Popular Pet Bird and Parrot Species

If you are thinking about getting a new pet bird at home for the first time, it may pay off to do a little research before you buy a bird. The reason is that different species have different personalities and maintenance requirements – some birds are just harder to keep than others. So you don’t want to get stuck with an powerful large noisy bird who may live up to 60 years during your first attempt!
So we have done some of the hard work for you and short-listed some of the most common breeds people generally get.



Parakeets / Budgies
- Cheap and easy-to-find
- Friendly and affectionate, like to interact with human
- Small in size,  and easy to maintain (even in apartments)
- Comes in a range of beautiful colours
- Very intelligent for the size, can talk over a hundred words if taught well

Love bird
- Cheap and easy-to-find
- Small in size,  and fairly quiet breed (great for small homes or apartments)
- Not particularly affectionate to human,  good for those who don’t always have time to interact with the bird
- Best to be kept in pairs (or more)
- Sweet voice and ability to make lots of sounds

Eclectus Parrots
- More expensive (from several hundred dollars)
- Generally for experienced owners
- Very striking medium/large size parrots
- Relatively quiet but good talker
- If trained from young age, they are good with kids despite large size

Macaws
- More expensive (from several hundred dollars)
- Generally for experienced owners
- Can live up to 60 years (so think carefully because you get one)
- Large size parrots, you would need a large cage and they need to let out from the cage regularly
- Impressive size and colour
- Very intelligent and will seek attention
- Can be loud and become grumpy with age, hard-core chewer
- Generally not suitable for children

The Marching Eagle: Africa’s Secretary Bird

On the open lands of sub-Saharan Africa, the world’s only terrestrial bird of prey, the long-legged secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius), stalks across the ground, sometimes walking as many as 20 miles in a single day in search of quarry. And when it finally happens upon a soon-to-be meal, we find that the civilized nature implied by the secretary bird’s name is far from a true reflection of its actual behavior. Indeed, when it encounters prey, it stomps, kicks, and crushes the victim into submission and then swallows it whole.
The secretary bird, which looks a little like a cross between a chicken and a crane in shape, is thought to have been named for the raised crest of black feathers on its head, which give it an appearance reminiscent of the way secretaries once carried their quill pens behind their ears. The species’ Latin genus name, Sagittarius, means “archer,” which may refer to the arrow-like feathers in the bird’s crest. But while the secretary bird cuts a distinct, and notably unusual, profile among birds of prey, its common name might not actually have any relation to its appearance. Rather, it may be derived from its behavior. In Arabic, saqr-et-tair, which sounds like the French secrétaire (or secretary), means “hunter-bird,” and this derivation may have led to the common name, secretary bird.
Secretary birds inhabit grasslands, savannas, open clearings in forests, and semi-desert areas from Senegal in western sub-Saharan Africa to Ethiopia and Somalia in the east. They are also found as far south as the Cape Peninsula in South Africa and sometimes wander onto farms or into other areas inhabited by humans, where they stalk and kill small domestic animals such as chickens. More often, however, secretary birds eat insects and small mammals, and when the opportunity arises, they may consume hares, amphibians, snakes, crabs, and even other birds or their eggs.
Although secretary birds are nonmigratory, environmental conditions such as rain and fire influence their nomadic movements. For example, during a wildfire, the birds will linger near the fire’s edge, capturing small animals as they flee from the heat. The typical hunting strategy they employ, however, entails flushing prey out of hiding by stamping on small mounds of vegetation. The bird then uses its bill and feet to strike or stun the prey unconscious so that it can then swallow the victim all at once.
Secretary birds are relatively widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, and those that occur within protected areas are safe from threats such as habitat loss. In some places, the species has benefited from the clearing of land for agriculture. Hence, the “marching eagle,” this terrestrial bird of prey, likely will continue to tread across Africa’s open plains for decades to come.

Digiscoping warblers and other small birds

As a birder, I think you're right on the mark by considering lighter weight digiscoping equipment versus conventional D/SLR and big lens gear. Of course there are pros and cons to each, but I'll save that for a future post and address your question regarding difficulty with small birds.

They are very tough, aren't they? Perhaps the greatest challenge digiscoping small birds is acquiring and following them via the LCD viewfinder on the digital camera. A strategy I like to employ to overcome this is to repeatedly use the same location; one with good lighting, open perches and visual markers - a veritable studio in the field.

You might be surprised to learn how many birds in my digiscoping gallery were photographed on or near the very same branch! It will work further to your advantage if an area you've selected draws in the migrants - habitat that naturally encourages birds to visit. As a birder, you may already have in mind particular areas you know birds frequent during migration.

