home Work and education Who eats parrots in nature. What does a budgerigar eat at home and in its natural environment

Who eats parrots in nature. What does a budgerigar eat at home and in its natural environment

Parrot food usually consists of a combination of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, protein and a specially prepared base for these birds. There is no single diet that is suitable for all varieties of pets. The selection of food depends not only on the size, but also on the breed: loris and lorikeets absorb nectar in wild nature, macaws love nuts, and others need more protein than others.

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Parrot nutrition

For long and healthy life birds need to know the nutritional characteristics of each species. Some pets prefer a constant change of food, while others become attached to certain foods. It is important that all parrots have a full range of fresh, dry and cooked food.

There is a general diet for birds based on the requirements for the 2 most popular species, cockatiels and grays. Many others are suitable for this diet, but some breeds require a special approach.

It is necessary to adjust the serving size for a parrot:

Granules

Depending on the type of pet, a pellet-based mixture will make up 40-75% of the bird's daily ration. The bags are available in different sizes to suit the size of the animal, from macaws to budgerigars.

Chosen trademark must be of the highest quality so that the pet lives long and looks good. The best blends are organic and made with ingredients suitable for human consumption. Should be avoided food additives(unless they are a necessary part of the diet). In the wild, the parrot gets everything from natural products, this should be achieved at home.

Most breeds use a pelleted mix, but some are more demanding than others. To begin with, it is worth giving the bird a small portion and watching how the pet reacts to it.

There are mixtures that contain preservatives, which gives them a longer shelf life. Basically it is an antioxidant that prevents rotting. Theoretically, its presence is acceptable if the granules are sufficient High Quality. However, a veterinarian should be consulted.

Meat and animal food

Some birds eat animal food, others don't. Parrots are not very omnivorous in their natural environment (with the exception of the New Zealand Kea), so meat does not have to be part of their diet. Some owners offer it as a treat. Animal food should only be given occasionally and in small amounts (e.g. a few scraps of meat per bone).

If the birds are kept outside, they catch and eat insects and worms. However, this does not mean that you need to regularly include them in the diet of parrots.

Seeds and grains

The shape of the beak of a parrot implies the possibility of cracking grains and nuts. The amount of seeds a bird needs varies by species. Apart from pellets, they make up 15 to 50% of the diet.

Seeds must be organic and suitable for human consumption, clean and fresh. If you are not sure about the quality of the grain mixture, you need to check it by leaving a small amount of feed under wet cotton wool on a plate. If the seeds are fresh, they will germinate in a couple of days. Otherwise, they are obsolete, and most of nutrients have been lost.

Parrot grain mixes sometimes offer a more "complete" list of ingredients - dried fruits and vegetables are added to them. If such a product is of high quality, this is a perfectly acceptable option.

Seeds and grains suitable for feed:

barley;
buckwheat;
corn (dried);
flax-seed;
hemp seeds;
millet (red, yellow, white);
oats (whole);
pumpkin seeds;
sesame;
sunflower seeds;
wheat groats.

nuts

Nuts are liked by most parrots but are high in fat and should only be offered as a treat and not as part of the main meal. Some species, such as the macaw, love nuts and seeds and take pleasure in pecking the nuts out of their soft shells. Other breeds, such as lovebirds, accumulate fat when consumed in excess, and even have liver problems if they have too many of these foods in their diet.

Nuts offered to parrots must be unsalted and fit for human consumption. Fresh walnuts, cashews and macadamia should be avoided as their shells contain toxins.

For most parrots, the following types are suitable:

almond;
cashew;
coconut flakes;
hazelnut;
macadamia;
peanut;
pecans;
Pine nuts;
pistachios;
walnuts.

Fruits and vegetables

When selecting fresh products, pay attention to their color. Nutrient-poor foods (pale red apples, pears, and turnips) should be replaced with orange foods (peaches, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and carrots). They contain beta-carotene, which the parrot's body converts into vitamin A.

Dark green is also a color useful for pets. Nutrient-rich kale, broccoli, and dandelion leaves are loaded with B vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. Vegetables should exceed fruits in the bird's diet by a ratio of 10:1. But there are exceptions: the white-bellied parrot, the noble green-and-red parrot and the loris require more fruit than other species.

Products suitable for pets:

Fruits	Vegetables andgreenery
Apples (without seeds). Apricots (pitted) Bananas. Berries. Melon. Figs. Grapes (dark). Kiwi. Mango (no skin). Nectarines (pitted) Orange (pitted) Papaya. Peach (pitted) Persimmon. A pineapple. Plums. grenades	Artichokes. Asparagus. Beet tops (cooked). Beet. Broccoli. Brussels sprouts (cooked). Carrot. Cauliflower. Chard (cooked). Chicory. Corn (on the cob). Dandelions. Green bean. Kale. Hibiscus. Parsley. Peas (pod). Pepper (including hot). Potatoes (cooked). Pumpkin. Soya beans. Spinach (in small quantities). Tavern. Sweet potato.

