Category: The Wonky Flock
Category Archives: The Wonky Flock
Zebra Finch Enrichment
Birds still don’t get as much enrichment as they need to have, this is largely due to the fact that many owners don’t think they need their lives enriching. However there is a group of Birds that even enrichment providers overlook, the tiny Birds eg. Finches & Canaries. In this article I will cover Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata) as they are the only Finch species I can find in a scientific study of enrichment & its benefits. We are only just starting to give avian species the recognition they deserve when it comes to intelligence, but we only think of pet psittacine species when we think of giving enrichment.
Zebra Finches are sensitive, social & remarkable little Birds who are intelligent & interactive, just in a different way to their parrot counterparts. They too live in extremely complex social groups & often mate for life. Being smaller in size means their chicks can lose heat quicker, this something that Zebra Finches instinctively know. A 2016 study showed that mothers communicated to their eggs, a term known as embryonic communication, & their calls made their chicks smaller in size compared to chicks who didn’t hear this particular call. When kept in hot conditions the smaller chicks went on to produce more fledgelings in the first breeding season than the larger chicks that didn’t get exposed to the call. This is thought to be a tool to overcome changing climates & is the first time scientists have found any animal using sound to affect the growth, development, behavior & reproductive success of their offspring.
When you look at the scientific information we have on Zebra Finches there is no doubt that they are intelligent, live in a complex social structure & benefit from environmental enrichment. But how can we prove that such a tiny Bird has such great benefits from an enriching environment? In February 1995, animal welfare volume 4 published a study by a team of scientists that was titled ‘Zebra Finch behaviour and effects of modest enrichment of standard cages’. The aim of the study was to find out if modest environmental enrichment would change the behaviour displayed by Zebra Finches in cages. They compared 4 plywood box cages of 2 different lengths, one big & small for the barren environment typical of many pet Zebra Finches, & one big & small for the enriched environment.
The Zebra Finch behaviour was observed closely for one hour a day for a period of four weeks. The results of the study found that locomotive activity, vocalization & singing were all increased in the enriched environments compared to the barren environments. The biggest change of all occured in the big enrichment cage, where flight was significantly increased too. This study proved just how effective enrichment can be in the daily life of Zebra Finches & how it increases the range of natural behaviours they exhibit. Many may hold the view that Zebra Finches don’t need enrichment & they are not an intelligent species, but scientific evidence completely disproves that view. It is vital that we listen to the information we are fortunate to have access to, that we move away from an outdated mindset. Please choose enrichment today.
An Introduction to The Wonky Flock
Every Bird owner wants to feed their Bird right, they want to give the best environment they can to allow every Bird to thrive. But in my flock that looks a little different, the wonderful Birds who share my home all have some kind of difference or additional need which means their diet & enrichment programs are of paramount importance. I put extra focus on foraging & nutrition because many of my angels are in the unfortunate situations they have found themselves in because of a lack of these essential elements in their life. To start our journey together I thought it would be nice to cover the story of my LoveBird Junior, who is sadly no longer here due to old age. Junior was abandonned at a local pet shop because he had plucked all his feathers out after his mate passed away.
He had been left to pluck for years with no help until his owner decided Junior was too much effort, he was abandonned after 10 years without a second thought, or even a name. When we got him home I remember looking at his little face, eyes shut & giving up. I remember my eyes scanning his skinny bare tummy as his wrinkled skin shivered. Junior was my first full plucker & I felt so out of my depth. I remember learning as I went along, I just knew I had to help him & put things right. When he received love, attention & toys he started to allow his feathers to pin, but would still pull them out before they emerged in all of their beauty to bless his perfect little tummy.
Then I made the choice that transformed his life forever, it was time to look out for a mate. Within weeks of Magic arriving he had feathers covering his whole body! What is even more incredible is that he never plucked again. The combination of enrichment, love, nutrition & same species interaction turned around his pain. He would never forget his past but that combination healed his pain, after 10 years of suffering he had 2 years of happiness with me. He found peace. Watching him transform before my eyes was beyond inspiring, it changed something inside me forever. Seeing the good that could come of correct food & enrichment instilled a passion in my soul that remains just as strong today. Since then I have offered a home to many pluckers, but also Birds with disabilities, illnesses, psychological issues due to previous neglect & behaviour challenges. They are all so different, but one thing each of my precious babies have in common is how much they blossom with love. I hope to be able to share some of the wonderful times I have with my amazing flock, as well as some of the things I have learned from them over the years.
