Why Bengalese Finches Are the Best Pets for You

For people in the USA, the name Bengalese finches may sound a bit strange, but it shouldn't make any confusion because it is a synonym for society finches. Unlike other types of finches, they cannot be found in nature. Are you wondering why? Probably a thought passed through your mind that they are totally extinct in their habitats; however things didn't go that way. These birds, that we know now, never lived in wild. They are considered as domesticated form of the white-rumped munia, although some ornithologists assume that the striated finch had also important role in the process of creating the finch of Bengalese type. They are believed to be a successful product of sturdy efforts of passionate breeders in Japan and China, more than three centuries ago.

Bengalese species of finch doesn't belong to the so-called true finches, but to the munias, that are members of Estrilididae family. These birds are among the most suitable pets and there are many reasons why beginners are very satisfied with keeping them.

They are very sociable and friendly creatures that show interest for interaction with other birds, no matter if they are of the same type or not. I have tried to mix six society finches with a pair of parakeets in a little home aviary for more than two mounts. I was very pleased to observe the development of friendly relationships in their little world. They accepted the parakeets shortly after I introduced them, and they all behaved like there is no difference between them at all. They ate the same food, played with the same toys, swung on the same swings. When I finally removed the parakeets, all six finches looked disappointed the whole day, and it was obvious that they miss their friends.

Finches of Bengalese type are not very noisy, they produce very pleasant soft songs and their chirping is joyful and meek. The singing is most interesting when the male is starting to show mating behavior to the female. If you separate them visually, the male and the female would make a sound contact: the female's answer would be longer than the males' one.

Society finches are wonderful parents and they are widely considered as one of the most reliable pet birds for breeding. They are very devoted parents, taking the best care for the little chicks. I will mention that they are excellent foster parents, which means they would accept eggs and chicks from other birds and rear them like their own offspring. It happens when some other species of finches mate prematurely and they are confused without knowing what to do exactly, so they abandon their eggs or even chicks. Finches of Bengalese type would be the best replacement for those unprepared parents.

These cute birds are usually ready to hybridize with many other species of finches. It is especially easy to mate Bengalese with other munias, and some of that crosses are only virtual hybrids due to their fertility. Society finches are ready to hybridize with finches that are not their close relatives, and hybrids from mating with zebra finches are very interesting.

I should mention that they are very hardy creatures, but if their diet is improper or their cages are dirty and exposed to draft, many diseases may occur. And see now, here is the key: you only need to exclude those negative possibilities and the risk of diseases would be minimized. Here I superficially mentioned some basic and interesting information about these little birds. I'm sure you are interested to find much more.

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Insuring Pet Birds' Health - 5 Best Gifts To Give Your Bird

Pet birds count on their owners to provide a happy and healthy life. Here are 5 essential things your bird needs in order to live a good life.

Clean Water---After visiting a pet shop recently and seeing 20 birds in a cage with no water, it's at the top of my essentials list. There were 10 beautiful blue and yellow parakeets in a cage that was way too small (we'll get to that in a minute) and no signs of water. I am still haunted by that.

Your bird should have access to fresh clean water all the time. This is an easy way to help maintain health, and increase your bird's life span. Imagine being thirsty and not knowing if or when you'll ever be given water. Providing fresh water means your bird never, ever has to go thirsty.

Properly Sized Cage---Your pet should have a cage that is big enough for it to fully expand its wings and tall enough for it to fly. This keeps their wings healthy and your bird emotionally happy.

The cage size will vary according to the type and number of birds. Asking the breeder or your veterinarian about the best cage for your bird will allow you to buy once and buy right. It will also insure that your bird is happy where it lives.

Healthy Diet---Your bird should be given a variety of sprouting seeds which offer the most nutrition. Also include fresh veggies and fruits (organic if possible), and an occasionally treat or two. Your bird's thoughts about your selections will be very obvious. And since birds, like us, eat with their eyes too, making the food visually interesting and colorful will keep them engaged at meal time.

There are of course some foods that you should stay away from such as chocolate, caffeine, foods high in salt and sugar, macadamia nuts, avocado, and alcohol. Use your veterinarian as a sounding board for questions about dietary needs your specific individual avian friend may have.

Freedom To Fly---It is really important to allow your bird daily time outside of the cage. This gives them their much needed freedom to literally stretch their wings and fly. This time out insure both physical and emotional well-being.

The space where this happens needs to be safe from chandeliers, cords, mirrors, water (such as toilet bowls), hot pots and pans, windows, doors that lead to outside, and other pets that may cause harm. Children and birds should be mixed slowly and gently. This will keep every one safe.

