Contents Of Song Parrots

Info 

Song parrots are popular birds among breeders. They are easy to care for, do not require special conditions, and sing beautifully. By the way, it is precisely because of their voice, reminiscent of the melodic trills of forest birds, that parrots got their name.

Credit: Flickr

Appearance and description of song parrots

Habitat

In the wild, song parrots are found in the southeast of the Australian continent.

Favorite places are open areas with sparse plantings of bushes or trees (meadows, pastures, orchards, parks) or mangroves on the sea coast. But they also settle in attics, sheds, and non-residential premises.

Lifestyle

Birds lead a gregarious lifestyle, but during the breeding season, they split into pairs. The birds are busy searching for food all day. Everything is eaten: fruits, seeds, berries, green grass, and grains of sand. The local population calls the birds pests, since flocks of parrots can very quickly destroy the sown area. But this, in most cases, happens in the dry months, when birds cannot find food in the forest thickets.

Varieties

Song parrot breeding

The breeding season for song parrots lasts from September to December, but can sometimes last almost until the beginning of June. The mating season begins with mating and the courtship of the female. During flirting, the male sings a beautiful song many times and, in time with it, “dances” various “steps”—shakes  his head, shakes his wings, spreads his tail, squats, and stands up on his paws. If the female liked the courtship, she allowed the “groom” to approach her, allowed herself to be fed, and then mating occurred.

Birds build nests in abandoned buildings, barns, or houses. Each clutch contains up to 8 eggs, which the female incubates for three weeks. The role of the male is to protect the female and eggs, as well as provide the partner with food. After birth, the chicks grow and mature very quickly. In just 1 month, the young begin to fly out of the parental nest and completely leave it 2-3 weeks after the start of flights.

It is interesting that song parrots do not show family ties over time, and after they leave their parents, they very quickly forget them, and then when they meet, they compete for food or territory. The first period of molting in birds begins at 7 months and then occurs every six months. Parrots become sexually mature at about one and a half years.

Lifespan

The officially registered age at which birds live in captivity is 25 years. But, according to ornithologists, this result can only be achieved if all care recommendations are followed.

In the wild, the lives of birds are shortened by predators, natural disasters, nutritional deficiencies during dry periods, and various infections. But there are “lucky ones” who manage to reach the age limit of 15–20 years.

Credit: Wikipedia

Captivity

Song parrots were brought to the European continent in the mid-19th century. Since that time, these amazing birds have quickly spread throughout home nurseries, and their popularity among private breeders is steadily growing. The birds adapt well to their living conditions, do not require special food or maintenance, and reproduce well in captivity. The only caveat is that the birds do not tolerate “competitors,” so placing them with other parrots will not work.

Cage and accessories

Song parrots are very active birds, so the optimal housing for them would be an aviary or a large cage.

Recommended parameters for a bird house—cages—are – x – x 0.6 m and an aviary – from x 0.8 m.

Birds must be provided with:

• feeders;
• drinking bowls;
• poles;
• bath for bathing;
• branches of fruit trees (for grinding down the beak and claws);
• toys (mirror, rocking chair, rope).

The floor of the bird’s house is covered with sawdust or river sand up to 5 cm thick.

The bedding is replaced daily, the bathtub, feeders, and drinkers are washed, and the perches with toys are cleaned weekly.

General cleaning is carried out every 6 months.

The housing is disinfected twice a week and every 25–30 days.

Recommended microclimates in the place of detention:

• air temperature from 25 to 30 °C without significant changes;
• humidity: 60–70%;
• the presence of supply and exhaust ventilation.

Diet

Song parrots are suitable for standard nutrition, which is used for birds of this size.

Feeding schedule: twice a day (morning and evening).

The diet of birds includes:

• Grains and seeds (about 70% of the total food):
  – corn;
  – millet;
  – oats;
  — wheat (including sprouted or microgreens from it);
  – safflower;
  – sunflower;
  – sesame;
  – buckwheat.
• Legumes;
• Greenery;
• Vegetables (carrots, zucchini);
• Fruits (apples, pears, pomegranates, bananas);
• Berries;
• Low-fat cottage cheese;
• Chicken eggs (boiled);
• Small insects, mealworms,
• Porridge on the water;
• Flowering branches from fruit plants;
• Meadow grasses (dandelion, burdock, and plantain);
• Vitamins and mineral supplements (crack, sepia, eggshells, bone meal, sand).

Parrot character, taming

By nature, song parrots are considered the calmest of the entire family.

The birds sing beautifully and do not scream, as other parrots do. In addition, birds do not have the habit of gnawing everything, which will obviously protect household utensils from damage.

What feathered pets cannot tolerate is an encroachment on their territory and their feathered “neighbors.”

It is quite easy to tame parrots of this species. You just need to communicate with them often, accustom them to holding hands, and let them fly. It is worth remembering that, despite having excellent vocal abilities, it will not be possible to teach birds to speak since they are not able to imitate human speech.

Breeding

The first chick from Song Parrots was produced in captivity by the staff of the London Zoo in 1857. Over time, they even learned to breed songbirds in private homes, and breeders were able to develop unusual color mutations:

• lutino;
• blue;
• orange;
• cinnamon
• opaline;
• motley.

There are many offers for selling birds on the market. The price ranges from 100 to 200 dollars per individual, depending on age, gender, and color.

Those who are planning to start breeding birds at home should remember the following mandatory preparatory steps:

• Moving the formed pair into a large enclosure.
• Arrangement of a nesting house for birds (0.25×0.25×0.3 m).
• Transfer parrots during the breeding season to foods with a high protein content (legumes, insects, larvae, eggs), and also, of course, greens with sprouted grains.

Credit: Flickr

In a year, a pair of parrots can produce up to three broods. But you should not abuse such physiological capabilities, because this negatively affects the health of the female. The young are removed from the parental cage immediately after leaving the nest.

Songbirds are miniature feathered creatures with bright plumage and excellent vocal abilities. If we take into account that these mischievous birds do not require special conditions of keeping and have a very affordable price, then they can be called the undisputed leaders when choosing pets.

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