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ISSUE TWO OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
BIRDSCENE
THE KNOWLEDGE CENTRE FOR ALL PET BIRDS
CONSERVATION
THE YELLOW-
SHOULDERED
AMAZON PROJECT
ON BONAIRE
ADVICE
MODERN AVIARY
DESIGN BY GREG
SHAW AND LEONIE
SAAYMAN
THE NATIONAL
EXHIBITION
PICTORIAL
ZEBRA
FINCHES
BY KEN LOCKWOOD AND GERALD MASSEY
FREE
INTRODUCTIO
Bird Scene went ‘live’ on Monday
22nd August and our ‘new
challenge for 2011’ had been born.
This second issue will I hope give
readers the same level of quality and
interest as the first. It will confirm the
areas that we will continue to cover
in future editions. Our intention is to
publish this e-magazine every other
month with the December / January
edition appearing on 23rd December.
By fixing the date of Issue 3 now you
will know when to access our website
for the latest edition. At this point
it is appropriate to thank our Trade
advertisers who so generously support
us you will see their advertisements
in this e-magazine without their
assistance it is unlikely that Bird Scene
would have been produced.
We will use Bird Scene to promote
and raise donations for our
Conservation activities around the
world there are donation links on
pages 5, 13, 27, 48 where you can
pledge money to a particular project.
Additionally Bird Scene will raise
awareness of The National Exhibition
which was held at Stafford County
Showground on Sunday 9th October, a
pictorial account appears on pages 28
- 35. Large banners publicising Bird
Scene were prominently displayed
at The National Exhibition
which received an attendance
of over 6,000 visitors and
proved the ideal location to
promote this e-magazine.
I suppose I should not
have been surprised how quickly
the first edition went around the
world with e-mails from America
and Australia giving congratulations
and offers of articles for future
issues. The bird world has so many
generous writers only too willing to
support a new venture. I would love
to know how many bird keepers have
seen this e-magazine but as it is a
FREE electronic magazine for all Bird
Keepers I guess that information would
be hard to know.
Les Rance, Editor, The Parrot Society UK
www.theparrotsocietyuk.org | les.rance@theparrotsocietyuk.org
2 BIRD SCENE
N
BY THE
EDITOR
LES RANCE
In this edition is the first part of an
interesting article by Ken Lockwood
and Gerald Massey on Zebra Finches
those prolific Australian finches that
have a strong following on the
Show circuit in the UK.
The writers give
details of starting
up with these birds and also breeding
them, an excellent and soundly based
article on these enchanting finches.
We are also pleased to have an article
on modern aviary design that will
be invaluable to those considering a
new aviary or two or three!! There is
also an excellent set of pictures from
the recent National Exhibition held
at Stafford on 9th October 2011. Last
but not least a valuable article by Tony
Pittman on the Yellow-shouldered
Amazon project on Bonaire that
the Society is supporting
financially.
Normal Zebra Finch Cock
© Mick Freakley
BIRD SCENE 3
Conservation Projects
Find out more about this on
page 06
4 BIRD SCENE
ISSUE ONE OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
THE KNOWLEDGE CENTRE FOR ALL PET BIRDS
CONTENTS
BIRD SCENE OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
CONTENTS
14
06
14
PARROT SOCIETY
CONSERVATION
PROJECTS
The Yellow-shouldered
Amazon project on
Bonaire that the Society
is supporting financially.
ZEBRA FINCHES
Zebra Finches those
prolific Australian
finches that have a
strong following on
the Show circuit.
DONATE TO OUR
CONSERVATION
FUND…
CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
20
20 NATIONAL
EXHIBITION
PICTORIAL
Pictures of the recent
National Exhibition
held at Stafford on
9th October 2011.
ON THE COVER
36
36
MODERN AVAIRY
DESIGN
An article on modern
aviary design that will
be invaluable to those
considering a new aviary.
06
36
BIRDSCENE
CONSERVATION
THE YELLOW-
SHOULDERED
AMAZON PROJECT
ON BONAIRE
ADVICE
MODERN AVIARY
DESIGN BY GREG
SHAW AND LEONIE
SAAYMAN
THE NATIONAL
EXHIBITION
PICTORIAL
ZEBRA
FINCHES
BY KEN LOCKWOOD AND GERALD MASSEY
FREE
20
14
BIRD SCENE: Issue Two, October / November 2011
BIRD SCENE is run by The Parrot Society UK, 92A High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2BL,
England. FOR SALES AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRES Telephone or Fax: 01442 872245
Website: www.theparrotsocietyuk.org E-Mail: les.rance@theparrotsocietyuk.org
BIRD SCENE 5
THE
YEL
SHO
6 BIRD SCENE
ARTICLE BY: TONY PITTMAN
FEATURE
LOW-
ULDERED
AMAZON PROJECT ON
BONAIRE
The Parrot Society UK started
supporting the main project with
the Yellow-shouldered Amazon
(Amazona barbardensis) headed up by
Sam Williams on the Caribbean island
of Bonaire in 2010, but had supported
previous work by Sam there earlier in
the decade. The Dutch administered
island of Bonaire is 113 sq. miles (249
sq. kilometres) in size with a human
population of just under 16,000 off the
coast of Venezuela.
BIRD SCENE 7
The lack of
habitat deg
population
resulting in
population.
established
governmen
The Yellow-shouldered Amazon,
which is listed as “Vulnerable” by
the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is now
extinct on Aruba, has been introduced
to Curaçao, but now has a population
of approximately 800 birds on Bonaire.
