Feather imping

Recently I was in the news a fair bit. A story about feather imping went viral on Facebook and the news media picked it up and ran with it. The case, a tawny frogmouth (a member of the nightjar family) became stuck in a fence and lost some of its primary flight feathers. We used […]

Read more
First aid for aviary birds

Recognising a sick bird in the aviary firstly requires knowing what is normal for your birds and when these normal signs change and become abnormal.  Appetite, behaviours, body condition and droppings may change from normal. Sick birds may hide their illness until they are critically ill.  This is called the preservation reflex.  Therefore, it is vitally […]

Read more
Why Fertile Eggs Fail to Hatch

BUDGERIGAR BREEDERS often comment on fertile eggs, which fail to hatch because the chicks die during incubation. There are a number of reasons for these failures, which will be discussed below. In the first few days chick death is usually due to inadequate incubation. This can be from half hearted or intermittent sitting by the […]

Read more
Methods for preventing French Moult through management.

French moult is the colloquial name for a condition that results in the loss of feathers in young budgerigars. Also known as budgerigar fledgling disease, French Moult can be caused by 2 different viruses: avian circovirus (also known as psittacine beak and feather disease) and avian polyomavirus. In this article we will address avian polyomavirus […]

Read more
Parasites of Budgerigars

Parasites of Budgerigars. Here is a practical guide discussing the types of parasites and treatments commonly found on budgies.  The article is written by Dr Hamish Baron BVSC (HONS), a senior Veterinarian at the University of Sydney Avian, Reptile and Exotics Hospital. Please click Budgerigar PARASITES to download. Thank you once again to Dr Hamish Baron […]

Read more
History of a Budgerigar

THE WILD BUDGERIGAR (Ornithological Notes) Genus: MELOPSITTACUS : Melopsittacus undulatus This beautiful little parakeet, possibly the best known and most popular bird bred in the world today, is a native of Australia. It has had a variety of names; Undulated Parakeet. Shell Parrot, Grass Parakeet, Zebra Parrot, Warbling Grass Parrot, Scallop Parrot and Canary Parrot, all […]

Read more