Birds, Birds, and more Birds!

There appears to be another chick in the finch nest! Of course, with them all writhing around, it's hard to be sure.

We also have a Robin's nest. It's on this ledge on our house right under the roof, behind the gutter drain pipe. The mother had been sitting for a long time now. I haven't seen any chicks, but sometimes it appears that the parents are feeding something.

I hope to be able to see the Robin chicks once they are bigger. They are just so small at first that it's hard to see. We had another Robin's nest last year, as some of my readers may recall. ( Robin Chicks! Robin Chick Learns to Fly (video) ).

We also have a Cardinal nest. The mother is so skittish it took me a while to confirm that it was a Cardinal nest, but I snuck up on her the other day.

There are two eggs in the nest and (sadly) one egg lying on the ground. The nest is in the same bush as the Mourning Dove nest last year (Mourning Dove Pics! The Moment You've All Been Waiting For! ), so the nest will be fairly easy to observe, although it's higher up then the doves were.

It will be so fun to watch them grow their feathers.

I'll keep you posted on the three nests.

How happy is your bird?

This quiz will help you know how happy your pet bird is.

How many perches are in your bird's cage?
A. One  B. Two C. Three or more

How many toys does your bird have in its cage?
A. One B. Two C. Three or more

How much time does your bird usually spend out of its cage?
A. My bird never leaves its cage. B. An hour or less C. Two or more hours

How much time each day do you handle your bird?
A. I don't handle my bird. B. Less than half an hour C. More than half an hour.

How often do you clean your birds cage?
A. Less often than once a week. B. Once a week C. At least twice a week.

How often do you change your birds water?
A. Once a week B. When ever it's dirty C. Every day

How often do you clean your bird's food dish?
A. Once a week B. When ever it's dirty C. Every day

Does your bird have cuttle-bone in its cage?
A. No B. Sometimes C. Yes

How much does your bird chirp?
A. My bird doesn't chirp. B. A little bit C. A lot

How much does your bird bite you?
A. My bird isn't tame. B. Sometimes. C. Rarely

If you got...
Mostly A's... Your bird is unhappy. Maybe you should keep a pet rock instead of a bird.
Mostly B's... Your bird is O.K., but your care of it could be better.
Mostly C's... Your bird is quite happy. Congratulations! You are a great bird owner.

Finches and Canaries

Finches and canaries are small, beautiful birds that make great pets. An aviary full of these colorful birds makes an amazing decoration. Male canaries sing beautifully, and the chirps of finches and female canaries are pleasant to hear. Most people think that finches and canaries cannot be tamed. This is not true, as this picture demonstrates.

This male zebra finch is tame enough to sleep its owner's hand.

Is is harder to tame these birds then parrots, though, unless the birds were hand raised.

Finches and canaries can be expensive, but if you want a lot of birds, you can breed your own. Craigslist sometimes has free or cheap birds.

Finches and canaries breed easily, and if you have a male and female and give them a nest box, you will probably soon find eggs!

Foster a Pet

Pet keeping can be expensive. Would you like to take a pet into your home - free? I have some questions and answers about fostering pets.

Where can I get pets to foster?  Animal shelters or Humane Societies will probably have pets to foster.

What pets can I foster? The animals that are usually fostered are dogs, cats, rodents, rabbits, ferrets, or birds.

You may be able to foster puppies to young to be adopted, like these puppies, along with the litter's mother.

What are some problems with fostering? Eventually you will have to give the pet to someone else. This can be sad, especially if you have had the animal for several months.You will probably also have to pay for some pet keeping costs.

What will the shelter pay for? The shelter will probably cover the following: food, vet bills, and litter (if needed.) If you go on vacation, you can often just return the animal to the shelter, saving you the cost of a pet sitter.

What will I pay for? You will probably have to pay for a cage or kennel, bed (for a dog or cat), and toys.

How can I foster a pet? Anywhere from days to months.Some animals never get adopted. Sometimes the shelter will take the animal back after a while, but you might be able to foster it again later. If someone decides to adopt the pet you are fostering, you will have to, of course, give it to them. then you can foster another pet!

Fostering a pet is a great idea. A house is a much better place for a pet then a shelter. (If you haven't already done so, check out my post A Trip to the Humane Society) I personally would like to foster small birds and small mammals.