This is an increase on an estimated
population of some 350 birds in the
last two decades of the last century.
There are several isolated populations
scattered across mainland Venezuela,
but these are subject to widespread
intense poaching. On Bonaire the
Yellow-shouldered Amazon has been
protected by law since 1952, but is also
subject to some poaching activities. In
2002 efforts were begun to enforce the
parrot’s protected status, an amnesty
for illegally acquired birds was
enacted and a registration programme
conducted. Sam Williams first went to
Bonaire in 2003 and conducted a Pet
Parrot Care campaign with the support
of the Parrot Society UK. Sam and his
associate, Rowan Martin, completed
their PhD research projects on the
parrot between 2005 and 2009. The
organisation Salba Nos Lora meanwhile
carried out several awareness
campaigns on the island, one of which
was also supported by the Parrot
Society UK. Field work with the parrot
continued in 2009 and a number
of threats to the parrot population
were identified, which have a wider
8 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
naturally occurring food because of
radation has led to the growing parrot
foraging in fruit trees in gardens
conflict with some of the human
However, a good relationship has been
between the project team and the island
t officials and local community.
relevance to parrot species generally.
The goals of the main project are
to monitor reproductive success
by monitoring nest contents and
chick development weekly as well
as ringing chicks to determine longterm
survival. This work applies
good avicultural practice to determine
the breeding success of the wild
population, an aspect, which is
important to Parrot Society UK criteria
for project support.
The parrots on Bonaire use a wide
range of different nest sites and a
low hatching rate for incubated eggs
has been identified and is being
investigated. The number of breeding
birds in the population has also been
found to be quite low. This may be
as low as 110 individuals. Damage
to fruit crops by parrots is also being
investigated. The lack of naturally
occurring food because of habitat
degradation has led to the growing
parrot population foraging in fruit
trees in gardens resulting in conflict
with some of the human population.
However, a good relationship has been
established between the project team
and the island government officials
and local community. It is intended
to install nest-boxes to mitigate a
natural nest-site shortage although
evidence so far suggests these are
not popular with the wild birds. The
nest-site shortage has led the parrots
on Bonaire to breed in rock cavities.
Experiments are being conducted
into the installation and use of more
natural nesting opportunities instead
of standard angular nest-boxes.
BIRD SCENE 9
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Page 12
10 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
In 2010 the team monitored 25 nests
in trees and cliffs. The pairs using
these nests produced 76 eggs, six
of which were lost to predators and
a further 22 failed to hatch. Of the
48, which hatched, four died, nine
disappeared, four were taken by a cat
and six were poached. In the end 25
fledged from 15 different nests.
Sam Williams and his colleagues
In 2010 the team monitored 25
nests in trees and cliffs. The pairs
using these nests produced 76
eggs, six of which were lost to
predators and a further 22 failed
to hatch. Of the 48, which
hatched, four died, nine
disappeared, four were taken by
a cat and six were poached. In the
end 25 fledged from 15 different
nests.
have set up a foundation in Bonaire,
which is called Echo. This name was
inspired by Sam’s long involvement
with the parrot conservation project in
Mauritius for the Mauritius Parakeet
(Psittacula echo). Through handson
conservation management the
Mauritius Parakeet recovered from a
population of only 5 birds in the 1990s
to more than 500 today. Sam and his
team hope to emulate this on Bonaire.
The on-going Bonaire rescue operation
This important objective caused Sam
and his team to react quickly when
the national park administration
(STINAPA) sent an urgent call to
BIRD SCENE 11
the Echo Foundation requesting
its assistance in July of this year.
Following a tip-off STINAPA had seized
a group of 110 local parrots from an
illegal trader. The birds – 16 Yellowshouldered
Amazons and 94 Brownthroated
Conures (Aratinga pertinax
xanthogenia) – were in a terrible state
and desperately needed feeding after
being kept in appalling conditions and
without food for several days. 90 of
the 110 birds confiscated were babies
needing hand-feeding and care on a
one-on-one basis.
As the babies would need care for
several months Echo Foundation sent
out an e-mail appeal. Kaytee, the feed
company, offered to provide handfeeding
formula, but as there would
be other costs arising out of such an
urgent large scale rescue operation
such as aviary construction, the Parrot
Society UK, which as stated above
already supports the conservation work
on Bonaire, decided it would send an
immediate donation of £ 500 to meet
some of these costs.
To date the Amazons are doing well
and 87 of the Brown-throated Conures
have survived. 36 of these have now
been released and the remaining
53 are being intensively reared and
being prepared for release. Local
children are assisting in this and
their involvement should also benefit
conservation in the long term.
12 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
The Parrot Society UK will remain in
close contact with the Sam Williams
and his team to monitor progress and
ascertain whether further assistance
will be required. Readers can, however,
make a donation direct through the
Parrot Society UK website.
DONATE TO OUR
CONSERVATION
FUND…
CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
The birds were in a terrible state
and desperately needed feeding
after being kept in appalling
conditions and without food for
several days. 90 of the 110 birds
confiscated were babies needing
hand-feeding and care on a oneon-one
basis.
BIRD SCENE 13
ZEBRA
FINCHES
ARTICLE BY: KEN LOCKWOOD AND GERALD MASSEY
Photograph © Tony Tilford
www.naturepicturesource.com
STARTING UP WITH ZEBRA FINCHES
It is always pleasing to hear of people
who have decided to take up Zebra
finches, whether it is as a collection
of birds in a garden aviary or with a
view to breeding and – eventually –
exhibiting them. From time to time we are
approached by newcomers who want to
know where to get stock.
