The types of birds
available to the would-be fancier are almost as varied in appearance, habit and
character as the humans who wish to acquire them. To get the best out of bird,
consider carefully the pros and cons. Think about the habits and requirements
of the proposed pet, in relation to the time, space and money available for its
upkeep, as well as the tastes and inclinations of the would-be owner.
For example mynah birds are among the best mimics around. However, there have been owners who have been driven near to distraction by a mynah continually repeating the same well-learned phrase over and over again. More over mynahs require a diet of fresh fruit and insectivorous fare which makes them somewhat messier to keep than seed-eating types.
For example mynah birds are among the best mimics around. However, there have been owners who have been driven near to distraction by a mynah continually repeating the same well-learned phrase over and over again. More over mynahs require a diet of fresh fruit and insectivorous fare which makes them somewhat messier to keep than seed-eating types.
Parrots are long-lived
birds, with a span which often exceeds that of their human masters. They are
however powerful birds, equipped with a beak capable of decimating a Brazil nut
at one bite, and have a tendency to be ‘one-man’ pets as jealous of their
owners affection as any dog. They may well, therefore, be better suited to the
solo pet owner than as the family pets of a household with inquisitive and
therefore potentially vulnerable small children. The foreign finches have
brilliant colored plumage that would brighten the décor of any room and be an eye-catching
attraction in a garden aviary. Given the right conditions the jolly little
Zebras or Java sparrows will breed almost the calendar around. However, they
will, like all well-loved livestock, learn to recognize the hand that feeds
them and indeed the hour of the day at which dinner arrives, it is only very
rarely that a finch can be taught to perform a trick, or make a more complex
response to its owner.
The budgie is both
acrobat and clown. Given the correct early training, he can master as many as a
dozen simple phrases of human speech, and will readily become ‘finger-tame’. Thanks
to selective breeding, the range of color available in present day budgerigars
runs to over 130 permutations and variations on green, blue, yellow, violet,
grey and white. Budgies are hardly enough to survive outdoors the year around.
Some have even been noted to enjoy rolling in the snow which lined the floor of
their aviaries.
They are, however,
equally happy as indoor pets caged individually. However if a budgie is to be
happy as a solo pet it will need the regular affection of its master or
mistress and will visibly sulk, even pine, if it feels itself to be neglected. A
colony of budgies look attractive as part of a garden scheme, but especially in
the breeding season they can have strident screaming calls which could well
annoy sensitive neighbors if the aviary is sited too near a boundary wall.
The canary on the other
hand is sweet singer but some-what less hardy and certainly more tricky to
breed. It is susceptible to draughts, and fall immediate victim to a gas leak.
Canaries have for a number of years been unfashionable pets, but are gradually
gaining ground again, principally through the introduction of the striking new color
canaries such as the red factors which range in tone from blush pink through
apricot tones to almost flame color. The strength of the canary-breeding
fraternity has been for nearly a century among the artisan classes and this has
tended to give the bird itself a lower social status.
