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Editor — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:50:22 +0000

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Indian Ringneck Parakeet

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus rubber)

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:50:35 +0000

The Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus rubber) can be found in North and South America, Asia, across Europe and in Africa. Standing at approximately five feet, the Flamingo, ranks amongs the tallest birds on the planet. Their distinctive pink plumage, large bodies and long pale pink legs make them unique. The beak of the Greater Flamingo is shaped at 45 degrees, is light of color with a black tip and assists them in filtration and pumping while they feed. Interestingly enough, the Greater Flamingo’s coloring is a result of the crustaceans that they eat. Flamingos that are housed in zoos are given dyes such as flamen oil or a beta-keratin coloring additive to ensure that they do not lose their coloring. Male and female Flamingo’s are similar, with the males being taller.

The Flamingo has webbed feet and an extremely long neck. Having webbed feet allows them to swim, but most importantly it helps them stir up organisms such as algae, diatoms, protozoa and insect larvae on which they feed. Flamingos also eat worms, crustaceans and mollusks. The feeding process of the Greater Flamingo is very specialized. Flamingos will spend most of their day with their heads bent down, filtering water through their beaks. Their beaks contain a lamellae, which is a sieve-like structure, that is thin and can be described as a comb. Their fleshy tongues are used to suck water in the beak and then force it back out again. The bolus of food that is nearly dry after the water is forced from their beaks, goes to the back of their mouths and is swallowed simultaneously with the next water intake. The Greater Flamingos feed in large groups as this ensures safety by numbers when they have their heads down. Big flocks can also create a lot of noise, and when they are not feeding they flap their wings, preen themselves or stand in beautiful postures. Flight and migration takes place at night, and during flight Flamingos have both their legs and necks outstretched.

Flamingos are filter feeders, and are therefore found by lakes and lagoons, or watery areas that have the right water depth and mud to sustain the flamingos’ feeding process. They will only breed when they are in large numbers, and even though some build new nests, it is known that many use the same nest each year. Breeding takes place during March and July and the birds generally form a pair bond that is long term. Flamingos will built their nests on the waters edge from mud, and it is approximately 35 to 40 centimeters in diameter and 25 centimeters high. The female will lay only one egg that is white in color with a red yolk. Both parents take care of the egg that has a 28 to 32 day incubation period. Chicks are gray in color with a pink bill. The chicks are able to leave the nest after a few days, and parents will only feed their own chick. For 4 to 6 weeks, the chicks will be fed by their parents, and fledge the nest at three months. Fledglings will group together and only reach full size between the ages of 1 to 2 years. Adult plumage is only acquired during the ages of 2 to 4 years, and the long maturing process is suggested to relate to the long life span of the Flamingo. The Greater Flamingo can live to between 25 to 60 years of age.

Birds of Eden – A Little Piece of Avian Heaven

Editor — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:38:11 +0000

The lush Garden Route area along the coast of South Africa can readily be described as a piece of paradise. The world’s largest free flight bird sanctuary, Birds of Eden, is situated in the heart of this piece of paradise. A single birdcage spans two hectares of indigenous forest, including a gorge, and is home to more than 2,000 birds of 180 species from various continents. These include parrots, parakeets, toucans, hornbills, thrushes, conures, cranes, flamingoes, ibises, swans and many more.

This unique sanctuary has been designed to allow the birds to live as they would in the wild – but with no predators. The aviary was constructed with 27 masts of varying heights, linked by a series of cables to form a grid, which the wire mesh rests on. One hundred kilometers of cable and 3.2 hectares of bird mesh, all painted green, were used in the project. Special features incorporated into the sanctuary include an irrigation system that simulates rain together with sound-system thunder, a walkway behind a stunning waterfall, a 200-seater amphitheater and 1.2 kilometers of paraplegic-friendly walkways. Birds of Eden in South Africa incorporates several dams, with the largest featuring a floating bridge with seating for visitors to relax and enjoy refreshments. There are also two restaurants in the sanctuary, both strategically situated to allow visitors to enjoy the beauty around them to the greatest degree.

The Birds of Eden sanctuary was initiated and developed by Tony Blignaut who is the CEO of the Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary situated nearby. Blignaut saw the need for a sanctuary to accommodate birds as well as smaller primates, such as marmosets and tamarins, which could not be safely incorporated into Monkeyland. Birds of Eden would also serve as a safe haven to release captive bred and ex-pet birds. A surprising number of birds from the parrot family are discarded after a year or two with an owner who no longer wants the responsibility of caring for them. These birds are carefully and gently rehabilitated, bearing in mind that many of them have come from small suspended aviaries or indoor cages. After a quarantine period, the new bird is exposed to other birds and then moved into an indoor aviary. From there they are moved to a larger free flight aviary to allow for development of its flight muscles. Only after a bird has successfully adapted to these various environments, will it be released into the sanctuary area.

The fact that many of the birds in the sanctuary were once pets means that they generally have no fear of humans. This allows visitors to get really close to the birds, but be warned that sometimes up close and personal comes with a friendly nip of the finger or ear and there are a couple of “thieves” who will try and get away with something shiny, such as an earring, if they are given half a chance. Visitors have expressed amazement at seeing different species of birds like macaws, starlings, toucans and doves sharing a communal dinner table, often in the company of a tamarin or two. Fresh food catering to each species’ needs is provided twice a day, so there is no need to squabble to establish a pecking order – there is plenty for all.

Clearly the people behind Birds of Eden are animal lovers in the superlative sense and this is what visitors to the sanctuary will come to appreciate. Most certainly all the ex-pets living in this piece of paradise have found a home like no other.

Birds: Flamingos

Editor — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 10:05:25 +0000

Flamingos are easily-recognized, long-legged water bird species with a characteristic pink color on their feathers. They live in shallow, salty lagoons and lakes, in tropical regions of the world and they have a very unique feeding method. Flamingos filter their food out of water and mud and their odd, down-turned bill is one of the most specialized bills of all birds. It is lined with complicated horny plates, much like the baleen plates in a baleen whale’s mouth.

They use this special bill by holding it upside down in the water. They then swing the bill back and forth, and form a suction pump with their tongue to pump water through the bill’s filtering plates.

Some Flamingos are after larger items, like crustaceans and insects. Others, such as the Lesser Flamingo, have very dense filter plates- they can trap tiny blue-green algae plants less than two hundredths of an inch long.

Flamingos’ pink color comes primarily from the tiny algae and crustaceans they eat. Flamingos kept in zoos may lose their pink coloration. To prevent this, zoos often feed their flamingos a special pellet diet that contains the pigments found in their natural food.