Zebra Finch Enrichment
Birds still don’t get as much enrichment as they need to have, this is largely due to the fact that many owners don’t think they need their lives enriching. However there is a group of Birds that even enrichment providers overlook, the tiny Birds eg. Finches & Canaries. In this article I will cover Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata) as they are the only Finch species I can find in a scientific study of enrichment & its benefits. We are only just starting to give avian species the recognition they deserve when it comes to intelligence, but we only think of pet psittacine species when we think of giving enrichment.
Zebra Finches are sensitive, social & remarkable little Birds who are intelligent & interactive, just in a different way to their parrot counterparts. They too live in extremely complex social groups & often mate for life. Being smaller in size means their chicks can lose heat quicker, this something that Zebra Finches instinctively know. A 2016 study showed that mothers communicated to their eggs, a term known as embryonic communication, & their calls made their chicks smaller in size compared to chicks who didn’t hear this particular call. When kept in hot conditions the smaller chicks went on to produce more fledgelings in the first breeding season than the larger chicks that didn’t get exposed to the call. This is thought to be a tool to overcome changing climates & is the first time scientists have found any animal using sound to affect the growth, development, behavior & reproductive success of their offspring.
When you look at the scientific information we have on Zebra Finches there is no doubt that they are intelligent, live in a complex social structure & benefit from environmental enrichment. But how can we prove that such a tiny Bird has such great benefits from an enriching environment? In February 1995, animal welfare volume 4 published a study by a team of scientists that was titled ‘Zebra Finch behaviour and effects of modest enrichment of standard cages’. The aim of the study was to find out if modest environmental enrichment would change the behaviour displayed by Zebra Finches in cages. They compared 4 plywood box cages of 2 different lengths, one big & small for the barren environment typical of many pet Zebra Finches, & one big & small for the enriched environment.
The Zebra Finch behaviour was observed closely for one hour a day for a period of four weeks. The results of the study found that locomotive activity, vocalization & singing were all increased in the enriched environments compared to the barren environments. The biggest change of all occured in the big enrichment cage, where flight was significantly increased too. This study proved just how effective enrichment can be in the daily life of Zebra Finches & how it increases the range of natural behaviours they exhibit. Many may hold the view that Zebra Finches don’t need enrichment & they are not an intelligent species, but scientific evidence completely disproves that view. It is vital that we listen to the information we are fortunate to have access to, that we move away from an outdated mindset. Please choose enrichment today.
Blind Psittacine Sensory Enrichment
In this article we will cover the sensory enrichment of blind psittacine Birds (Parrots & Parakeets). I have been blessed to have many blind & visually impaired Birds in my care over the years & hope to be able to care for many more in the future. What is heartbreaking about blind Birds is not the fact they are blind, but the fact that people so quickly write them off. The blind Bird who has been most receptive to sensory enrichment was a 30 year old Meyers Parrot who was blind due to cateracts & also suffered from severe arthritis, his family were going to put him to sleep when they discovered he was blind, but thankfully we were able to take him on.
Parrot & Parakeet owners are becoming more aware of enrichment, which is an essential element of their care, the internet is a remarkable resource for owners to learn about enrichment & share tips. Sadly disabled Birds, especially those with visual issues, are often left out of that conversation. So, in honour of the blind Birds I love, lets hear their voices. Determining a sensory enrichment program that suits the individual needs & personalities of each individual Bird can take time, but never give up. Sadly I can’t give a 1 size fits all approach, but hopefully by covering some of my methods I will give you some ideas which can act as building blocks for your own plan.
Tip 1: Asess levels of eyesight- A Bird with visual issues may have some subtle forms of eyesight. Whilst it isn’t enough to allow them to live in an un-adapted environment, it may be enough to play a role in sensory enrichment. An avian vet will be able to assist you with testing levels of eyesight safely if you are not experienced. Some Birds are completely blind, others can’t see even really close objects but they may be able to see certain types of light or shadow. I have a Cockatiel who can only see certain coloured lights, so a dear friend donated a fibre optic colour changing lamp that we used for her supervised light therapy, she loved every moment of it! I also have an elderly blind Cockatiel who has been unresponsive to any kind of light, but just today we discovered he can see bubbles! He screamed with joy once he realised they were not a threat. It is always worth trying to find any limited sight as you can use it for such good.