We are always willing to advise.
However, we firmly believe in putting first
things first and council strongly against
even beginning to look for birds until an
adequate aviary or birdroom has been set
up.
14 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
BIRD SCENE 15
Before setting up an aviary or birdroom it is best to visit an experienced
Zebra finch fancier to get some idea about suitable layouts. Joining your local
cage bird society will put you in touch with other bird keepers, but if you find
difficulty making your own contacts, you can take advantage of the Zebra
Finch Society’s area representative scheme.
It is best to build up a fund of
knowledge before doing anything
at all – and there are several ways
of doing this starting with books. In
our experience, some of the books
available on Zebra finches offer very
little in the way of practical advice that
can be applied to the fancy in the UK
today. We are referring in particular,
to some publications from the USA. An
admirable book, which we frequently
recommend is Chris Blackwell’s
‘Keeping and breeding Zebra finches’
These days videos have a great deal
to offer hobbyists and in our branch
ofthe fancy the best offering is Peter
Harrison’s ‘Breeding Zebra Finches
step by step.’Other advice is available
from the Zebra Finch Society.
Then there is the Cage and
Aviary Birds, which not only offers
informative articles but also permits
readers to keep up to date with what
is happening in the fancy. There is a
tendency for people who are interested
in one particular type of bird to ignore
the articles about other species. This
is a big mistake. Over the years we
have learnt a great deal from articles
about other branches of the hobby.
In an article about budgerigars, Terry
Pilkington related how he and his
wife’s birds had benefitted from being
given filtered water rather than water
straight from the tap. We immediately
began giving filtered water to our
Zebras, still do and we are convinced
that they are the better for it.
Before setting up an aviary or
birdroom it is best to visit an
experienced Zebra finch fancier to
get some idea about suitable layouts.
Joining your local cage bird society
will put you in touch with other bird
keepers, but if you find difficulty
making your own contacts, you can
take advantage of the Zebra Finch
Society’s area representative scheme.
This puts you in touch with someone
who not only knows a lot about Zebra
finches, but also has local knowledge.
When starting up in a hobby, people
tend to worry about apparent problems
that, to the experienced person, are
really not important. Being able to get
good advice, quickly, can make all the
difference.
Even if the birdroom you first visit
16 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
is large and impressive, we advise
starting with a fairly modest set up and
to build up from that. It is a mistake
to spend lots of money at the outset,
just in case you change your mind.
Laying out a fortune and then breeding
nothing in your first year can be so
disheartening as to cause anyone to
give up.
As individual breeders, our
progress, as far as the birdroom size
is concerned, was similar. The first
birdroom was a 6ft x 4ft shed. The
next step was to 6ft x 10ft and then
when that was outgrown to 12ft x
8ft. We now both have fairly large
establishments, each measuring 12ft
x 30ft.
If you have no interest in pedigree
and do not intend to show your
birds, an aviary in which the birds
fly freely is ideal – but take advice on
how many pairs can be comfortably
accommodated in the space available.
If your intension is to exhibit, you need
to breed your Zebra finches under
controlled conditions and that means
having cages, preferably within a
birdroom.
Once you have your birdroom
erected (we will assume it is a timber
construction) there areone or two
refinements that can make life better
for both you and your birds. Lining
the walls with hardboard – melamine
faces, if you can afford it, will give the
room’s interior a pleasing appearance
and also make it easier to keep clean.
In our view it is essential to insulate
the cavity between the outer wall and
the lining.
We also recommend installing a
supply of electricity to the birdroom,
though this is not a job to be
undertaken by anyone who is not
qualified to do it. For everything
else, the ‘Do-it-yourself’ approach is
acceptable, but electricity is far too
dangerous to be messed about with by
the amateur.
Electric lighting is the main
requirement – particularly by anyone
who is out at work all day. In the
middle of winter, many fanciers go out
to work in the dark and by the time
they return home it is dark once more.
If you want to look after your birds
properly and have time to observe
If you have no interest in pedigree and do not intend to show your birds, an
aviary in which the birds fly freely is ideal – but take advice on how many
pairs can be comfortably accommodated in the space available. If your
intension is to exhibit, you need to breed your Zebra finches under controlled
conditions and that means having cages, preferably within a birdroom.
BIRD SCENE 17
18
BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
them during winter evenings you need
extra lights.
One of the main considerations, when
setting up a birdroom, is to avoiddamp
and draughts. Zebra finches can
withstand the cold, but if damp and
draughts are inflicted upon them it can
damage their health. We have found
that insulating a birdroom dramatically
cuts down internal condensation – an
insidious form of damp.
With the room’s structure completed,
you can now think about cages – their
form, size and number. There is no
simple answer to the question “How
many cages should I start with?” It all
depends on your circumstances.Our
usual answer is “Having as many as
you feel you can handle comfortably.”
In practice, for newcomers, that
usually translates to something
between six andtwelve cages.
An ideal size for each individual cage
unit, for one breeding pair, is 24 inches
long x 15 inches high and 15 inches
deep. However, single cages are not
the best solution. It is far better to
have cages that are two or three times
that length, which can be converted
into individual units by inserting
divider slides. Then, the removal of
one or two slides can give different
permutations of flight cages – up to
6 ft long. These are ideal for housing
groups of birds, such as youngsters
who are being weaned. As you become
more established (and your birdroom
gets bigger) inside flights can be
installed.
