Feeding the Birds - Advice from Bill

Cage and Aviary . . .

Ok, I freely admit that I prefer to see birds in the wild. So what is my attitude to "captive" or pet birds? Well, I have never personally owned any; except for a pair of very noisy budgies that squawked so relentlessly that they drowned out the television. They lived out their natural lives, but they were never replaced!

Nevertheless I recognize that cage and aviary birds attract and intrigue a very large number of people. The initial problem is, of course, that there has long been a shady - nay, appalling - side to the international bird trade. Birds have been taken from the wild, transported or kept in dreadful conditons, and fatalities have been massive. It is, in fact, a world wide horror and scandal. Nevertheless, it would be unfair to condemn the whole of the cage and aviary world because of this literally criminal aspect. As unfair, for example, as boycotting all zoos, safari parks or even pet owners because of the activities of illegal hunters and poachers.

There is no doubt that responsible cage and aviary people (the vast majority no doubt) are as appalled as I am at any aspect of bird keeping that could be deemed destructive or cruel. There is plenty of legislation - in existence and planned - to make sure that the welfare of the birds comes first.

Then there is the undeniably positive side of bird keeping and rearing. The birds give immense pleasure to their owners. A  happy, well kept cage bird is, in fact, likely to live longer than it would in the wild. Birds in a public aviary - for example at a zoo or in a wildfowl collection - are often the inspiration for people to get involved in wildlife in general. They also serve an educational and possibly conservation purpose. The captive breeding at the various Wildfowl and Wetland centres has always been a vital part of Sir Peter Scott's extraordinary vision for preserving endangered species and returning them to the wild.

There is a relationship between cage and aviary birds and wild birds that can - and indeed must - be constructive. It is this aspect that I am most interested in, and will be exploring. Meanwhile, Haith's will guaranteee that your cage birds are healthy and well fed.