Pure water

The bird feeder needs to be changed every day. even if it hasn't run out of water yet. Parrots shake out a lot of dandruff and feather powder, which is carried everywhere, including water.

Bottled water is ideal, but in many cities tap water is fine for birds too. If people drink it, then you can give it to pets.

It’s time for every bird breeder to know what a budgerigar eats. The thing is that the health and well-being of your pet directly depends on what he eats. This does not mean that he is picky about food and unable to eat much of what you have to offer him. About some types of products can cause poisoning in birds and other unpleasant consequences.

The basis of the diet of birds

Surely many of you know that the basis of the diet of most bird species are various grain mixtures. For example, ordinary millet should not only be the main dish of any parrot, but also dominate among other types of grains.

Thus, in any grain mixture that should be given to tamed birds, seventy percent of the composition should be millet. The remaining thirty percent should contain oats, canary seed and wheat.

If your parrot does not eat the food offered to him, then you should immediately turn your attention to it. Most likely, you simply did not notice the low quality of the purchased mixture.

Also, when choosing food for your pet, always pay attention to the expiration date. It is dangerous for your parrots to give old grain.

Budgerigar Treats

Surely most of those who keep budgerigars or some other type of bird at home love to indulge them with all sorts of delicacies. With the beginning of spring, ripe vegetables, berries and greens that your pets love so much appear on the shelves of many stores.

However, in addition to excellent taste, all of the above products also contain a bunch of useful ones. Such a vitamin supplement is the best way to maintain strength and improve the health of your pet.

So what vegetables can parrots - a budgerigar may like carrots, cabbage, apricots, apples, rose hips, melon grapes and many other berries, vegetables and fruits.

As for the greenery, the birds will surely gladly accept the grass, clover, dandelion, etc. that have appeared in their cage. At the same time, it is better not to give dill and any types of decorative flowers to your pet.

Similar restrictions should be applied to the list of fruits, deleting avocados, mangoes, persimmons and even nuts from it. This prohibition is explained very simply. Some types of fruits and vegetables contain substances harmful to birds that can significantly undermine their health.

Hazardous types of products

When offering your pet any food allowed for him, do not forget about a number of prohibited foods, the presence of which in the diet of a budgerigar is unacceptable. Their list includes: mushrooms, chocolate, milk, salt, sugar and various spices.

All of them, to one degree or another, adversely affect the health of the wavy, leading to disorders of its digestive system and other negative consequences.

parrots mostly live in forests. However, some species of them, especially among the long-tailed forms, live in open areas. For example, Australian parrots deftly move on the ground, looking for food among grassy vegetation. There are species that live in the mountains. Ringed parrots and Nestors are found in the mountains at an altitude of up to 1500 m above sea level, and the New Zealand kea is a real alpine bird: it lives above the forest belt, reaching in places to the snow line.

The size of these birds is different. The largest of them are the size of a capercaillie, the smallest are of a siskin. characteristic feature parrots is a very bent, thick, strong beak, which is similar in appearance to the beak of an owl or diurnal birds of prey but has a different structure. Both halves of the beak, especially the upper beak, are strongly curved, and the tip of the upper beak forms a hook. The curve of the hook is more rounded than that of the owl and diurnal birds of prey. The base of the mandible is surrounded by a cere, in which the nostrils are located. The cere is sometimes covered with feathers, sometimes naked, brightly colored or colorless. Of particular interest is the movable articulation of the upper beak and the lower half of the beak with the skull. It gives the beak greater mobility, so a parrot can, for example, easily crack open a walnut shell, bite through a wire or deftly unscrew a nut.

Very characteristic and the structure of the language. It is thick, short and fleshy, in some parrots it is equipped with a horny coating at the end, in others it is trough-like curved, such as, for example, in the arara-shaped cockatoo, and in some, for example, in loris, it has filiform papillae at the end.

The limbs of a parrot with thick calloused fingers are arranged in pairs, like woodpeckers, with the two fingers facing forward fused (partially or completely).

Parrots are great acrobats. They deftly climb the branches of trees, clinging to them alternately with their beak and limbs. They walk awkwardly on the ground, rolling from side to side and leaning on their beak when walking. However, there are species (ground and grass parrots) that are very dexterous and run a lot on the ground.

The wings are well developed, large and pointed, and the feathers are with strong shafts and wide webs. The flight feathers on the wing are from 19 to 22, on average - 20. The second, third and fourth flight feathers are of different lengths, and depending on this, the wing takes a short or elongated shape.

