The proportion of time the parakeets spent performing each set of behaviors under control (a), horizontal (b) and vertical (c) conditions Figure 2. The proportion of time the cockatrices spent performing each set of behaviors under control (a), horizontal (b) and vertical (c) conditions. Although a large amount of time was spent perching, it can be seen here that preening was a dominant behavior during the control conditions for the cockatrices. This is seen to reduce as the perch arrangement changes. Figure 3.
The proportion of time the budgerigars spent performing each set of behaviors under control (a), horizontal (b) ND vertical (c) conditions. This appears to remain similar between arrangements. Figure 7. The number of new locations made by the parakeets. It is shown that parakeet 1 re-located more than parakeet 2 in the horizontal and vertical arrangements whereas parakeet 2 appeared to re-locate less in horizontal and vertical arrangements compared to the control. Figure 8. The number of new locations made by the cockatrices.
It appears that there are no obvious changes in the species as a whole in the number of new locations, but individual movements varied widely between experiments, particularly in cockatrices , 3, 4, 5 and 6 where an increase in new locations is seen in the horizontal and vertical arrangements. Figure 9. The number of new locations made by the budgerigars. It can be seen in budgerigars 1, 2 and 4 that new locations were decreased during the horizontal arrangement and then increased during the vertical.
However, for budgerigars 3, 5 and 6 the opposite has occurred. Figure 10. The number of aggressive behavior expressed by each species during each arrangement. It can be seen that a decrease in aggressive behavior was expressed by all three species during the horizontal and vertical arrangements in comparison to he control. The effect of perch arrangement on the behavior of individuals in a mixed-species aviary 1. 0 Introduction The natural behavior of birds may be reflected in captive environments, especially in parrots (Calmer et al. 2010) as the domestication is fairly recent (Mean et al. , 2003). The present study aims to encourage more ‘natural’ behaviors in a captive, mixed-species flock of such birds, which are housed in an outdoor aviary, through analyzing the effect of perch arrangement on behavior. It is hypothesized that more active, locomotive behavior will be expressed when perches are set at deterrent eights possibly due to perching position being a reflection of dominance (McGowan et al. 2006). 2. 0 Bird behavior The use of birds as companion animals is believed to have begun around 1,400 years ago (Temple, 1992), although some research suggests that parrots have been kept in captivity for as long as 2,500 years (Calmer et al. , 2010). The import and export of exotic species has allowed for the introduction of alien species into many habitats where they would not previously exist (Temple, 1992).
However, those birds which remained in captivity and are now born and raised in the I-J are widely kept as pets ouch as psittacosis species including the parrot, budgerigar (Melodramatics undulates), cockatrice (Nymphs hollandaise) and parakeet. 2. 1 Feeding behavior The feeding behavior of birds varies widely between species in relation to the type and availability of food required. Psittacosis in the wild generally have a ‘uniform diet’ (Aback, 1998) which is usually obtained through foraging behavior but may be influenced by social factors (Aback, 1998).
Time investments into foraging also play an important role as this dictates a large part of the routine of the individual. For example, Crimson Rosella have been found to spend up to 67% of their time foraging and consuming their food (McGrath and Ill, 1985). Similarly, a large amount of time may be spent obtaining edible parts from difficult seeds or nuts (Aback, 1998). This is important for captive birds as it allows them to reflect natural behavior which may lead to the implementation of feeding enrichment devices to improve welfare standards in captivity (Aback, 1998).