Once I've setup my digiscoping gear, I'll focus on a particular branch and practice moving the scope around to nearby open sticks and twigs - establishing a sense of how much relative movement needs to be made to each one. While doing so, I'll take note of the various color tones of different branches or if there are any distinguishing visual markers like a particular leaf, branch fungus, etc.

I'll patiently monitor birds as they move in and out of the area until one gets close to one of my visual markers. The practice drill of memorizing relative positions of markers and gauging how much the scope needs to be moved to each - guiding you to the bird - will help you capture more hits in the field. The more often you visit the same areas, the better you'll get. By having several such areas unique in habitat and visiting them at different times during spring/fall migration, you will collect a larger species library of images.

Mixed Bag

Spent Saturday at my local Cannock Chase with Ken and it as great to see some birds coming to feed again.  During the 4 hours we got to see and photograph Nuthatch, Siskin, Redpoll, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Willow tit, Bullfinch and lots of the regulars like robins, blue tits, great tits etc.  

Below are a few of my favs. 

Small Birds at Cannock Chase

I have to say I am very happy that the small birds are showing again at Cannock Chase.  There seems a assive influx of fieldfare at the momemt and with it being clear and decided to grab myself a few shots.  Sunday was spent with Ken and we spent a few hours again shooting the mixed bag which was present.

The Aplomado Falcon

This Falcon is a beautiful smallish member of the Falcon Bird Family . It comes from the Americas and enjoys a reasonably large range although it is not a common bird in the wild. Its name (femoralis) is derived from the Spanish meaning which means lead. Although this is a predominantly red falcon, this refers to the colour of the back of the falcon.

The belly is a striking deep Orange and the crop area is usually white. They have the characteristic falcon “tears” which is also blue grey and is thought to stop sunlight reflecting into the eyes when flying falcons are hunting.
Although the aplomado falcon is not a very small bird, the build of this falcon bird species is quite different to some of the other large falcons. Many people have mistaken the aplomado for a bat falcon as their ranges sometimes overlap.
It is true that the two have similar colouration however the build of the two are very different. This is also apparent when comparing the Aplomado Falcon to the Peregrine Falcon , the peregrine is much heavier built with a much wider chest.
The Aplomado Falcon by contrast is a very slender and delicate falcon which has made people think that they are related to our European Hobby which is also of light build and hunts in much the same way.
This small build also means that the Falco Femoralis as a flying falcon is very different in flight style to the other large falcons. They do not have the flat out speed of the peregrine or the Gyr, however they are blessed with a longer tale (which is beautiful and intricate in marking)
...and they are very agile and quick on the wing which makes them perfectly built for pursuit hunting their prey. When they fly they look more like a small accipiter than a falcon. The swooping and speedy style of flight likens these falcons to a Sparrow Hawk and they also have the killer instinct to match

Aplomado Falcon – Diet

Because the Aplomado is such a specialised flying falcon, much of the prey it catches are birds. In fact about 90 percent are small birds. This species is incredibly intelligent and like the Harris' Hawk , they have managed to use intelligence to overcome many of life’s obstacles. A good example of this is that Aplomado Falcons regualarly have been recorded following other larger predators and waiting for them to flush the smaller birds and then a pair of Aplomado Falcons will sometimes cooperate in order to up their chances of catching the prey.
Aplomados also eat a lot of large invertebrates. This red falcon will eat flying insects like dragonflies and butterflies which make up a sizeable portion of the diet of these charming little raptors.
Because of their astounding agility, they can cruise around the skies effortlessly snatching insects from the air and eating them on the wing. These falcons don’t often eat mammalian prey and because of their tiny weight and not particularly dominating size I don’t blame them. However occasionally small rodents are caught.
Having said this, females are quite capable of taking birds many times their weight and cattle Egrets are a favourite but don’t succumb without a struggle.

Robin bird – birds agile and like to sing

Robin Bird is a species of small birds and has a beautiful fur color. Robin including birds agile and like to sing. Unfortunately, birds from China is starting rarely encountered. The color of his fur is very interesting, that is green and gray, with a little red on the wings and red beak.
In its original habitat, robins live in colonies, as well as looking for food.Robin maintain relatively very easy. Its main food is insects,worms, and fruit. Because the body length is only about 7 cm, is not required to maintain a large cage robin.

european-robin

american-robin

robin bird

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The Type Group Canary

Canaries (Serenus canaria) are a type of finch. They are popular as a cage bird, and rightly so. They are one of the easier birds to raise as well as being entertaining and attractive. But, if you thought a canary was just a canary, you are sadly mistaken.

Canaries are often divided into three groups. These groups are Type, Colour and Song.
A good 'type' canary will have the specific traits of its breed as regards shape and size. Its colour and song attributes are of lesser importance.

'Colour' canaries don't have to sing well or have a particular shape. They just need to be the 'right' colour.

