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WingTips In This Issue
From the Editor Welcome to the Spring Issue of WingTips! With the onset of spring, I imagine quite a few folks will find baby birds displaced from their nests. The article "What To Do With a Wild Baby Bird" will help one be prepared. As breeding season has started, we have an explanation of how eggs are formed. Finally, let's meet the red-headed parrot finch. Remember this is your newsletter - we want to hear from you!
PH Budgie
The new forum/message board system is here! With a host of new features including "find new," "today's posts," "hot topics," the ability to get an email when your post has a reply, and much, much more, we hope you'll enjoy them! We put them through a period of beta testing and incorporated literally hundreds of our users' suggestions. Please come drop by http://forums.birdhobbyist.com and give them a try! You can read the forums without registering; if you want to post, you will need to register but it's free! Register here: If you have already registered but don't recall your password: We have message boards for dozens of avian topics, including health, nutrition, breeding, and many species of birds from parrots to wild birds. We'll see you there!
No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings. -William Blake (1757-1827)
It is a strange phenomenon that we who own pet birds are quickly pegged as knowing what to do with an orphaned or injured wild bird. At some point you WILL be asked to be a rescuer, a savior, a hero. Do you know what to do? First, get to know your local Wildlife Rehabilitator or organization. Keep their number on your refrigerator. If you can't find one in the phone book, call your state's Fish and Wildlife Department, local SPCA, avian vet or go to How To Locate a Wildlife Rehabilitator and find the nearest one listed, then ask them if there are any nearer. Keep in mind that this is the busiest season for these volunteers, so be patient if your calls aren't answered immediately. In the springtime, hastily built nests sometimes fail. Windstorms, predators, children, tree trimmers - all take their toll. Nestling babies (those without fully developed feathers) may end up on the ground. First priority is to locate the nest and return the baby. This may require a ladder and some ingenuity. Make sure the other babies in the nest look like the one you are replacing. Watch the nest from a distance to confirm that the parent bird returns. This could take several hours. Be patient. A common myth is that mother birds will reject babies handled by humans. This is not true. Birds have a poor sense of smell, and cannot tell if you have touched their chick. If the nest is on the ground with babies or eggs, tie it back to a nearby tree with string or wire as close to the original site as possible. Place the nest in a little box or margarine tub (with drainage holes) to make it easier to secure. Don't use a berry basket because bird legs may get caught in the mesh. Watch from a distance to make sure a parent returns.
Unless the rehabilitator has told you otherwise, it is best not to feed orphaned or injured birds. However, if you can't get the bird to a rehabilitator within a few hours, this may become necessary. Follow the rehabilitator's instructions. Never give bread or milk to wild birds. Don't handle the baby - their tiny bodies can be easily damaged. Keep it away from household pets and wash your hands before touching your pet birds. As tempting as it is to try to raise a wild bird, please remember - rehabilitators are trained in the proper diets, techniques and medical issues, and Federal law prohibits un-permitted individuals from possessing native wildlife. Be prepared for Baby Bird Season. Keep on hand a few shoeboxes, a heating pad, margarine tubs lined with unscented tissue for temporary nests, "Exact" handfeeding formula and popsicle or coffee stir sticks (only use if the rehabber tells you to), and the phone number of your closest rehabilitator. And when the inevitable knock on the door comes, take a deep breath, smile, and know that, to this child, you are a hero. For more information, visit the Lost and Found Bird Forum
Anyone who's examined an egg can see the primary parts consist of:
Reproductive Triggers The ovum (future chick if fertilized and incubated) remains inactive until "increased seasonal light" absorbed through eyes AND extraretinal receptors in soft spongy bone structure of the head of the hen, triggers follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH) to kick into gear. (Decreased light has the opposite effect, causing depression of follicle growth and egg production ceases.) As the sexually mature hen is stimulated into reproduction, the ovum is held in the follicle on the ovary where the yolk develops over a period of several days. Once mature, the ovum with its yolk ruptures free of the ovary to begin the 24-to-26 hour journey down the reproductive tract. The Journey 1) Fertilization of the ovum (if it's to take place) occurs in the upper funnel end of the oviduct, call the infundibulum, also referred to as the sperm pocket. This fertilization process takes approximately 15 minutes. 2) Then the fertilized ovum travels to the magnum where it spends approximately 3 hours while the albumen protein (egg white) is secreted. 3) Further down the tract in the isthmus, two shell membranes are secreted loosely around the ovum and albumen, which takes approximately 1.5 hours. 4) This soft egg continues its journey into the uterus (shell gland) where it stays for 20-21 hours while the shell is secreted in layers over the membrane. 5) Once the shell is fully formed and hardened, the egg is then passed immediately through the vagina where it is 'laid'. Again this total process takes 24-26 hours from time ovum starts down oviduct. As one egg is finishing the journey, another one is starting, repeating until full clutch is laid. Eggs of most psittacines are laid every other day. Clutch sizes vary with different species but most average 3-5 eggs per clutch. Occasionally there will be a delay where several eggs accumulate in the oviduct at the same time which causes eggbinding, and/or premature expelling of soft shelled eggs. If eggs are rushed or pushed through the uterus (shell gland) prematurely, the hard shell covering is absent. The Functions As the egg is incubated and growth begins, the embryo (blastoderm) forms three separate layers; within each layer the development of separate body parts takes place: 1) The inner layer is composed of the organs, digestive tract and more. 2) The middle layer forms the muscles, bone, blood, reproductive system. 3) The outer layer forms the skin, feathers, beak, eyes, nervous system. Interesting Notes About Eggs
For more information, visit the Breeding and Avian Health Forums!