So now you are ready to acquire
some birds. Another question we are
frequently asked is “What are the
best colours of Zebra finches to start
with?” In our view, the best colours
are the ones you like the best. It would
be counterproductive for us to advise
getting Normals when the colour that
attracted a person to Zebra finches in
the first instance was white.
To begin with a colour that you are
not very keen on is to risk becoming
disillusioned. We would like to think
that a newcomer to Zebra finches will
still be keeping them in 10 years time.
On the other hand, a newcomer with
no hard and fast preferences might
One of the main considerations, when setting up a birdroom, is to avoiddamp
and draughts. Zebra finches can withstand the cold, but if damp and draughts
are inflicted upon them it can damage their health. We have found that
insulating a birdroom dramatically cuts down internal condensation – an
insidious form of damp.
BIRD SCENE 19
FEATURE
benefit by getting a few different
colours and decide which ones he or
she likes best after they have gained
some experience of breeding them.
Having said that, if you start with
more than one colour it is best to
choose those that can be used for
interbreeding, from the exhibition
standpoint. For example, Normals go
well with Fawns and Chestnut Flanked
Whites fit in well with Lightbacks. By
contrast, Pieds and Penguins do not
mix. If you were to interbreed with
these colours, you would be highly
unlikely to breed anything useful and,
worse, could be setting back your
exhibiting ambitions by some years.
Your own local contact or ZFS area
representative can be very useful
at this stage putting you in touch
with breeders who specialise in your
chosen colours - and have had some
success with them. Having read about
exhibition Zebra finches and watched
videos you should have some idea of
the sort of birds you are looking for,
but it is still best to choose a breeder
you feel you can trust and ask his
advice – particularly about the way the
birds you acquire should be paired.
We have deliberately left the way you
should feed your birds until this point
because, if at all possible, you should
base your feeding regime on that of the
fancier/or fanciers who supplied you
with your initial stock. Many will give
you small quantities to last a few days
until you can arrange for a regular supply.
However the basic requirements are
a seed mixture, an egg-based softfood,
grit and water. As far as the seed is
concerned foreign finch mixtures and
mixed millets are suitable. We find the
most economic and nutritious way of
supplying our birds’ seed requirements
is to use a millet-rich budgerigar
mixture – which also happens to be the
cheapest in the suppliers range.
There are more good proprietary,
eggfood mixtures on the market now
than there have ever been before.
We find it difficult to understand why
breeders buy a specifically-balanced
product and then add other foods –
such as more eggs or carrot – to them.
Our grit mixture consists of small
mineral grit and oyster shell, in equal
quantities. Cuttlefish bone is also
provided as are millet sprays. As
already explained, we offer filtered
tap water. The only additive we feed
is a mineral/vitamin supplement that
is added to the drinking water at the
rate and frequency recommended by
the manufacturer. Again there are lots
of good products of this type on the
market.
With a good, balanced diet such as
the one we have described we see
no reason for feeding other ‘extras’ –
home grown, collected from the wild or
purchased.
20 BIRD SCENE
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STOCK
BIRD SCENE 21
Lightback Cock
© Mick Freakley
BREEDING ZEBRA FINCHES
One of the many challenges of
breeding Zebra finches is that no two
breeding seasons are ever alike. For
example, in both our birdrooms, at the
start of one season we had problems
because the birds were too fit. This
manifested itself in hens laying
another clutch of eggs before they
had finished incubating the first.By
the second and third breeding rounds
came around they had settled down
and their breeding behaviour was
normal.
We believe that a major reason for the
disrupted first round was the weather
being unseasonable. The seasons of the
year appear to have become mixed up
so that we get warmer than usual days
in winter and colder than usual days
in summer. To some extent, this has
always happened but it is becoming
the rule rather than the exception.
So for the next breeding season we
put down most of our pairs to breed in
mid-December. The contrast with the
previous year was marked. Rather than
being paired at the height of condition,
our Zebras were put together as they
22 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
You should not get over anxious, neither can you afford to be complacent.
The vast majority of Zebra finches get on well with their breeding partners
but, very occasionally, one attacks the other. So there is a need, be it ever so
slight, to keep an eye on the pairings until they have settled.
were coming towards that peak. This
time, the breeding pairs went about
their business steadily and sensibly.
Of course, there were a few pairs that
did not get off to a good start, but
their second round coincided with the
timing of last year’s first rounds, so
nothing was lost.
We were only able to make this
early start because our birdrooms
are draught and damp free – and
equipped with electric lighting and
heating. Electric lighting has become
an essential for most Zebra finch
breeders. With artificial lighting
available, those who have to go to
work in the daytime can carry out jobs,
such as feeding, in the evening, even
in the depths of winter.
Although you need to study your
birds carefully, and make adjustments
to get the best out of them, there are
breeding basics that remain fairly
constant though there is no need to get
too anxious just because the timing of
a particular phase of the breeding cycle
is not exactly to the book.For example,
we would expect the first egg to be laid
around seven days after pairing, but
it can be as soon as four days. In the
opposite direction, even a successfully
paired hen can take up to three weeks
before laying. If no egg appears by
that time, we may well come to the
conclusion that the birds concerned
need to be found new partners or given
a rest in the flights.