Tip 2: Auditory input- Giving auditory stimulation to blind Birds is something that must be taken really slowly, new sounds can be very confusing & overwhelming when you can’t see, some Birds may never enjoy it. Enrichment must be enjoyable, so sounds should be kept at a reasonable volume, quiet subtle sounds are best. Peaceful music is a good starting point, anything for meditation, relaxation etc is the perfect style for a blind Bird to enjoy. Introduction of small toy balls with bells inside them are great for a sensory session. My first blind Cockatiel learned to play catch with a ball that had a bell inside, the Meyers mentioned earlier loved something called ‘reach out therapy’. This consited or ringing a jingling ball & encouraging him to reach out & grab it, this activity transformed his co-ordination & helped him locate in his environment with extreme accuracy, when previously he wouldn’t move around.
Tip 3: Tactile enrichment- Blind Birds tend to go a lot by feel, tactile enrichment can really boost their confidence as well as adding a therapeutic presence to their day. For this you need to find Bird safe items of varying textures, the items can go down on a surface for them to stand on, they can be laid around a surface to be touched during a supervised session or gently stroked against the cheek of a more confident & tame Bird. Food can also be used as a form of tactile enrichment if they will eat from a spoon, this also adds taste into the mix which gives another layer of sensory enrichment. Make sure it is all Bird safe & rich in a variety of nutrients that will support good health, feeding junk is counter productive when we are trying to make them healthy! Things such as pureed safe fruit & veg or Harrion’s mash or juvenile food mixed into a paste give a wonderful texture. You can also mix it up a bit & have some smooth, then with others add whole Harrison’s pellets, sprouted seeds or sweet corn to the smooth mixture for added texture & nutrition.
There is no end to the possibilities of enrichment programs for blind Birds, just take it slowly & be safe. If you are unsure of anything, always check with a vet or behaviourist before you try it out. When a Bird is blind they need to be taught how to navigate their world through their remaining senses, especially touch. Blind Birds can & do have a wonderful quality of life if you are prepared to give them a quality of life. We don’t kill a human when they become blind, we simply teach them how to adapt & offer the accomodations they need to thrive in the world around them. With Birds it should be no different. You have the potential to give them the wonderful life they deserve. Never give up on their right to enrichment. Have fun & always remember, love is felt, not seen.
The Wonky Flock – An Introduction
Every Bird owner wants to feed their Bird right, they want to give the best environment they can to allow every Bird to thrive. But in my flock that looks a little different, the wonderful Birds who share my home all have some kind of difference or additional need which means their diet & enrichment programs are of paramount importance. I put extra focus on foraging & nutrition because many of my angels are in the unfortunate situations, they have found themselves in because of a lack of these essential elements in their life. To start our journey together I thought it would be nice to cover the story of my Love Bird Junior, who is sadly no longer here due to old age. Junior was abandoned at a local pet shop because he had plucked all his feathers out after his mate passed away.
He had been left to pluck for years with no help until his owner decided Junior was too much effort, he was abandoned after 10 years without a second thought, or even a name. When we got him home, I remember looking at his little face, eyes shut & giving up. I remember my eyes scanning his skinny bare tummy as his wrinkled skin shivered. Junior was my first full plucker & I felt so out of my depth. I remember learning as I went along, I just knew I had to help him & put things right. When he received love, attention & toys he started to allow his feathers to pin but would still pull them out before they emerged in all of their beauty to bless his perfect little tummy .
Then I made the choice that transformed his life forever, it was time to look out for a mate. Within weeks of Magic arriving he had feathers covering his whole body! What is even more incredible is that he never plucked again. The combination of enrichment, love, nutrition & same species interaction turned around his pain. He would never forget his past but that combination healed his pain, after 10 years of suffering he had 2 years of happiness with me. He found peace. Watching him transform before my eyes was beyond inspiring, it changed something inside me forever. Seeing the good that could come of correct food & enrichment instilled a passion in my soul that remains just as strong today. Since then I have offered a home to many pluckers, but also Birds with disabilities, illnesses, psychological issues due to previous neglect & behaviour challenges. They are all so different, but one thing each of my precious babies have in common is how much they blossom with love. I hope to be able to share some of the wonderful times I have with my amazing flock, as well as some of the things I have learned from them over the years.
