Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:49 pm Post subject: The Christmas tree
The birds have had loads of fun with the Christmas tree this year. The chase each other up and down the tree, slide down the branches and throw the decorations down on the floor.
I was a bit worried about the tree, as I know it's not too good for the birds to eat too much of the needles, but decided to have a tree anyway. After following the birds antics in the tree I was sure I made the right choice.
For birds that spend their time in controlled environment indoors the tree was like a very good activity toy. The branches are varied in size, they swing and are a bit slippery so the birds need to use their muscles in new ways. There is the sensory approach as well, new smells and taste, new chew toys (read decorations) and the exicitement (it is possible that the tree is dangerous and eats small birds )
The chrismas tree is green, a natural homing place for your birds...
Avairies with white or bright walls tend to have stressed birds, darker browns / greens creates a far better less stressful enviroment.
Have they chewed thru the Christmas tree lights yet _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
The lights are soo boring, they aren't even tasted. The tree is now without any decorations other than the occasional bit of capsicum draped tastefully here and there. It's also totally bald.
Dont know if you have grand children.... kakariki in the christmas tree and grandchildren seems to go hand in hand... right. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
No grandkids yet, but I think I get your reference. My kids are now grown, but I remember Christmas past with the kids. I actually laughed at myself when I realized that when the kids hve grown and Christmas is a quiet affair, I get parrots...
What always amazes me is that even though the birds are born and bred in a cage, as were their parents before them (and so on) and therefore can have no prior knowledge of life in the wild they somehow have an instinct for things like a great big firtree in the living-room. The anting buisness is another thing. I'm sure that my birds have never got herbs to ant with as babies, so their parents cannot have taught them what to do, yet they knew instincively what to do when they got their first sprig of rosemary.
It would be interesting to know how much of the birds beahviour is learnt and how much is instinct. Just a thougt..
When kakariki see "green" they go in there. In their natural habitat is a less of poison plants and there are no predators (in the past). They go strait to the new playinground don't minding there could be something harmful.
Chocolate, and all things from the christmas tree decorations are possibly harmfuf. All kind of metall contains haevymetal or simply blocks the crop. All forms of plastic may also lead to complications in crop and the gastro-intestinal system, if it's eaten.
So the tree is no problem, if there are no chicks in the room, but everything hanging in the tree could instinktively halm your birds.
My kak fell in love with the fairy! Being yellow,he is attracted to anything similar and even tries to feed the duster. I had to remove a poinsettia but then he demolished the artificial one that I replaced it with.It was funny seeing a yellow head peeping out.
therefore can have no prior knowledge of life in the wild they somehow have an instinct for things like a great big firtree in the living-room. The anting buisness is another thing. I'm sure that my birds have never got herbs to ant with as babies, so their parents cannot have taught them what to do, yet they knew instincively what to do when they got their first sprig of rosemary.
It would be interesting to know how much of the birds beahviour is learnt and how much is instinct. Just a thougt..
yes, it seems from our experiance, that the birds dont loose the comofladge of the 'wild' colours of green, and nor so many natural herbs and feed, yet and I find this very strange, when one gets generations of hand reared birds they loose the 'instinct to incubate the eggs, and if do that, have no idea about feeding or caring for the chicks, or may do so for a couple days and abandon.
Its all sort of around the wrong way as what logic would tell us
And as to poionus plants, we have found even though generations into captive breeding, and so long as raised on natural veggies, fruit, meats etc on a varied and consistant basis, the reconise a piosionus plant straight off.
And even stanger, in the case of kakariki, exortic pionous plants that no where in their generic history would their ansetor come accoss it it.
We have done quite extensive experimentation over the years, and the whole question u raise still has no logical type explanation _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
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