Clean Air---One of the biggest health hazards for these pets is polluted air. Their airways are small that it doesn't take much to cause them to become blocked. Clogged air passages are often the start to disease and infection.

Since instinct causes them to hide symptoms of illness, they usually don't symptoms until the condition has progressed to a point where it often cannot be reversed.

Using a high efficiency particle arresting (HEPA) filter to continually clear the air of bird-related particles as well as more normal household irritants can increase your bird's quality and longevity of life. Clean air can also increase your longevity as well.

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Facts on Homemade Hummingbird Food

The most satisfying and amazing thing to see in our back yard is the hummingbird. The way they speed around, hover and then dart away have always fascinated people. The iridescent brilliant colors flashing around the yard is a thing to see.

The best way to attract these fascinating creatures is to put up some hummingbird feeders.

You can buy the nectar to put in these hummingbird feeders or you can make your own homemade hummingbird food. There are a lot of recipes and you may be confused on which is best to use. Here are some facts you should consider.

Never use artificial sweeteners Never use food coloring Never use honey or brown sugar

All these are not good for the hummingbird. They are toxic to the hummingbird and lack the nutrients that they need. Unrefined sugar may have minerals and high content of iron that is hard for the hummingbirds to digest.

Here is a simple recipe that will not harm the hummingbirds and this recipe resembles the nectar that flowers produce. One (1) part refined white granulated sugar and four (4) parts water. Boil the refined sugar with the water until all the sugar is dissolved. This formula can last 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Regular refined sugar is better to use then raw sugar that is unrefined. Because white refined sugar is pure sucrose that is commonly found in the nectar of flowers. With refined sugar all the impurities and contaminates are removed. Hummingbirds supplement their diet of proteins by eating small bugs and insects.

Most people think that once they hang their hummingbird feeders up, that their job is done. Well think again. Make sure that you maintain and clean out your feeders. Having a mixture of water and sugar in hot weather will quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria. So it's a good idea that you should sterilize the hummingbird feeders every 2 to 3 days with a fresh supply of nectar. All you need to do is boil the feeders like you would do when you boil baby bottles before reusing them.

With these simple safety steps you can be sure to have the hummingbirds come and visit your backyard year after year. For when they know where to find food they will always come back for more. Hummingbirds are migratory birds and they will migrate in the summer time every year coming as far away as the Amazon in South America.

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It's For The Birds - A Backyard Guide

To attract and maintain a bird population in your own back yard you must provide food, water, and shelter. Without these three items, a bird has no reason to hang around your garden. Food is what will initially attract your feathered friends, so let us look at what you need in your own personal oasis to feed the birds.

There are many different types of bird feeders and bird seed choices from which to choose. Not all birds will eat out of the same type of feeder or eat the same sort of seeds. Before you begin your bird feeding experience you need to learn what types of birds live in your area and what birds you want to attract. You can probably obtain this information by asking knowledgeable neighbors, parks and recreation staff, or just using a good reference book.

Ground-feeding birds will appreciate platform or table feeders. This sort of feeder is the easiest to maintain. They are simply a raised platform with a lip around the edge. They sit about a foot off the ground, and the raised lip keeps birds from pushing food off the table. Table feeders will draw a large variety of birds to your yard. One drawback for this feeder is that there can be a lot of wasted seed, and large, bossy birds might push out the small ones.

Tube feeders are the best type of feeders for smaller birds. The tube feeder is a hollow tube, filled with bird seed. They have openings at the bottom edge for dispensing seed. This feeder also has small perches on which the feeding birds roost. Tube feeders waste a lot less seed than table feeders, plus they are easier to make squirrel-proof.

A hopper feeder holds a large quantity of seed and is the universal type of bird feeder. A hopper feeder has a bottom platform, supporting walls, and a roof. The roof is usually removable to allow refilling with seed. A hopper feeder is generally not weatherproof and should be checked every few days to ensure the seed is not rancid or moldy.

Suet feeders are an entirely different type of bird feeder than what we have already discussed. A suet feeder is a wire or mesh cage with a door on one end. Blocks of fat, or suet, often containing bird seed, are enclosed in the feeder, which is hung from a tree or pole. During winter and times of food scarcity, a suet feeder will help supply needy birds with energy.

Hummingbird feeders are in a class by themselves. Hummingbirds are fascinating little garden visitors that require a lot of food. Their diet consists of nectar, sap, and small insects. A simple hummingbird feeder is a plastic bottle with a feeding opening. Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, so the feeder should incorporate a nice, bright red. The feeder bottle is filled with commercial hummingbird nectar or a homemade sugar syrup. One caveat concerning these feeders is that the syrup or nectar will quickly spoil, and should be changed frequently.

