Some of the Types of Pet Birds
Companion parrot
All the parrots that are basically kept as a pet is termed Companion parrots.
These parrots have a good relationship with the humans around them. They interact well and are considered the best type of pets.
Some of the members of this species regularly kept as pets are African Grays, Amazons, hawk-headed Parrots, Cockatoos, and Macaws. Some of the mid-sized birds in this category are Quakers, Caiques, Pionus, Conures, Poicephalus, Rosellas, Parakeets, and Rose-ringed. There are also some small-sized birds like Cockatiels, Parrotlets, Brotogeris, Lovebirds, Budgies, and Parakeets.
Domestic canary
The Domestic canary, commonly known as the Canary, belongs to the Fringillidae family, which is actually a wild bird but is often domesticated as a pet. It is native to the Macaronesian Island. This small songbird became very popular in the 17th century among the kings and monks of Europe. The demand for this singing bird increased and its price shot up. Later the whole of Europe started breeding this bird. It is said that these species were commonly used in coal mines and signaled the release of harmful gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, and monoxide that were released in the coal mines, which alerted these canaries before the miners and gave a signal to the miners about the unsafe environment.
Chicken
Chicken belongs to the family of Phasianidae and has grown very popular over time. It is the most populated species of bird than any other and an approximate population is 24 billion according to 2003 data. It is mainly bred in the farms for its nutritious eggs and meat. Some people also consider it as a pet and breed for fun or research. The first species used for breeding was of Indian origin, mainly for the cock fighting purpose. This sport was very common in Asia, Europe and Africa. Many people also grew this species on the farm to get rid of the pest and insects affecting the cultivation.
Domesticated Turkey
The domesticated turkey that belongs to Meleagridinae family is a large bird, bred for the poultry purpose. It is similar to the wild turkey, and is a native of Mesoamerica. It is mainly bred for its meat which is highly popular and cheap due to the industrial farming. The average life of a Turkey bird is 10 years. Mostly the white feathered Turkey is commonly found in the breeding category, though the bronze and brown colored ones are normally relegated to the poultry farms.
Domesticated Ducks
Domesticated ducks belong to Anatidae family, and are mainly grown for the eggs and meat. The beautiful white species are bred for ornamental purpose or as a pet. It is usually kept in a garden or deep water pond. It clears the insects and small pests in the garden. It also feeds on small or large frogs. It is a descendant of wild duck or Mallard.
Domestic Pigeon
The domestic pigeon that belongs to Columbidae family is believed to be derived from the world’s oldest domesticated pigeon known as Rock pigeons. Researchers claim that the domestication of pigeons has been common since 10,000 years ago. The people breeding this pigeon are also termed as Pigeon Fanciers.
True Finches
The true finches belong to the Fringillidae family and are passerine birds. These birds feed on seeds and are basically singing varieties. Most of the species are native to the Northern Hemisphere and very few are from the Neotropics, Palaeartic and Hawaiian islands. There are different sizes of birds in this group like Andean Siskin that grows only up to 9.5 cm and the largest one, Collared Grosbeak that grows up to 24 cm.
Having discovered a fondness for insects while pursuing her degree in Biology, Randi Jones was quite bugged to know that people usually dismissed these little creatures as “creepy-crawlies”.