You should not get over anxious,
neither can you afford to be
complacent.The vast majority of Zebra
finches get on well with their breeding
partners but, very occasionally, one
attacks the other. So there is a need,
be it ever so slight, to keep an eye on
the pairings until they have settled.
Another area which is not an exact
science is the time between an egg
being laid and hatching. Although
the accepted time for the incubation
period of a Zebra finch egg is supposed
to be 14 days, there are exceptions.
Occasionally, one will hatch after
only 13 days and, if a hen does not
begin incubating from the first egg, it
can take a day or two longer. Do not
discard fertile eggs just because they
have not hatched when a book states
that they should have done.
BIRD SCENE 23
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FEATURE
We begin feeding slightly dampened
softfood to breeding pairs 14 days after
the first egg was laid – regardless of
hatching or non hatching – and then
continue on a daily basis. Softfood that
is too wet causes messy parents, chicks
and nestboxes and is more likely to
turn sour. We stopped feeding bread
and milk for this reason and now use
one of the good propriety softfoods
that are advertised in Cage and Aviary
Birds.
Because Zebra finch hens lay eggs
on successive days, you can usually
expect a chick to hatch every day
if the hen sat from the first egg. So
with a fair number of eggs in a clutch
it is possible to end up with quite
a range of chick sizes in the same
nestbox. If we feel there is a risk of
the youngest chick being squashed
or neglected we transfer that chick to
a nest that contains chicks nearer its
own size. Again do not be too anxious
or you will finish up with chicks
fostered all around the birdroom and –
although you can take the precaution
of moving the chick to a pair with
different coloured youngsters- too
much movement can make accurate
important record keeping more difficult
than it needs to be.
The other time we tend to foster
chicks is when there is only one in the
nest. Hens seem to feed better when
they have a few chicks demanding
food, whereas those with only one to
look after can become lazy. Anyone
who thinks that a single chick, that
gets all the attention, will develop
more quickly than one in a nest of
four has never bred Zebra finches. The
other advantage of taking a singleton
from the hen is that it lets her get back
to producing what will, hopefully, be a
full fertile clutch the next time around.
The main reason for the nestbox
inspections – which are carried out
every day once a chick has hatched – is
to check that chicks are being properly
fed. So we inspect boxes in the evening
rather than early in the day before
proper feeding has begun.
It is not easy to decide what to do
about a hen that appears not to be
feeding her chicks properly. If you
panic, you can finish up with more
chicks being fostered than are with
their own parents. In our experience,
just because a hen behaves like a poor
feeder with one nest of chicks, it does
not necessarily mean she will be the
same with her next brood. Sometimes
a hen neglects her duties because she
wants to start laying again.
Dirty nestboxes are not easy to
account for. The obvious reason would
seem to be diet – particularly the
softfood.However that does not begin
to explainwhy you can have adjoining
pairs, on the same diet, and one nest
is dirty and the other oneis clean. Even
BIRD SCENE 25
so we have found that cutting back
on the amount of softfood being given
to a pair with a dirty nest can often
overcome the problem.
Whatever the cause, nestboxes should
never be left dirty. They should be
cleaned or replaced. We overcome this
by using cardboard nestboxes replacing
as necessary.
Another area where what the book
says and what happens in reality can
be in conflict is the timing of close
ringing chicks – a must if you intend
to exhibit the Zebra finches that you
breed. Official rings can be obtained
from the Zebra Finch Society.
You may read that the Zebra finch
chicks should be ringed when they are
seven days old, but it is impossible
to be that precise and so the timing
should be taken only as a guide and
each chick should be judged on its own
merits. You can get variations between
the sizes of chicks of the same variety,
even in the same nest, but the greatest
variation in size occurs from variety to
variety.
You can expect Normals and Fawns to
develop most rapidly of all the varieties
and so they are usually ringed younger
than, say, Penguins and other nonstandards
which develop more slowly.
It may be tempting to ring a chick too
young, to make the job easier and to
ensure you do not miss ringing it. Too
often, this can result in the ring falling
off and being lost in the nestbox.
Once a complete nest of chicks has
26 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
been rung we discontinue nestbox
inspections. Unnecessary disturbance
can cause the chicks to leave the nest
before they are fully feathered. A chick
without many feathers, marooned on
a cage floor, can become chilled and, if
undetected for too long a period, can
die.
At this stage of the breeding cycle, a
second nest box can be very useful.It
can keep chicks warm, prevent them
from being ejected or feather plucked
by their parents – and permit the hen
to get on with laying the next clutch of
eggs without having chicks climbing all
over her. And so the cycle starts again.
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BIRD SCENE 27
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BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
BIRD SCENE 29
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BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
BIRD SCENE 41
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BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
BIRD SCENE 41
34 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
ISSUE ONE AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2011
THE KNOWLEDGE CENTRE FOR ALL PET BIRDS
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BIRD SCENE 35
ARTICLE BY: GREG SHAW
AND LEONIE SAAYMAN
36 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
MODERN AVIARY
DESIGN
Section A-A
The bird world that we have all
grown to love over the years is
such a strange place when it
comes to sharing knowledge. There are
countless internet web-sites offering
us much information about all sorts
of things, regarding breeding birds.
Then there are many publications
which also focus on the hobby of bird
husbandry. But every time we Google
or page through one of these, we ask
the question: “Why are we not sharing
our ideas on aviary design?” We are
fascinated that this subject seems to
always slip by with little attention
being paid to it. Older aviary designs
are never questioned, why, are we
too scared to deal with the reality
of confining birds that have evolved
wings to grace the sky, to a barred
cage?