Their size is approximately 12.5 cm or 5 inches and the average weight approximately 15 grams. The coloring characteristics are red face, upper breast, rump and tail, the rest of the body is parrot green; eyes are a dark brown; black beak and gray-brown legs; the female is slightly duller in color than her male counterpart. As this species is monomorphic (both sexes look the same), it can be quite challenging in determining if you have a true pair. I have read reports of breeders being able to tell the difference between male and female by the loud, high pitched, trill songs; that the males are bigger in size, or the red feathers on the male extend past the corner of the eye, among various other observations. However, I couldn’t say with any certainty that any of these techniques in visual sexing are accurate, other than surgical sexing or if your pair actually produces Make sure you provide clean fresh water daily for bathing. One of their greatest enjoyments is their daily bath, quite often several times a day. My Bijoux bathes with much gusto, water is often all over the floor of the flight cage and room. Generally I would suggest lukewarm water for bathing, however each of my birds get much more enjoyment in cold water. I have read about others who have found their red-headed parrot finches prefer ice cold water to bathe in as well. When housed in a mixed aviary, other finch species often imitate the red-headed parrot finches bathing activity. Dietary requirements are very important. As this is such an energetic bird, they require a very well balanced diet. They will eat a variety of seeds, greens, vegetables and fruits, hard-boiled eggs, and mealworms. They are generally not too picky of the foods presented to them, although some greens may take them time to get used to. A good barometer in the amount fed is energy in equals’ energy out. Again, eating is also done with much gusto, don’t be surprised if your red-headed parrot finch is a voracious eater. If you are breeding your red-headed parrot finches, they like large wicker nests, although often any nest is accepted. In the wild they may choose cracks in walls, holes in fences, to a bush. There is differing opinions on who exactly is the primary nest builder, the male, hen or both. Both male and hen will incubate the eggs, of which 4-5 is laid. Incubation period is approximately 13 days, the young being weaned at 25-30 days. If you are looking for a vivacious, energetic, smart, enjoyable finch to add to your aviary, the red-head parrot finch is definitely one to consider. They will give you hours of enjoyment, just watching their antics and behaviors. For more information, visit the Canary, Finches, and Softbills Forum!
Come perch and prattle in the Aviary, which is available 24 hours a day with specific bird topic chats scheduled every day. No registration is required! All times Eastern Sunday 9-10 PM Training & Behavior
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You open the door to the tentative knock, your eyes travel down to a smudged, worried little face, then down further to feathers poking through cupped hands. Breathlessly the child stammers, "We wuz playing over there and this man there said you could help cause you gots birds and we found this bird and - can you help?"
Fledglings are young feathered birds with feather casings still present. They do not fly well, if at all, but mostly hop and can jump to low branches. This period of being on the ground is a normal and necessary part of a bird developing the ability to fly. Keep cats and dogs inside while the fledglings are learning to fly. Watch from a distance to make sure their parents are feeding them. If the parents don't return or the baby is injured, keep it warm and take it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area as quickly as possible. Cat-caught birds will probably die if not medicated within 24 hours.
Reproduction in birds is a fascinating study and has many similarities to human reproduction but is yet quite different; simple yet complex. All the genetic makeup and food supply is packaged neatly together into a shell to produce the next generation of that species.
The
red-headed parrot finch (Erythrura Psittacea), also known as the red-throated
or red-faced parrot finch, can be found naturally in New Caledonia
grasslands or open country bordering forested areas. They are a vivacious,
energetic little finch; everything they do is done with gusto.
As
the red-headed parrot finch are very active birds, they need to have
plenty of space in which to fly. If they are kept in an outside aviary,
please be aware to take precautions to protect them from wind and
cold, although they can be acclimated to cooler outdoors temperatures.
Their energy should not deter those that have an indoor aviary or
someone with limited space. For those with limited space, a cage 4
feet long by 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide is sufficient for a pair.
When allowing for space, keep in mind they do have a tendency to get
heavy, hence the need for plenty of exercise. Many breeders and enthusiasts
keep the red-headed parrot finch in a mixed aviary. Generally they
are not aggressive towards other finches, however there can be an
exception to the rule.