Once you have chosen the type or types of feeders you want, and have filled and placed them, the fun should soon begin. The neighborhood birds will discover there is a new source of food at hand and will make themselves at home right in your own back yard.

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Choosing Parrots As Pets

Most of the people believe that buying and having parrots as pets is a lifelong commitment. It is quite similar to bringing home a new-born baby who needs a lot of attention and care from almost every member of the house. And so, the owners need to attend to the parrot just like they would attend a new member of their family. Since most of the parrots have long lifespan, having them as pets is not easy. Moreover, understanding parrot behavior is quite difficult. Choosing your pet parrot from a whole lot of their species is another big task to be accomplished. However, it is believed that cockatoos, conures, lovebirds, parrotlets, cockatiels and budgies prove to be excellent as pets. The other options may also be the large birds such as the Amazons, the African grays and the macaws.

When choosing your pet parrot, you should thus, consider certain aspects. The first one would be keeping the members and the atmosphere of your house in mind. If you have children at home, buying big parrots such as the African grays, the macaws and the Amazons would not be advisable since these birds may prove to be harmful to the little ones. You must also remember that you must not buy a parrot if you have other pets at home that may harm your parrot. The second aspect would be considering the surroundings of your house, especially your neighbors. Birds which make a lot of noise and which are too loud, such as the cockatoos, the Amazons, the macaws and the African grays may disturb your neighbors. Thus, in this aspect, birds with little ability to scream such as the lovebirds, the budgies and the parrotlets must be considered. However, these large and loud birds may prove to be much more intelligent and entertaining than the others. They may also have better abilities to mimic, learn what they are taught and replicate it in their speech and behavior.

Nevertheless, parrots are quite sensitive birds that need to be maintained properly. Hence, if you are thinking of buying one, you must always consider learning a few tips so that you are able to maintain their good health. You must also learn the art of training parrots because even parrot training is not an easy task. However, once you buy a parrot, you will realize that it was the best decision that you ever made. Thus, parrots as pets prove to be very impressive, wonderful and affectionate.

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How To Buy Top Quality Pheasants and Quail

The first thing that somebody new to the hobby of raising game birds often asks me is this: Where can I find pheasants and quail available for sale? Here are some pointers that will prove useful in your search to buy quality birds, whether they are pheasants, quail, partridges, or even waterfowl.

1-Join an area Club

My local organization, referred to as Utah Pheasant Society, is a group of hobbyists who get together to talk about their experiences raising game birds. They do this through monthly meetings, a yearly auction, a Christmas party, along with a show. If I hadn't had the opportunity to participate in the club before I started raising birds, I wouldn't have experienced nearly the success I did. In fact, I probably wouldn't have had any success at all.

Not merely is a local club a good place to meet breeders that you can buy your birds from, they are indispensable when it comes to understanding the particulars of the hobby. The aim of these clubs is to share information, so don't before afraid to ask as many questions as possible. A lot of clubs have monthly newsletters too, loaded with useful information for the beginner and expert alike.

2-Join a National Club

I would recommend a membership to the American Pheasant and Waterfowl Society (APWS). They have an excellent newsletter that is sent nine times each year, with articles and classified ads. Furthermore, they compile a breeders list of all members and the birds that they own. This is the perfect resource for finding quality breeders of all types of fowl.

3-Make Contacts

If you join any of the local or national clubs, you are sure to make new friends who raise birds. Many of these breeders don't advertise, so be sure to ask around. Some of the greatest birds I own I would never have found if I didn't build relationships with people in the hobby.

4-Ask for References

Always look for references from a few past customers before buying birds from anyone. Bigger companies depend on their reputations for success and will not hesitate to provide you with a thorough list of satisfied customers. Smaller breeders will also be happy to give you a few names of their past customers. If they don't, that's a red flag to head someplace else.

5-See Prior to Buying

If possible, see the birds before you purchase them. If you're buying birds from across the country, ask for pictures. Large companies might not be able to do this, but small-scale breeders will be able to accommodate your request.

Another component of "See Before You Buy" is to find out the quality of the facilities where the birds are kept. A good breeder often have certain areas that are off-limits to avoid disease transmission, but request a tour. Most are often more than happy to oblige. I get a kick out of flaunting my birds to any person who asks!

If you follow the five tips given above, I can promise that your experience with raising game birds is going to be successful and enjoyable. Should you have questions, please see http://www.pheasantsandquailforsale.com and blast me an e-mail. I wish you the best of success!

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