We have searched the internet on
aviary design several times and still
come up with the same conclusion:
BIRD SCENE 37
We believe, not enough is written
about good, ethical housing of one’s
birds. A great shame really because
surely “as a man’s home is his castle”
an aviary is the same for the birds
who live in it? We should be building
the best castles we can afford, rather
than using old designs that seem to be
going up all the time, to house more
and more of our feathered friends.
After visiting many bird farms and
bird breeders around South Africa we
have some sort of an idea of what is
considered the trend in aviary design -
for the moment. We are sure that with
time, it will morph into something else
hopefully something that emphasizes
space more than what the current
trend seems to be. We all need to take
a step back and assess our bird’s needs
when it comes to aviaries and the
caged environment.
It seems to all be about housing
more and more different species,
who cares about how and where they
are housed? So we have decided
to not only write on the subject of
aviary design but also to include an
architectural plan to assist any of you
with the expensive and confusing task
of building a happy, healthy, ethical
environment for your birds.
Keeping birds is becoming a popular
hobby. In fact, the days of the single
African Grey in a parrot-cage is quickly
being replaced by rows of aviaries.
Aviaries can be beautiful and exciting
projects to plan. However, before
jumping into this huge commitment,
one should always do plenty of
38 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
research ahead of time. You can avoid
costly and time-consuming mistakes
by asking questions from other birdbreeders
that you respect.
There are two different types of
aviaries that most bird-breeders build,
the free standing full flight traditional
cages and the suspended aviary types.
The type of aviary that you choose
to build depends on your needs and
that of your birds. The climate where
you are going to keep the aviary is
the most important factor. If you live
in an extreme climate that gets very
hot or very cold, you may want to
consider an indoor aviary. Living in the
Western Cape, our rainy winters pose
a problem, so interior wind and rain
protected areas are crucial for success.
Mild climates can usually sustain an
unprotected outdoor aviary, but one
always has to put the welfare of the
birds first and rather over compensate
now, rather than later. There is nothing
worse than spending money on an
aviary that does not perform the
right function due to bad design. The
suspended types are very good for
ventilation and they also keep pests
and vermin from making a home in a
place where they are not welcome but
they also have their downfalls, like
BIRD SCENE 39
trying to catch the birds or trying to
clean the mesh bottoms. A minimum
of 25.4mm x 12.7mm (1inch x ½ inch)
with a diameter of 1.00mm (19 gauge)
should be used to facilitate cleaning
droppings from the cage bottoms -
most of the droppings fall through
instead of clinging to the wire.
We thought long and hard as to
what makes a good aviary design.
After many hours we came to the
conclusion that most of us have an “I
want, I want, I want” obsessive way
of approaching bird-breeding (or lets
call it what it is “crazy collecting.”)
We all want far too many types of bird
species and I think this is the reason
why good aviary design and costs of
proper husbandry go out the window -
We are prepared to pay large amounts
of money for the birds but skimp on
paying hard earned cash on solid, welldesigned,
beautiful aviaries.
We think the first bit of advice is to
keep focused and breed fewer species,
as hard as it may seem it will yield
more rewarding results as time goes
by. Remember the old adage:”Jack of
all trades, Master of none.” We think
this is the first difficult hurdle to get
over. So Master Jack, cut that bird
wish list in half, and halve it again,
if you want to succeed. If you are an
obsessive collector remember to not
spread yourself too thin - The birds
are the only ones who will suffer in
the end and will live miserable lives in
very sad, tiny, cruel spaces.
We have come up with a good
concept for an aviary design, we are
40 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
sure that with a little imagination you
could improve on it, but at least it is
a place to begin. It can be modified to
suit your individual needs and that of
the species of birds that you intend
keeping. We hope the drawings and
plans that we have drawn up will help
you to at least start putting pen to
paper and to attempt exploring what it
is you think you want.
Our perception of what an aviary is
constantly changes. The concept of an
aviary, with which most of us grew up
with, was that it was a place to keep
pretty and interesting birds in a mixed
collection. Most of us were young
so that was all that mattered at the
time. Our first aviaries were wooden
“Wendy-houses” with a chicken-wire
mesh cage attached to it. Our Dads
knocked them together over a weekend
behind the garage (as long as it was
“out of sight” our Mothers’ said) and
it served the purpose of keeping the
children entertained for hours, with
diamond doves, zebra finches and
Chinese quail. The birds bred and it
was a good stomping ground for all of
us to get a feel for the hobby. Much
time has passed from those good old
days and since then we have grown up,
we can see that the twists and turns
of aviary design have been subject
to the twists and turns of society’s
progress. The emergence of large
suburban areas has also been a factor
in changing the face of aviaries. Even
the law has become more “aware”
of our hobby. Health Inspections are
now a common requirement and most
councils require plans pertaining to
these “aviary” structures.
What is aviary design?
Design has to do with logic. All
good and well but suitability and
sustainability also play a major role.
Personal style of course, comes into it
BIRD SCENE 41
too, as well as the cost. So the design
process is a sequential step-by-step
reasoning of where the aviary is, what
birds you want to keep in it, and then
making these elements fit together
within the space available. This does
require some drafting ability - although
nothing arty - to get your idea on paper
and to scale.
Envisaging the aviary:
An aviary can be a huge bind if you
have a busy lifestyle but it can also be
a hugely restful and rewarding addition
to your routine. How well you design
your aviary will ensure that you get
the functioning aviary you want and
one you are capable of looking after.