The tail has 12 tail feathers, which are not the same in length and shape in various kinds, in accordance with this, the shape of the tail and its size are also different: in some species it is short, rounded or straight-cut, in others it is long, wedge-shaped or stepped. Some parrots have a tuft or collar around their necks on their heads.

The coccygeal gland in most parrots is absent or poorly developed. Instead, for example, cockatoos and gray parrots have well-developed powdery tubercles, from which a powdery or powdery substance is released that covers the outer surface of the contour feathers. When the parrot shakes itself off, a cloud of dust appears near the bird. This fine dust prevents the plumage from getting wet, i.e. performs the same function as the fat of the coccygeal gland.

The plumage of parrots consists of small and large hard feathers, under which the whole body is abundantly covered with gray-white fluff. The plumage color is usually bright and variegated, the predominant color is grassy green. There are, however, species painted in other colors: red, white, hyacinth blue, etc. This color depends on the presence or absence of one or another pigment, as well as on the structure of the feather itself. Each individually is colored in such a way that, together with neighboring feathers, it forms a certain pattern characteristic of this species.

Parrots of different sexes and ages in most species do not differ in color, but there are species (for example, nymphs) in which the adult male is colored brighter than the female, and the young one has a color similar to it. In bicolor parrots, both sexes are brightly colored, but in different colors: the male is green, the female is red. Moreover, they acquire this color even in the nest.

In nature, parrots live in flocks, and some nest in colonies. Shortly before sunset, they begin to flock to their favorite trees for the night. At this time, their piercing cry, "chatter" and whistle almost completely drown out the voices of all other animals. Sometimes it happens that a new flock of parrots arrives and sits on an already occupied tree. Then the struggle for a place begins, during which the weaker birds fall off the tree and are forced to look for a new place to sleep. At the same time, they express their displeasure with loud cries. With the onset of darkness, peace finally settles in this motley and noisy flock, but at the first rays of the sun the noise and din resume. The birds again break into smaller flocks and scatter in search of food and water.

The most significant flights are made by parrots living in arid areas. The budgerigar, which is found in Australia, during a drought is forced to leave its former habitat and fly over considerable distances. If on the way of the flight there is an area in which it has recently rained and the vegetation is green around, the flock stops, begins to lay eggs, incubate and feed the chicks. During such flights, parrots often suffer from hunger and thirst, many of them die, but under favorable conditions, their numbers are quickly restored.

Diet of parrots

In one of our previous publications, we told you about the existence and how the behavior of such birds differs. We hope our recommendations have helped you, and you have acquired such a representative of birds.

Well, now you have to comprehend all the basics of caring for parrots at home, and we will start by telling you about what parrots eat. After all, both for parrots and for other representatives of the fauna - proper nutrition is a guarantee of health and long and happy life. So, all about the secrets of the diet of parrots ...

What to feed a parrot

Using budgerigars as an example (these rules, tips and tricks apply to other breeds of parrots), let's look at what can form the basis of your bird's diet. This is, first of all, a special grain mixture. It includes such cereals as: millet, oats, canary seed, hemp, flaxseed, wheat ... It is noteworthy that millet should be of several types - black, white, yellow, and red - so it will be more useful for your parrot .

As for nuts and seeds, they should not be included in the nutritional base - since this is a very fatty food for birds and it will not bring them any benefit.

By the way, good way check the freshness and safety of the feed - try to germinate it. If the food is natural, then within 2 days it will definitely sprout, if this did not happen, then no useful substances and your parrot will not extract vitamins from this food.

Portions for parrots

This is what the basic food mix looks like

Your budgerigar should eat 2 teaspoons of this prepared staple food per day. It is noteworthy that if the bird is young, it may have more appetite, but overeating will not be good for your parrot either, therefore, 3 teaspoons of dry food is the “ceiling”. It is recommended that if the bird eats the entire portion at a time, divide it into 2 times and feed the parrot in the morning and evening.

If after you brought the parrot home - the bird refuses to eat or eats very little - give it time to recover, as soon as the parrot adapts to the new environment - it will eat the amount of food it needs.

Make sure that the parrot's feeder is not empty, because the metabolic processes in the body of birds are more intense and faster than ours, therefore, a hunger strike for a parrot can be fatal. Also, try to make sure that the parrot eats the whole grain mixture, and not just eats his favorite cereals, leaving what he does not like.

And, that's what you should never give to parrots, so it's products from the human table, salt and sugar ...

water for the parrot

Don't hand feed the bird

In a drinking bowl in a cage, a parrot should always have a clean and fresh water, it must be changed every day, regardless of whether there is water in the drinker or not. The drinker itself must also be thoroughly washed every day, avoiding chemicals and giving preference to soda. As for the quality of the water itself for the parrot, if you want your bird to live a long time and not get sick, take care of bottled water or water for cooking baby food. She'll be more helpful.

