Aviary 2.0

Aviary 2.0

NOTE: This is not an endorsement of any particular style of building an aviary. I present this as a design I found compelling enough to use pand the things I learned over time.

Two years ago, I built an aviary in the backyard. Just last month, with the help of a carpenter this time, I finished a significant renovation and expansion. I incorporated a large number of changes based on my first design. For those not interested in my detailed description of the new aviary, here is a photo gallery.

  • Bourke’s parrots enjoying the new perches.
  • Newly designed perching stations.
  • View from above.
  • View from the new front door.
  • The new “wing”
  • Red-rumped parrots in upgraded part of aviary.
  • New herb munching station.
  • New shelter with 5 compartments and open front.

The original aviary was approximately 128 square feet, while the new one totals around 192 square feet. But because of the layout, there is a much longer flight path the birds can take so it seems much more enjoyable to them.… READ THE REST

Weighing risk of disease

Weighing risk of disease

This article was motivated by interactions with my local bird rescue. Using three examples, I attempt to illustrate the importance of weighing the risk of disease with the likliehood of it happening. The goal would be maximizing the happiness of as many birds as possible, perhaps finding ways to mitigate risk rather than just refusing to take it on, losing benefits to birds in need.

If fostering and adopting birds feels like walking through a minefield, people will be less likely to become involved. We need to present people with risks that that have some probability of actually happening. Think of all the possible ways a child could get injured. Do we want to make sure a child is never exposed to any situation where they might become injured? What kind of life is that?

Newcastle disease

In 2019, Virulent Newcastle Disease made a comeback. In Northern California, a single case was reported on March 15 in a backyard chicken.… READ THE REST

Diatomaceous earth and parrots

Diatomaceous earth and parrots

What is diatomaceous earth?

For this article, I’m leaning heavily on a very concise and clearly worded fact sheet from the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). This organization is a collaboration between the Environmental Protection Agency and Oregon State University and receives funding from no other sources.

Rather than describe what diatomaceous earth is, I’ll defer to NPIC.

Diatomaceous earth is made from the fossilized remains of tiny, aquatic organisms called diatoms. Their skeletons are made of a natural substance called silica. Over a long period of time, diatoms accumulated in the sediment of rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. Today, silica deposits are mined from these areas.

Diatomaceous earth is not poisonous; it does not have to be eaten in order to be effective. Diatomaceous earth causes insects to dry out and die by absorbing the oils and fats from the cuticle of the insect’s exoskeleton. Its sharp edges are abrasive, speeding up the process.

… READ THE REST
Are seeds high in fat?

Are seeds high in fat?

It seems almost universally believed that seeds are high in fat. I’ve talked about seeds and fat in a previous article but wanted to address this myth specifically.

First, I took a look at a wide variety of seed mixes and came up with 8 seeds that appear to be most commonly used:

  • Millet
  • Oats
  • Canary grass
  • Sunflower
  • Safflower
  • Hemp
  • Nyger
  • Pumpkin

So, let’s look at their fat percentages:

Sources:

As I mentioned in my other article, recommended fat percentages for humans fall in the 20-40% range, so 44% is definitely on the high side.

Seeds also definitely fall into very low fat and high fat categories.

  • Very Low fat: Millet, canary grass, oats
  • High fat: Sunflower, safflower, hemp, nyger, pumpkin

The budgie diet I used in that article contained 66% millet, 17% oats, and 8% canary grass seed (total of 97% of the seed content).… READ THE REST

UV (Ultraviolet) light myths

UV (Ultraviolet) light myths

This will probably be the longest article I’ll ever write because the internet is full of so many inaccurate statements. I’ll go through each myth one by one.

Myth #1: Any ultraviolet light can cause a bird to synthesize Vitamin D

There are actually two relevant types of UV light: UVA and UVB. Most articles about birds and lighting don’t specify with type and just say “ultraviolet” light.

So, first let’s establish that it’s UVB light that is required for Vitamin D synthesis.

During exposure to sunlight 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin absorbs UVB radiation and is converted to previtamin D3 which in turn isomerizes into vitamin D3.

Sunlight and Vitamin D: A Global Perspective on Health—Dermato-Endocrinology—’Jan 2013

UV light causes the body to produce vitamin D (specifically, UVB), which is essential for life.