We suggest that if you are starting
out, rather keep your design simple
and cost effective, and don’t bite off
more than you can chew. In time you
can always add on and expand your
ideas and dreams. Simple is always
best, grand designs always show their
flaws later down the line and can be a
nightmare to rectify.
Aviary design principles:
Understanding how the size and
shapes of the roosting area links
to the exercise flight is at the very
heart of aviary design. Proportion is
as important in aviary design an in
any other area of design. It ultimately
comes down to seeking balance
between the masses. Designing an
aviary, as opposed to just building
one gives you the power to control
the space that you have before you.
Drawings enable you to formulate,
express, as well as develop your sense
An aviary can be a huge bind
if you have a busy lifestyle but
it can also be a hugely restful
and rewarding addition to your
routine. How well you design your
aviary will ensure that you get the
functioning aviary you want and
one you are capable of looking
after. We suggest that if you are
starting out, rather keep your
design simple and cost effective,
and don’t bite off more than you
can chew. In time you can always
add on and expand your ideas and
dreams. Simple is always best…
42 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
of design, until finally the aviary is
built and then the exciting stuff can
happen. Now we know that many of
us are not artists but don’t let that put
you off, draw, dream, imagine and start
putting your ideas onto paper.
Enjoy this process as it is the time
where you can start ironing out all
the hurdles that will lie in your path.
We would encourage you to start with
what is called “quick visualizations.”
This method allows you to experiment
with plenty of design ideas. Lay a piece
of tracing paper over a photograph
of the area which you have picked
to build your aviary on. Use bold
outlines and draw a rough shape of
how you see the aviary fitting into the
landscape. We find this very helpful to
see whether the design will integrate
with the surroundings. Bird breeders
always seem to have an eye for an
athletically pleasing thing, so don’t
limit yourself. If you see trees and
shrubs being incorporated into the
aviary design then draw them in.
After sitting for some time with a
pencil and paper drawing out different
ideas you eventually end up liking one
design more than the rest and this is
the one you need to follow through with.
Aviary structural plan:
Once you have doodled until
your heart’s content, take your
visualizations and start turning them
BIRD SCENE 43
into a well measured out, buildable
plan. Technical drawing is simply
a matter of familiarity with the
equipment used, and confidence.
You will need a scale ruler with
1:100 and 1:50 measurements, HB
(medium) pencils, a softer 2B pencil for
sketching, a compass and an eraser.
We have chosen to use an example to
work through the process. It is a small
breeding setup for medium to small
sized parrots, consisting of a set of five
aviaries. From the site plan you will
see that it is built right towards the
back of the property. The logic behind
the position is noise, noise, noise.
Remember that many neighbours
don’t share the same passion for birds
so take the noise into consideration.
Another word of advice is to talk to
your neighbours about your plans and
get their approval in earlier rather
than later. Many bird-breeders have
had to sell a noisy pair of birds because
of neighbour problems. Investigate
this before you draw attention to your
aviary - Neighbours always have a
funny way of finding out what you are
up to so talk them through your plans,
show them pictures of the birds and
if they are a CITES species explain to
them how rare and endangered the
birds are. People usually like to support
something that has a conservation value.
44 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
From the site plan one can see that
the aviary is a brick/concrete block
building, clad in dry packed stone
(from site). It has a timber roof which
has been waterproofed with derbygum
(bitumen on 21mm exterior ply on
38mm x 150mm rafters at 400cts).
The projected flights are suspended
out of the water proofed and windtight
enclosure and rest on stone
plinths.
From the floor plan one can see
that the entrance door (solid wood -
standard off the shelf maranti door
painted with dark green waterproof
roof-paint - door and paint is available
at most hardware stores), opens into
an access corridor (one metre wide -
Just wide enough - don’t try anything
smaller as it will become an issue
once you need space to move around
in). For even more protection a mesh
hind door can be attached to the same
frame and the wooden door placed
on a spring door closer (in order to
automatically close once one is in the
access passage).
Each interior cage area is 1.5 metres
square and is full height, from floor to
ceiling. We chose full height to allow
easy access for catching and inspecting
the birds, it also makes life easier
BIRD SCENE 45
when the vet comes and visits. Both
the nest boxes and the feeding stations
are attached to the interior frame, thus
allowing easy food and water changes
as well as nest inspections, allowing
the bird-breeder safe access to these
from the corridor.
We always hear bird-breeders go on
and on about conventional versus
suspended aviaries? Choices, choices?
It seems that over the years suspended
aviaries have gained more and more
popularity. In South Africa some bird
farms have rows upon rows of
suspended aviaries. They are
considered to be more hygienic - Well,
everyone has an opinion on hygiene.
However, on careful inspection it
became clear to us that this is only
true if the ground beneath the
Each interior cage area is 1.5
metres square and is full height,
from floor to ceiling. We chose
full height to allow easy access for
catching and inspecting the birds,
it also makes life easier when the
vet comes and visits. Both the nest
boxes and the feeding stations are
attached to the interior frame…
suspended aviary is still cleaned once
in a while (rather more often than less
often). We have seen many suspended
aviaries that have piles of guano,
husks, feathers and mould littered
below them and for us it just comes
down to plain laziness - A breeding
ground for bacteria, virus, and disease.