What else should be included in the diet of a parrot

The wavy in the house should receive good nutrition, similar to their food in the natural environment in the wild. Then they will delight the owner with cheerful singing and various tricks for many years. Provide good conditions life is possible by knowing where parrots live and what they eat in the wild. This will help make the bird's diet balanced.

A budgerigar can be called an Australian sparrow. On the far southern continent, they are as common as our gray pichugs. Only in Australia live mainly endemic animals and birds, so budgerigars in nature pronounce about 10 different sounds, constantly sing, making up a “text” from them.

The budgerigar is an Australian sparrow

Budgerigars are found mainly on the northern and western coasts of Australia and migrate inland before the arrival of the rains. They surprisingly sense the period of awakening of nature. Parrots are considered the harbingers of rain. With the onset of winter, they make nests and breed parrots.

In places where budgerigars live, 2 seasons:

summer - drought;
winter - rains.

Birds in large flocks, the composition of which is constantly changing, move over short distances, while there is a lot of food. With the onset of drought, parrots migrate from a place where there is water, grass and shrubs grow.

Budgerigars fly in large flocks

What do parrots eat in their natural life. They peck grains of grasses, fruits of bushes. In the trees restless birds only sleep. Only during the period of feeding chicks prefer the pulp of fruits and the middle of seeds, nuts.

Having found kangaroo grass, the parrot actively feeds, moving along the ground. A flock moves in a wave across the field. When food becomes scarce, the birds that are behind rise and fly in search of other eateries.

Birds suffer the most without water. During the hot period, the channels of small rivers and lakes dry up. The parrot gathers dew from the leaves in the morning. When the flock finds a source of water, the weaker birds perch along the edge and drink. The rest quickly quench their thirst on the fly.

Budgerigars suffer without water

Budgerigars in the wild have many enemies among birds of prey. In the open area of the reservoir, pichugs are vulnerable, so they try to quickly fly away under the protection of shrubs and trees.

The budgerigar has a strong beak with sharp notches along the edges. It easily cracks nuts and shells large seeds from bushes. The bird gives preference to small grass seeds, about 20 varieties, which he can swallow completely. The degree of ripeness does not play a special role.

In places where budgerigars live, there are few trees; they prefer shrubs and grass up to a meter high. Having found a suitable place, they quickly peck everything, running from place to place on the ground. Especially active in the morning. Peeled from a rough shell, the fruits are first sent to the goiter, then partially digested into the stomach.

Birds prefer shrubs and grass

Can feast on budgerigar tree fruits. This mainly occurs at the beginning of the rainy season, when the birds begin to incubate and feed the chicks. Then they prefer soft food. The offspring that have left the nest are fed by their parents for about 3 more weeks. They fly up to a flock of young and call their cubs.

The young leave the nest at the age of 30-50 days. All this time, the parents feed them, regurgitating half-digested food. The parrot is a social creature. They build nests close to other families, they choose a couple forever. Ornithologists consider wavy in pairs. The flock, with which they lived for some time, the birds easily change to another. Whoever noticed food or water first warns the whole flock with special signals. This helps them survive in difficult conditions.

Unlike large breeds parrots, budgerigars never eat larvae, pupae and other forms of insects. They can gnaw at the bark, separating it from the trunk with their strong beak and breaking it into pieces.

In Australia, before the arrival of the colonists, parrots lived several times more. Now the places where the birds traditionally ate are plowed under crops. On several thousand hectares, all vegetation was destroyed during weapons tests. As a result, parrots migrate when there is nothing to eat, they can destroy a crop in a field of several hectares in a day. Among budgerigars, cockatiels, macaws and other representatives of larger breeds sometimes live in a flock during a drought.

Most of the people live on the coast. In the north, the climate is even, allowing almost all year round grow a crop. Australia is located so that its northern part is close to the equator with its year-round summer. Therefore, budgerigars from that part of the mainland migrate over insignificant distances. Western parrots fly tens of kilometers a day in search of food and in the rainy season they move deep into the mainland, during a drought they can fly into cities in search of food.

During the day, parrots fly tens of kilometers in search of food.

In captivity, the amount of food for a budgerigar is 2 teaspoons. In the wild, the bird has to fly a lot in search of food, run on the ground and climb trees. They need fat deposits to migrate for several days without water and food. Therefore, when a field of wheat comes across along the way and there is nothing else, the flock quickly harvests. In the presence of meadow grasses, budgerigars do not eat large grains of cereals.

How to feed a home wavy

The main budgerigar living in the house should consist of several types of seeds:

Hemp seeds