Similarly, 'Song' canaries must sing well – not necessarily loud and long as some breeds sing softly, but each must be a good representative of its breed if it is to do well in the show ring. Luckily for the canary, there are plenty of people who love them for exactly what they are regardless of whether or not they possess special features.
Breeders of 'Type' canaries are looking for a specific physical shape or characteristic. They have little interest in the colour or singing ability. Today, Type canaries can be small, large, frilled, crested or even have humped backs.
The Lizard canary is aptly named as the feathers on the back and shoulders have black crescent-shaped spots giving the appearance of the scales of a lizard. This colour effect is called 'spangling' on the back and 'rowing' on the breast. These colourful feathers become less obvious with each moult so birds usually appear only once on a show bench. Lizard canaries also have a 'cap of colour' – a single circular pattern of feathers on top of the head. This may be an oval shape with clear edges or an irregularly shaped circle. The legs and beak are a shiny black.
The Border canary, or Border Fancy is named for its origins on the border of Scotland and England. Around the 1900s it was the most popular canary in the British Isles. It was once known as the 'wee gem' but it is now one of the largest of the canaries and is about 5 ¾ inches long. It is a well-shaped and slightly chubby bird with a well-rounded head and bold, bright eye. It comes in white, blue, green, yellow, buff and cinnamon colours. It can also be 'ticked' or 'variegated'.
The Gloster originated in England and has a neat, well-rounded cap which covers about half its eyes. The Gloster is not to be confused with the Crested canary which is a separate breed. If a Gloster has a crest it is referred to as a Corona. Otherwise it is a 'plainhead' or Consort. Coronas should not be paired as the survival rate of the chicks will be very low. All other pairings result in normal survival rates.

The Gloster was recognised as separate from the Crested in 1925. The Gloster is short and stubby, about 4 ¾ inches in length. It is named after the English county of Gloucestershire where it was first bred by a Mrs Rogerson. Glosters are seen in green, yellow and cinnamon as well as several other colours. The Gloster is usually a good singer.
The Crested canary is thought to have arisen around 1800 with the Crested Norwich and Crested Lancashire becoming established at that time. Crossing these two breeds resulted in the Crested being recognised as a distinct breed in 1880. It is a large, heavy-set bird and was used to create the Gloster. The Crested Norwich is a chubby bird and comes in many colours.
The Fife canary is a relatively recent addition to the canary types and was bred by breeders in Fife County, Scotland, being officially accepted in 1957. This small bird is under 4 ½ inches long. It is agile with a rounded back and breast, giving it a rotund appearance. It is seen in various colours, including variegated.
Norwich canaries took on the name of the town Norwich in England after arriving there with Flemish refugees. They are now a large breed, well-rounded and nobby and available in many colours. The feathers are bulky and fluffy making the bird look even bigger than its true size.
The Yorkshire canary is one of the largest of the canary breeds. It was developed in the mid 1800s and first exhibited in 1870. Although developed in Bradford, it had its first showing in Yorkshire, hence the name. It is tall and slim with a large chest and shoulders, narrow waist and an erect stance. It appears to be standing at attention and is a popular show bird. Because of its miliary uprightness, it has become known as the 'guardsman' or 'gentleman of the fancy'. The ideal angle when standing is described as being 'five past seven' so the hands of a clock at this time shows the ideal angle for the stance of the bird. Being so large, cages and nests need to be accommodating if breeding is to be successful.
The 'frilled' canaries are a sub-group of the Type variety. The feathers of the frilled breeds turn up and out rather than laying close and snug against the body of the bird. Some of the frilled canaries are 'birds of position' meaning that they have a particular stance which is all-important in a show bird.
Frill canaries include the Parisian frill, the Padovan, Milanais, and North and South Dutch Frills. All these have frilled feathers to a greater or lesser degree. The birds of position include the Scottish Fancy, South Dutch Frill, Belgian Fancy and the Gibber Italicus.
The Belgian Fancy, South Dutch Frill and the Gibber Italicus both have a hunched appearance. These birds hold their legs and body at right angles to the perch. The prominent shoulders and head are held parallel to the perch so the bird forms a sort of figure '7'.
The Scottish Fancy extends the head and neck but swings the tail back under the perch. So the outline from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail follows the arc of a circle – the nearer a perfect circle the better the bird.

Sand Martin

I recently had the opportunity to watch 100+ sand martins feeding over water and taking insects back to the nesting site. 

This was a wonderful experience. Sadly, these beautiful, agile little birds (the smallest hirundines in Europe) are an amber
list species so I felt very privileged to be able to get such fantastic views (and some lovely shots) of them. I'm hoping to go
back and see them again before they depart for Africa this autumn.
Here's a collection of my favourite Sand Martin shots. Please click on the thumbnails for a larger version.