Birds require work and be it suspended
or conventional aviaries - you still need
to clean up after your birds. So this
combination of both an interior full
height roosting, feeding, nesting area
with an exercise suspended flight
attached to it, seems to offer the best
of both worlds. The interior section
does need cleaning often, but nothing
that a hose and disinfectant can’t
handle. As long as one has good
drainage, the chore takes a few minutes.
If you look carefully at the plan you
will see that the aviary block consists
of five enclosures that will house the
same species of bird. Again we want to
re-iterate our obsessivness - Don’t let
it win it will only be a stumbling block.
46 BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
Rather focus on fewer species and
build up unrelated breeding stock and
you won’t look back. It also means that
you can pair up unrelated babies and
sell them off as unrelated pairs; also,
no need for swopping babies or trying
to find mates for them from other
breeders.
The suspended cages have frames
made with 50mmx50mm galvanized
square steel tubing, the galvanized mesh
should be an appropriate size for the
species you wish to house in the aviaries,
it has been stretched around the frames
and tied with stainless steel wire. Pop
rivets were used to connect the mesh
to the frames on the interior walls.
A solid concrete floor was cast and
screed with a 10mm fall towards the
drains and weep holes. Do not forget
drainage, stagnant water is difficult
to remove without a good drainage
system. The entire ceiling is covered
with mesh so that the birds cannot
access any part of the wooden beams
that hold the roof up.
Once the building was complete it
was clad in dry packed sand stone that
was chopped on site (in order to allow
the aviary to blend into its natural
surroundings). Several large trees were
brought in to plant between and in
front of the suspended cages. We chose
indigenous species like Figus Nataliensis,
Podocarpos falcatus and the protected
Milk-woods, trees that would handle
the environment and weather.
Indigenous shrubs and bushes along
with fruiting trees with vegetables
planted below and around the whole
aviary. Great treats for the birds when
the fruit and berries are in season.
Remember a sink and hot and cold
water would also be a good addition
to the access corridor, as well as a
prepping area for food - If this is
where you plan to prepare your bird’s
smorgas-board from. We opted to keep
this away from the aviaries due to it
being an attraction for vermin. Food
should always be stored well away
from access by rats and mice. Lighting
BIRD SCENE 47
FEATURE
is also important and one should try to
install full spectrum lights.
The most important thing to
remember is what the birds will think
of their “castle,” after all they are the
ones who are going to have to live in
it (so they need to be as happy as we
can make them). If you truly love your
feathered friends build them a home
that is spacious, safe and most of all
takes their interests to heart. Richard
Lovelace wrote a poem in the sixteen
hundreds that began with the words:
“Stone walls do not a prison make, nor
iron bars a cage,” I bet our birds would
beg to disagree don’t you think?
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direct debit payments
• Special Discount for Parrot Society
members: Quote reference PS1
and your membership number to
get your first month FREE!
The first name in exotic animal insurance
For a no obligation quote or further information call us now:
or visit our web site at
0800 626012
www.exoticdirect.co.uk
ExoticDirect is a trading style of Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Ltd. Brooks Braithwaite (Sussex) Ltd is
authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA)
48 BIRD SCENE
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£ALL TYPES
OF PARROTS,
COCKATOOS,
MACAWS AND
PARAKEETS
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ALSO
BUDGIES, CANARIES,
FINCHES, COCKATIELS
LOVEBIRDS, SOFTBILLS, GMR’S,
TOUCANS & MYNAH BIRDS
ALSO ANY TYPES OF EXOTICS,
MONKEYS ETC
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PLEASE CALL RON ON 0161 273 5447.
IF EX DIRECTORY DIAL 1470 FIRST.
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WE ARE HERE
£
MANCHESTER PETS
AND AQUATICS,
66 STOCKPORT
ROAD, ARDWICK,
MANCHESTER
M12 6AL
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PARROT SOCIETY MAGAZINE: 33
supplying everything for
birds and their keepers
ARDAP
Insecticide for use against
flying and crawling insects
EFFECTIVE FOR UP TO 6 WEEKS
ON FLYING AND CRAWLING
INSECTS SUCH AS
Flies, ants, wasps, fleas, ticks, lice,
mites, beetles, moths, green and
black fly, silverfish, cockroaches,
spiders, woodlice and earwigs.
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
£5.99 per 200ml spray
£12.95 per 750ml spray
ARDAP OFFER
ARDAP OFFER
Add Ardap 750ml to any order
between 1-30kg where carriage
is normally £6.95 and we’ll take
£3OFF
the normal carriage price
NEW FOR 2011
ROB HARVEY PRODUCT CATALOGUE
SPECIAL
OFFER
SAVE ON P&P
WHEN
ORDERING
ON-LINE*
*Order on-line and receive £1 off
P&P on orders between 1-30kg
where carriage is normally £6.95.
Rob Harvey has been
producing species-specific
food and selling equipment
for all types of birds and
bird-keeping for years. His
new catalogue features not
only the best diets for birds,
but the latest innovations,
special offers and advice on
how to make Rob Harvey
Specialist Feeds work for you.
To see our full range of products and accessories go
to our website at: www.robharvey.com
P&P £6.95 up to 30kg (to most UK postcodes) unless included in price. Open for collection from 9am ’til 5pm Monday to Friday
Rob Harvey Specialist Feeds, Kookaburra House, Gravel Hill Road, Holt Pound, Farnham, Surrey GU10 4LG
Tel: 01420 23986 Fax: 01420 520722 e-mail: rob@robharvey.com
We are mail order specialists
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