Birds Flashcards
1
Q
What is the general characteristics of parrots?
A
- Good climbers
- Intelligent – behavioural problems common, training beneficial, develop complex behaviours, learn by mimicking
- Altricial young and require high level of parental care and long developmental stage
- Most come from warm/tropical regions – vary from rainforest to arid grasslands
- Social – live in flocks – breeding pairs and family groups
- Prey species – need to feel secure
- Vocal – very noisy
2
Q
What is important to remember when owning parrots?
A
- Body language
- Inappropriate pair bonding with owner should be discouraged and is common in hand reared parrots
- Avoid feeding mouth to mouth, stroking lower back, belly or inner leg area
- Average lifespans in captivity are very short as a result of poor husbandry, particularly diet
- Good at masking signs of illness
- Psittacosis common zoonotic disease – chlamydia psittaci
3
Q
Name 8 commonly kept parrot species.
A
Budgerigars
Cockatiels
Lovebirds
African grey/timneh grey
Eclectus
Amazons
Cockatoos
Macaws
4
Q
Describe budgies.
A
- Sexual maturity at 6 months
- Maximum lifespan is 18 years but average is 5-6 years
- Male blue cere
- Female pink/brown cere
- 30-60g
- Exhibition birds are bigger and less hardy
- Variety of colours/mutations
5
Q
Describe keeping budgies.
A
- Make good pets
- Often kept in large groups so need sufficient water, food, perches and nest boxes
- Wild diet predominantly seeds
- Prone to obesity in captivity
- Cnemidocoptes mites
- Neoplasia common
6
Q
Describe cockatiels.
A
- Sexual maturity at 6-12 months
- Maximum lifespan at 30 years but average captive lifespan is 6-7 years
- Male brighter cheek patches
- Female bars underneath tail and flight feathers
- Body weight 80-125g
7
Q
Describe keeping cockatiels.
A
- Make good pets – friendly, sociable, easy to train
- Makes better singer/talkers
- Various colour mutations
8
Q
Describe lovebirds and keeping them.
A
- 9 species
- Sexual maturity at 8-12 months
- Maximum lifespan is 12 years but average captive lifespan is 4 years
- Body weight 25-55g
- Noisy and can be aggressive
9
Q
Describe African greys and keeping them.
A
- Sexual maturity at 3-5 years
- Young birds have dark iris – yellow in adult
- Maximum lifespan is 50 years but average captive lifespan is 15-20 years
- Body weight is 450-500g
- Timneh sub-species smaller (330-350g) – maroon tail
- Popular pets; good talkers
- Intelligence of 3-5 year old child
10
Q
Describe eclectus and keeping them.
A
- Sexual maturity at 3-6 years
- Maximum lifespan is 20 years but average captive lifespan is 8-10 years
- Male green
- Female red
- Body weight is 400-450g
- Females can be aggressive
11
Q
Describe amazon parrots.
A
- Around 30 species of green parrot
- Sexual maturity at 4-6 years
- Maximum lifespan is 60 years but average captive lifespan is 15-20 years
- Body weight is 350-600g
12
Q
Describe keeping amazon parrots.
A
- Excellent talkers
- Very destructive, for example to furniture
- Prone to obesity
13
Q
Describe cockatoos.
A
- Around 20 species
- Sexual maturity at 1-6 years
- Maximum lifespan is 60 years but average captive lifespan is 15-20 years
- Male black iris
- Female red / brown iris
- Body weight is 350-1100g
14
Q
Describe keeping cockatoos.
A
- Loud and destructive, produce lots of powder down. Feathers break down and they preen the feathers***. Can be allergic to this powder
- Hand-reared birds often presented for severe behavioural problems
- Most not good pets
- Mate aggression common
15
Q
Describe macaws.
A
- Sexual maturity at 3-7 years
- Maximum lifespan is 50 years but average captive lifespan is 15-20 years
- Body weight is 200-1700g
- Featherless facial patch, long tails
- Larger species make demanding pets
16
Q
List some sexual dimorphisms of parrot species.
A
- Budgies: male blue cere, female brown
- Eclectus: male green, female red
- White cockatoos: male black iris, female red/brown iris
- Cockatiels: male brighter cheek patches, female bars underneath tail and flight feathers (but not all colour mutations)
- Ringneck parakeets: male has ring
17
Q
How are sexually monomorphic species of parrot sexed?
A
DNA sexing from blood or feather pulp
Endoscopic sexing
18
Q
Describe parrot identification.
A
Rings on tarsometatarsus may be:
- Closed – applied when chick
- Open/split – applied any time
- Female left, male right
- No central register for parrots
- Ring constriction injuries are common
- Microchips are placed in left pectoral muscle and caudal third
19
Q
Describe how to handle parrots.
A
- Make sure windows and doors are closed before removing from cage.
- Beak much more dangerous than the feet so restrain head.
- Handle in towel/cloth with one hand round neck and other hand controlling wings and feet in towel.
- Don’t restrict sternal movements, as birds have no diaphragm and could suffocate.
- Avoid prolonged dorsal recumbency.
- In budgies can use one-handed ‘ringers grip’ with head held between first 2 fingers.
- Good restraint essential for blood sampling & crop tubing.
20
Q
Describe indoor cages avian housing.
A
- Cages: as large as possible
- Minimum: must allow bird to extend and stretch wings (W&C Act 1981)
- Stainless steel/powder coated finished – not galvanised wire (zinc toxicity)
- Horizontal bars for climbing
- Easily cleaned
- Place in a corner for security
- Separate activity/foraging centre/gym
21
Q
Describe aviary housing.
A
- May be kept in aviaries year round or just when weather is good for exercise
- Mesh should be zinc free and small enough to prevent head going through, ideally double wired
- Shelter important, some tropical species will require heating
- Adjacent flights for breeding pairs should be double wired or separated by non-toxic vegetation
- Budgie/cockatiel breeders – aviaries with multiple nest boxes for groups or rows of breeding cages for individual pairs
- Suspended aviaries allow droppings to fall out of reach of the birds
- Parakeets like to forage on ground but soil substrate increases risk of worms
- Solid paving or concrete floors prevent rodents burrowing in - pest control important
22
Q
Why are perches of variable diameter important?
A
Variable diameters, enjoy chewing them. If same diameter, they are putting pressure on the same part of the foot all the time.
23
Q
What enrichment is required for birds?
A
- Bathing or misting is essential
- Foraging is important as wild parrots spend 50-80% of time foraging for food
- Provide food in a form that requires work to find and consume it
- Non-toxic tree branches