Ultraviolet—Wikipedia

In humans, both UVA and UVB are responsible for secondary effects on the skin such as erythema (sunburn) or tanning, but UVB is the only range associated with the photobiochemical synthesis of vitamin D3.

… READ THE REST
Are bird respiratory systems really more sensitive?

Are bird respiratory systems really more sensitive?

It’s generally regarded as a fact that birds have very sensitive respiratory systems, far moreso than humans. Much of this comes from the proven sensitivity of birds to smoking Teflon products.

When heated to temperatures above 260C (500F), this otherwise stable material emits several flourinated prolysis products that are known to be rapidly lethal to birds.

The Avian Respiratory System: A Unique Model for Studies of Respiratory Toxicosis and for Monitoring Air Quality—Environmental Health Perspectives—Harvard School of Public Health—February 1997

However, an extensive and exhaustive study in a journal called Environmental Health Perspectives by the Harvard School of Public Health paints a much more nuanced picture. The article starts with a detailed look at the entire respiratory system of birds, then looks at orally administered toxins, inhaled particulates, and toxic gases.

The general summary is that the bird respiratory system is not uniformly more problematic than ours. Sometimes it behaves similarly to humans, sometimes it’s more sensitive, and sometimes less.… READ THE REST

The real reasons the “all seed” diet is bad

The real reasons the “all seed” diet is bad

I previous wrote about the mythical “all seed” diet.

I should preface this article by saying that every bird should be given fresh foods in addition to their staple diet. This post is merely to examine some of the claims about the “all seed” diet.

Assuming you could find an “all seed” diet, what are the usual complaints about it? Here’s a short list:

  • It’s too high in fat
  • Birds on this diet will become obese
  • It will result in poor feather condition
  • It will lead to diseases such as fatty liver disease, heart disease, and diabetes

Creating an “all seed” diet

Since it’s hard to find a 100% seed mix, I decided to create my own and then analyze it. I targeted budgies since they are the most common pet bird in the world. There are also a huge variety of budgie mixes on the market.

I went to a Petco and looked at every budgie mix that was predominantly seed.… READ THE REST

Hormonal behavior in parrots

Hormonal behavior in parrots

Just like humans and other animals, hormones can have a profound impact on the health and behavior of birds. They are often overlooked even by vets as potential causes for problems such as feather plucking and aggressive behavior.

Coincidentally, one of my own vets has written a VERY long article on hormonal behavior in parrots that is a must read for anyone who wants to go to the next level of understanding their birds. Or perhaps you have a particularly intractable problem and are curious whether it might have a hormonal basis.

Here’s a link to the multi-part article. Below, I’ll quote some interesting bits.

Hormonal Behavior in Pet Birds

Caveat

I’ll add my own caveat that her conclusions about seed diets are based on a study in the 1980s that that was from the heyday of the low fat, high carb diet. Since then, we now know far more about both human and bird nutrition.… READ THE REST

Benefits and joys of remote cameras

Benefits and joys of remote cameras

Setting up remote cameras on your birds can be more entertaining than TV. But it can also have important benefits to the well being of your bird that you may not have considered.

Benefits

Your birds will behave very differently when you are in the room as they do when you are gone. You may see important clues to their health by checking in on them remotely from time to time.

Food

Especially with fresh foods, it can be difficult to figure out what your bird is eating when you look at their dishes at the end of the day. Everything can dry up and shrink a bit.

Turns out the little Splendid Parrot is pushing around the cockatiels!

Behavior

What does your bird do all day when you are not around? Do they sit around or are they active and playing with toys? How are they interacting with other birds.… READ THE REST

Arguments against wing clipping

Arguments against wing clipping

There are some topics in the bird community that are very controversial and for which opinions are very divided. Wing clipping is near the top of the list.

It’s not hard to find articles weighing the pros and cons of wing clipping, so I wasn’t wanting to write another one. However, I feel that in these articles, important downsides to wing clipping are not mentioned. To have an honest debate, all the arguments need to be on the table.

Here’s just one example. The article only presents one downside: lack of exercise. The text I quoted makes people feel bad about not clipping wings and typical of articles you’ll find.

If you care about your parrot and want to keep them safe, then clipping their wings is generally a good idea. Whether your parrot stays inside 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or not, the bottom line is that you don’t want your parrot to fly away where they can get into harm’s way.

… READ THE REST