Ruffled Feathers Aviary

Endearing and delightful,  these little charmers are guaranteed to capture your heart. Among the quietest of the Conures,  most make great apartment birds, although some can be noisier than others.  They are definitely among the quietest of the conure family though.  These guys are so energetic and curious, it is fun just to watch them play in their cage.  They hang upside down, swing, climb, just loving to explore everything.  They make a great step-up bird for a child who has already had a budgie or a cockatiel.  They are a little more challenging for them but not too much so, just enough to make them a great learning experience for the kids.

Housing requirements:  A good sized cockatiel cage with lots of room for toys.  Be sure to add a variety of perches, swings and things to climb on.   Greencheeks love dangling toys that are bright and they can hang and swing from. We have found that the favorite toy of all time for Greencheeks is strings of plastic beads in sparkly colors. It’s amazing the things they will do with them. Another necessity is a bird tent, they spend hours sleeping, hanging out and playing in them. Green cheeks do great on playstands and playtops, although they would rather be snuggled into your shoulder.  Give them plenty of bath water, they will be happy to bathe every day.  These birds particularly love to bathe, they are like little ducks in the water!

Feeding requirements: Your baby will be weaned onto Roudybush (mini or small size), fruity Zupreem (cockatiel size), and the fresh foods described on our recipe page.  We also wean the babies onto a small amount of mixed parrot and hookbill seed. When you first bring your baby home if he seems reluctant to eat then give him all the seed he wants to keep his weight up until he is eating well and settled in. At this point reduce his seed intake to small amounts for treats and the enjoyment of cracking the seeds, with pellets in his dish all the time and fresh foods as needed.  I have found that water bottles need to be watched very closely, greencheeks in particular are very bad about stuffing the pellets up in them and blocking the water supply.  If you use a water bottle be sure to check it at least once a day for blockages, or give an additional dish of water in the cage.

Ara Nobilis
Commonly called the Hahn’s Macaw or the Red Shouldered Macaw

Length: 30cm (12-13 inches)
Origin: Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, eastern Venezuela
and Brazil north of the Amazon in the states of Roraima and Para

Lifespan: 25-40 years or more

Because it is the smallest of all the macaws, the Hahn’s Macaw is a lot easier to care for than most of the other birds in it’s family because of its much smaller size. Because of its gorgeous coloration, the Hahn’s Macaw is sometimes called the Red Shouldered Macaw. They are also known as the Hahn’s Miniature Macaw due to their small size.  It grows to about 13 inches in length and has green plumage with brilliant red under wing feathers. Hahn’s Macaw’s wingspan only comprises six and a half to seven inches. The foreground of Hahn’s Macaw’s crown is a gorgeous blue, as is the forehead. Hahn’s Macaw has a reddish brown iris and the black beak contrasts strikingly with the Macaw’s characteristic bald facial patch. The face is sprinkled with tiny black feathers, and Hahn’s Miniature Macaw has gray feet. The tail has olive- yellow feathers on its underside, as do the flight feathers.

With very high intelligence, the Hahn’s is easily trainable and very amusing, with an outgoing and funny personality. Though some of them can be noisy, most will vocalize once or twice a day like most parrots. Generally they are not considered to be very noisy and are a great alternative to the noisier large macaws for this reason. Though they are not known to be the best talkers there are exceptions to the rule and some talk profusely.  Hahn’s Macaws quickly form attachments to their family and will amuse you for hours with their boisterous antics! Be sure to socialize them very well with all members of the family to prevent them from becoming one-person birds.

Housing requirements:  Provide plenty of fresh water, toys, chew toys, and perches so your Hahn’s Macaw is absolutely comfortable.  Give him plenty of wooden toys to chew on and destroy, such as branches from non-toxic trees.  Bathing is a must or the feathering will soon appear dull and dry.  We have found that in addition to a pelleted diet these birds seem to need a small amount of very good quality seed mix and nuts to supplement it, in addition to regular fresh fruits and vegetables.

Here is a list of yummy foods to feed your bird.  Remember to always feed healthy food so he can have a long and happy life.  Birds just love fruits, vegetables and pasta.  Some birds are pickier than others and don’t like as many things, other birds will eat anything.  If your bird is not used to eating fresh food just keep trying, sooner or later he will like it.

Jiffy Fun Bread

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8 x 8″” or 9 x 9″” pan.

Ingredients:
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 egg
1/2 cup small bird pellets
1 jar baby food, sweet potatoes
1 banana, smashed

Add all the ingredients together and mix well.  Be sure to smash the egg shell as well and add that to the bird bread.  Pour into the pan and cook for 25  to 30 minutes.  Have a grown up check to see if it’s done by inserting a knife into the center of the bread, i

If you only have one bird you might want to freeze this into small sandwich baggies.  Leave out enough to last you one week.

Question: Is shipping unsafe or stressful for my bird?
We have shipped dozens of birds, and so far we have never had a problem.  The birds have arrived safe and sound. Most handfed babies will come out of the carrier willingly and do not seem to be stressed.  If your bird does not come out willingly, please don’t worry that he is not a friendly bird, it’s just that just like humans birds all react differently.