Ten Things Zebra Finches Want You to Know
Tiny Birds such as Canaries, Java sparrows, diamond doves, Bengalese Finches & Gouldian Finches etc are the most overlooked Birds of all. They too need things in order to thrive, they need enrichment, a name & deserve the best care, sadly they often need rescuing too. However they never get the chance to thrive as people focus on the big Parrots, people don’t give the tiny Birds the credit they so truly deserve. Although this is 10 things Zebra Finches want you to know, it really goes for all the overlooked little guys, whatever breed.
1. WE ARE NOT EASY TO CARE FOR- Although many people believe that Zebra Finches are low maintenance, cheap & easy to care for, this is not true of any Bird who is cared for properly. A Bird getting the attention, care & environment they best need to thrive is not a cheap Bird who is quick to attend to.
2. WE NEED ENRICHMENT!- People are finally starting to realise how essential it is to provide enrichment for their Parrots, but Zebra Finches are forgotten, often being left out of the enrichment conversation altogether. Whilst their enrichment needs are different to those in the psittacine family, it should still be a big part of their lives. The provision of fresh seeding grasses & dandelion hung in the enclosure is a wonderful starting point, but the more you get used to providing a foraging experience the more you can experiment with new & beneficial ideas.
3. WE NEED A VARIED DIET- Just like any other pet Bird, Zebra Finches deserve a varied diet free of junk food & rich in Bird safe Organic fresh foods. Seed mix only diets are not rich enough in nutrition for any Bird, enrich their diet with fresh Organic seed sprouts, occasional leafy greens & mealworm to name only a tiny number of safe foods that can be part of their diet. Seed mix with access to oyster shell & a cuttlebone just is not good enough, we can do so much better for our precious angels.
4. WE NEED A SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT- Zebra Finches need a living environment that enriches & stimulates their active minds at the same time as keeping their tiny little feet & quick bodies safe & healthy. A wide variety of natural wood perches of different widths, Bird safe live plants, different safe substrates & a variety of unique nesting options (even if not breeding) should be available to them. The larger the enclosure the better providing bar spacing or wire size is not too large. Whilst it is fantastic to have a plentiful supply of enriching things in their enclosure, ensure that they still have plenty of room to fly & jump along the floor (please please don’t use grills or mesh to prevent them accessing the floor!)
5. WE NEED CONSPECIFICS!- Never keep them on their own, to avoid fighting ensure you are not overcrowding the enclosure & have a good balance of cocks to hens. These Birds live in huge flocks in the wild & even though captive ‘born’ they still need that kind of flock environment. Even if they are only pair housed, that is better than a life of social isolation.
6.WE NEED TO BATHE!- Enough of the deprivation of bathing! Zebra Finches are one of the cleanest types of Bird I know, they love a huge splashy bath in fresh clean filtered water every morning & at least one more later in the day. In the UK Finches are commonly kept in wooden breeding cages with a wire front & just a water drinker poked through which they can only just get their beaks in enough to drink. It is time we recognised the importance of & their fundimental right to bathe whenever they feel like it. Just like humans have the right to.
7. DON’T FORGET TO NAME ME TOO!- Not everybody names their Birds, which is fair enough & up to the individual, but if you name your Parrots don’t forget to name your Finches too. Contrary to popular belief, they are incredibly intelligent & get to know their names, hooting with excitement if you speak to them. Many of my Finches have come from homes where the psittacines were all named & treated like royalty, but the Finches were sat in the corner in a tiny cage with no names & no stimulation at all. You might not think they are smart enough to be impacted by that, but they really do understand if only you pay attention enough to see it.
8. WE NEED VITAMIN- D- Don’t forget that Zebra Finches need access to fresh air & sunshine too. I keep my Finches indoors because we get cold winters & they were not doing well outdoors, but I ensure they get access to fresh air & sunshine in a safe way. My preferred method is safe secure travel cages, but a flight with a safety door is also a fine option if you have the resources to have one.
9. GET ME TREATMENT IF I AM SICK- Many owners refuse to get their Finches the medical care of an avian vet if they are sick even though they would do it for a Parrot. Zebra Finches have a right by law (in the UK) to recieve vet treatment if they are sick just like any other pet. Don’t just leave them to die because they don’t talk.
10. WE ARE AWESOME! Despite all the time, money, effort & care they actually need, Zebra Finches are awesome! They are worth every moment of your love, devotion & interest. Happy Zebra Finches will truly thrive in your care & will become valued members of your wonderful family & will leave an impact on your soul for a lifetime. Zebra Finches truly are precious angels who we are forever blessed to have.