtle. The canaries are also suitable, the males sing beautifully. Among the parrots, budgerigars and representatives of the grass parakeet such as Bourke’s, beautiful, fine, ornamental, and glossy parakeets have quiet voices. In the South American parrots, the Lineolated Parakeets are not noisy. The voices of passerine parrots, strawberry lovebirds, and tarantula mountain parrots are also hardly disturbing.
Can I Keep a Single Bird?
No, this is prohibited by law. Most birds are social and should be kept in pairs.
Can I Socialize Birds of Different Species?
It depends on the species and the place. In an aviary measuring 3 × 2 × 2 meters, zebra finches, budgerigars, glittering parakeets, and diamond-backed doves can be kept together. In principle, however, birds of the same species should be kept together, i.e. not a Gray Parrot and an Amazon species.
Can I Keep Birds in a Cage in the Apartment?
The more space birds have, the better. Two budgerigars, grass parakeets, Lineolated parakeets, lovebirds, parrotlets, or finches can be kept in a 1.5 × 0.80 × 0.80 meter cage.
The cage has turned bars, they are practical and easy to keep clean.
A bird must be able to cling to natural branches that vary in thickness. Instead of cleaning turned poles, fresh branches from the forest of willow, beech, hazel, ash, or oak should be served. The birds peck or gnaw off buds, leaves, and bark, are busy, and thus also absorb minerals.
How Do I Get an Indoor Aviary?
Aviary builders advertise in “Tierwelt” or you can find them on the Internet under “Aviary Construction Switzerland”. They build customized indoor aviaries. Indoor aviaries are better housing for birds than cages.
Where Can I Buy Birds?
From autumn there will be exhibitions again, advertisements will be published in “Tierwelt”. On December 14th and 15th, the national exhibition of ornamental birds in Switzerland, the SwissBird, takes place in Zofingen AG; Exchanges are connected. In addition, contacts with breeders can be made at exhibitions. Ideally, birds should be bought from the breeder, who also imparts knowledge.
Parrots Live to be 100 Years Old.
Barely! Large parrots in captivity live to be a good 50 years old and in some cases even older. That’s why you have to think about the purchase very carefully. Parakeets are less of a problem. Budgerigars, lovebirds, and parrotlets are between 7 and 13 years old, finches only about 5 years.
Do All Birds Need a Bathing Opportunity?
Yes, because bathing is important for your health and well-being. Some also like being hosed down with a flower sprayer. Noisy vacuum cleaners encourage birds to bathe because they cause air vibrations, similar to a thunderstorm.
Do Birds Need Ultraviolet Light?
Recent findings indicate that this is the case. They see plumage colors differently thanks to UV light and perceive the degree of ripeness of fruit in a more differentiated way. In addition, UV light is essential so that it can break down certain vitamins.
My birds benefit from the sunlight shining on them through the window.
Glass filters out UV light, the window needs to be open so the birds can sit in the unfiltered sunlight.
Do Birds Need Sand and Lime?
Yes, because parrots, for example, have a gizzard. They, therefore, absorb grit and grains of sand for better digestion. Lime is essential for the skeletal structure of every bird and for egg formation in females. There are calcium products on the market. Cuttlefish and limestone should not be missing.