Question:  What do I do with my bird when I first bring him home?
When you first pick your bird up at the airport he may be tired from his journey.  Some aren’t, they will be right at the front of the carrier looking for love and attention.  If this is the case and the bird steps right out and onto your hand when you open the carrier then go ahead and spend a few minutes with him before putting him into his new cage.  If he is reluctant to come out of the carrier then give him a dish of food and water and try to let him come out on his own.  This builds trust as you are not making him come out of his “”safe”” place by force, you are letting him do it on his own time. You can even put the open carrier on the floor of his cage if it is big enough.

Question:  When can I hold my bird after I bring him home?
When you first bring your bird home and get him into his new cage, you want to watch and make sure he is eating before you do anything else with him.  We advise a big selection of food to begin with.  Give him pellets, fresh foods and a good seed mix or millet to encourage him to eat.  Some birds may not eat for a day or even two, others will eat right away.  At first it is very important to keep his environment outside of the cage stable.  Do not let large crowds, active children and other pets disturb him.  Give him time to take in his new surroundings and see where he is.  Be sure the food is in a place where he can find it easily.

Question:  How do I first properly establish a relationship with my bird?
When you approach your bird the first time he may just happily hop up onto your hand or he may be shy and need a little time to get to know you.  All birds are different, just like people.  Use the ‘step up’ command every time you approach your bird.  Hold your fingers together vertically with your thumb tucked down, which leaves your index finger available for the bird to perch on.  If the bird is reluctant to step up then press firmly against the top of his legs where they meet his belly.  This will throw him a little off balance; he will automatically step up onto your hand to regain it.  If he comes forward with his beak or otherwise threatens you with it, it is crucial that you do not pull your hand back.  Doing so gives control to the bird and he will very very quickly learn he can intimidate you.  Even the tamest birds may test your at first.  It’s just like having a two year old with an attitude and a beak!  If you or the bird feel fearful or uncomfortable with this approach then you may start out much slower by talking gently to him, feeding him treats by hand and stroking him where he will allow it, even if it is only the tip of his tail or his toes through the bars.

Question:  What are other things to avoid which may cause bad habits?
Playstands:  Your bird may need to learn to stay on a playstand.  If he flies or climbs off then immediately tell him “”No”” in firm voice, make him step up onto your hand and put him back onto the playstand.  Ignore him until he is back on the stand, at which point he can have attention again.  If he continues to fly off the stand they put him back in his cage until another time.  Be patient, they learn!

Food:  We have several rescue birds that have developed screaming problems because their new owners gave them table food every time they ate in front of the bird.  This is okay to do if the food is healthy and you plan on doing it every single time he sees you eating for the rest of your life!  Birds are flock animals and they like to eat together.  If you train him to eat with you then he will always expect it.  Once you stop or have a meal that consists of food he can’t have, you may end up with your flock buddy screaming at you for his share.

Stepping up:  This command is absolutely necessary. Practice it over and over until it is rote.  Do not let him come out of the cage on his own, make him step up on your hand to come out.  You may also want to teach him to step up onto a perch, this is especially good for larger birds that may one day be in a cranky mood and don’t want to get onto your hand.  Be sure not to pull your hand away in fear, don’t let anyone else do it either.  Once you decide to make the bird step up you need to carry it through.

Eclectus Roratus
Commonly called the Eclectus Parrot

Length:  about 35 cm (14 in)
Origin:  Moluccas, Ceram, Ambon, Sumba, Halmahera, Solomon Islands, New Guinea and adjacent islands, and northern Australia; there are 10 subspecies.

The Eclectus is an up and coming bird in popularity,  owing to their astounding colors and talent for talking.  Some say they equal African Greys in their talking abilities.  They are very affectionate and intelligent. Females are violet-blue and red, the males green with red and turquoise under the wings.  They require a diet rich with fruit and nuts,  fresh food is a must.  They are well behaved and a joy to have around.

We are members of the American Federation of Aviculture (AFA), National Cockatiel Society, Gold Country Bird Society, Gold Country Avicultural Society, 4-H Caged Bird Club, Foothill Bird Fanciers and Capital City Bird Society

This is Larry.  He gets to build and clean cages and aviaries and all the stuff that isn’t a whole lot of fun.  Oh and yes don’t forget he gets to do a lot of the night-time feedings too.  He’s not complaining though,  he really loves it.  Larry is an active member of the Gold Country Bird Society in Placerville.  Larry has been raising birds in one form or another for quite a few years now,  he is an expert on incubating and hatching eggs, he has a really good success rate.  He is also excellent at assisted hatches, currently holding an almost 100% success rate on hatches. On the right he’s holding a hummingbird he rescued from a spider web.

Assisted Hatch of a Solomon Island Eclectus
(adopt one!  see the Eclectus Page for details)

This is Janet.  She sometimes feels as if she was born with a handfeeding syringe in her hand.  She is the resident baby feeder.  She finally got her kids into school and then decided to deluge herself with hundreds more.  She’s not complaining either,  she thrives on it.  Janet has been raising birds since she was 10 years old, she has been raising them by hand for over 15 years now.  She still falls in love with every single one of them, but that’s okay, that’s why they turn out to be such lovable birds.  They thrive on the love.  She is also good at sleeping through night-time feedings,  then poor Larry has to do them.  Janet is also the Editor of the Gold Country Bird Society monthly newsletter and was a judge in the 4-H Caged Bird Club and the Placerville County Fair.