Avian Husbandry - Parrots Flashcards
Can you list the reasons why birds are commonly kept?
Pets, Sports, Zoos, Farms
List the general points of a parrot
10-3Kgs,
Large heads,
Hooked beaks,
Zyogdactyle feet,
Good climbers,
Intelligent (behavioural problems & noisy),
Social (live in flocks),
From warm & tropical regions,
Prey species with altrical young
What are some of the problems you ecounter when keeping parrots?
Inappropraite pair bonding with owners (common in hand-reared parrots),
- Avoid feedng mouth to mouth,
- Avoid stroking lower back, belly & inner leg,
Average lifespan is short due to poor husbandry (esp diet)
What is a common zoonotic disease in parrots?
Chlamydia psittaci
Can you list the commonly kept parrot species?
Budgerigars,
Cockatiels,
Lovebirds,
African Grey,
Eclectus,
Amazons,
Cockatoos, Macaws
When do budgerigar reached sexual matuiry?
6 months
Lifespan of budgerigar
18 years (pet birds 5-6 years)
Describe budgerigars as pets
Good,
Kept in large groups,
Wild diet predominantly seeds - obesity common,
Cnemidocepts mits & neoplasia common
When do cockatiels reach sexual matuirity?
6-2 months
Lifepsan of a cockatiel
30 but captivity 6-7 years
How do you sex a cockatiel?
Males - brighter cheek patches,
Female - Bards underneath tail & flight feathers
Body weight of a cockatiel
80-125g
Describe cockatiels as pets
Good pets,
Males better singers,
Colour mutations
How many species of lovebirds are there?
9
When do loverbirds reach sexual matuiry?
8-12 months
Lifepspan of lovebirds
12 but 4 years in captivity
Body weight of a lovebird
35-55g
Do they maky good pets?
Noisy - can be aggressive
When do aftican greys reach sxual matuiry?
3-5 years
How can you tell the differences between young and mature african greys?
Young - dark eyes, Adults - yellow eyes
Lifespan of african greys
50 years byt 15-20 in captivity
Body weight of african grey
450-500g
Why do some african grey have a red tail?
Sub-species: Timneh these are smaller (330-350g)
Do african grey make good pets?
Popular, Good talkers, Intelligence of 3-5 year old child
When do eclectus reach sexual maturity?
3-6 years
Lifespan of electus
20 years but 8-10 in captivity