Cuckoos mimic hawks to fool small birds

Cuckoos are some of nature’s most familiar conmen. Several species of this large family are  murderous slackers, who shun their own parental responsibilities by deceiving other birds into caring for their chicks. In the process, they destroy the eggs of the unwitting adopted family to ensure that their own chick gets undivided attention. But this is not the only way that cuckoos fool other birds – they also mimic hawks.

The resemblance between cuckoos and hawks (particularly  sparrowhawks) has been noted for millennia. Both birds have long bodies, wings and tails and their paler, striped undersides contrast against a darker grey or brown backs. The resemblance is uncanny enough that Pliny believed that cuckoos disappeared from Europe in the winter by transforming themselves into hawks, a theory that Aristotle rightly dismissed on the grounds that cuckoos lacked the formidable talons and curved beak of hawks.

Hawks and cuckoos belong to two very different families of birds, so why do they look so similar? Non-parasitic cuckoos (and indeed, not all cuckoos leech off the parenting skills of other birds) provide an important clue, for they look much less than hawks than parasitic species. There are two possible explanations for this similarity.

The first is that both groups have independently evolved the same physical traits for the same reasons – a process called convergent evolution. Neither bird wants to be seen by potential prey or hosts. As they perch in twigs and branches, having a darker back  makes them harder to spot, and bars on the underside help to break up their outline. Their body shape helps them to make a controlled glide, which sparrowhawks use to launch surprise attacks, and cuckoos use to sneak up on a targeted nest.

Alternatively, the cuckoos could be actively mimicking the hawks. The disguise could fool the cuckoos’ predators. That’s useful for them as they aren’t particularly powerful or agile birds and they spend a lot of time on exposed perches, keeping an eye on the nests of potential victims. They could also fool potential parents. The host birds either run away, which gives the cuckoo free passage into their nests, or they mob the supposed predator en masse, which gives away the location of their precious nests. So which theory is right?

Spot the difference
Nick Davies and Justin Welbergen from the University of Cambridge decided to find out by comparing the way small birds respond to stuffed hawks and cuckoos. Species that are parasitized by cuckoos often evolve defences including the ability to distinguish cuckoo eggs from their own. These frequent victims may also be able to pierce the adults’ hawk-like disguises, so Davies and Welbergen decided to test two birds – great tits and blue tits ­- that are not victimised by cuckoos, but are attacked by sparrowhawks.
They set up peanut feeders at three sites around Cambridge that are frequented by great tits, blue tits and sparrowhawks alike. Near the feeders, Davies and Welbergen set up stuffed mounts of either sparrowhawks, cuckoos and (as a harmless control) collared doves. And to rule out the possibility that the tits could choose to avoid cuckoos simply because they had never seen them before, the duo also tested their responses to teals, a type of small duck that does not use tit feeders.
They found that over a five-minute period, far more tits visited the feeders when there were teals or doves nearby than when cuckoos or hawks were present. In the presence of teals, many tits arrived at the feeders and stayed for a minute on average.
But they were equally alarmed at the presence of both hawks and cuckoos, giving out alarm calls and retreating to perches several metres away with a high vantage point. Not a single tit approached feeders watched by stuffed hawks and just one individual turned up when cuckoos were used, but fled within 30 seconds. After seeing either hawks or cuckoos, the tits were also more reticent to approach the feeders in subsequent trials when the potential threats were removed.

Davies and Welbergen found that its barred underside is a critical element to the cuckoo’s disguise. They pinned pieces of white silk over the undersides of their hawks, cuckoos and doves. Some of these were left untouched and others had black bars drawn onto them with a felt-tip pen. They found that tits always stayed clear of the hawks, bars or no bars, but barred doves or cuckoos were significantly more likely to deter them from the feeders than unbarred versions.
Detecting mimics
These results don’t rule out convergent evolution as an explanation or the similarities between cuckoos and hawks. But they do show that mimicry has undoubtedly driven cuckoo evolution, as some small birds clearly mistake cuckoos for hawks.
The reactions may seem surprising for a closer inspection would surely reveal a cuckoo’s lack of talons or a hooked beak. But Davies argues that small birds can ill-afford the time to leisurely scrutinise a potential threat. So high is the cost of delaying, that the mimicking cuckoos can get away with a half-hearted resemblance to their hawk models.
But not all species are so easily deceived. Davies and Welbergen have another paper in print, which shows that reed warblers, a favourite host of cuckoos, have learned to tell the difference. When they see stuffed hawks, they beat a hasty retreat, but they’ll violently attack stuffed cuckoos. The ability to see through the mimicry of the adults is yet another strategy that cuckoo victims use to protect their own young.