Ornamental Birds [antikvár]

advice for beginners Anyone wishing to iieep ornamental and aviary birds should first consider what conditions the birds can be offered. A town dweller without a garden should choose bird species which can be kept in a room, on a balcony or on a terrace. A different type of bird is suitable for owners who can transfer their pets to an outdoor summer aviary. There is also a difference between an aviculturist who intends to breed birds, and a person who merely wishes to keep a single talking pet for entertainment. Initially, undemanding species should be tried, and only after acquiring sufficient knowledge and experience, should rare and more delicate birds be bought. Some hardy species include Canaries, Bengalese Finches, Zebra Finches, some species of pheasant, Java Sparrows, weavers, Budgerigars and Red-rumped Parrots. Cages, aviaries and the other necessary equipment should not be purchased until the choice of birds has been made, as different species of birds have different requirements. cages and aviaries A cage is usually advisable for a single pair or a small number of birds to be kept indoors. A suitable type is a box (Fig. 1) with the front wall made of wire netting. Cages used for nesting can have doors on the sides to which nestboxes, Canary-type boxes, and so on may be affixed. Round cages with turrets and other ornaments are unsuitable. The interior equipment depends on the species to be kept. One of the basic principles of bird-keeping is the bigger the cage, the better it is for the birds' health. It should measure at least 100 by 40 by 70 centimetres. In cages for songbirds of the family Estrildidae, the wires should be 10 to 12 centimetres apart. In cages for larger species, the spacing should prevent the birds from sticking their heads out. Some aviculturists recommend, horizontal wires instead of the traditional vertical ones; the birds can be observed better and they do not wear out their tail feathers so much. Larger cages are usually covered with wire netting. Both wires and netting should be painted with a non-poisonous black paint. Apple-tree, willow and birch branches and twigs of different size and thickness may be placed in the cage, or perches made of hazelnut, ash or elder twigs. The cage must never be so crowded with branches that the birds can only hop and not fly around. The branches must be placed with care since if they are situated too close to a wall, the birds can wear out or break their tail feathers. The perches must never be