Custom Built Aviary

Our current finch family includes Andre II, Corky: son of Andre II, Sparkling: mate of Corky, and Edie (for 'Extra Dry'): mate of Andre II.

Edie joined our family after the tragic death of Flute, and her trademark move is standing backwards in the food dish. She is small, but a fast flyer, and really likes to jet. She was recently involved in a bit of excitement, but more on that later because I'm writing today about their custom built aviary.

During this past snowy February, David worked hard to turn my wish into reality. I had sketched out some ideas, and we had hemmed and hawed over possible designs that would be practical, look nice, and be affordable (David had been laid off in February). We decided that altering an existing piece of furniture would simplify the process, and he started tracking CraigsList.

The winning piece was an entertainment center he spotted at St Vincent DePaul. After he first saw it, he described it to me as being in good shape except for a few dings and a detached front door. I gave him the nod to go back the next day and buy it with my Christmas cash, and when he got there it was on sale for $20 because of the damaged door! To top it off, turns out the door was fine, just the hinge needed some tinkering.

Anyhoo, following are some of the pictures I snapped during his project. I didn't capture all the stages because he worked on it while I was at work, but I think these will do.

Cut-out door section that will be replaced by plexiglass

The side panels will be replaced with wire mesh.

This is how the wire mesh is anchored to the backside.

Backside complete with plexiglass and wire

To accomodate bird food/water dishes without reinventing the wheel,
we repurposed a panel from a small bird cage.

Closeup of the panel anchored to the wire mesh.

Beautiful! Finished outer shell.

Support rails for the bottom shelf inside.

Slide-out poop tray goes under the rails...

...removeable  mesh-covered frame goes on top of the rails.

All the comforts of their former home
plus so much more!

Obstruction-free viewing through the clear doors.

Drop-down blind allows me to open the doors to reach items
or clean the cage without the birds flying away.

Every zebra finch couple appreciates mood lighting!

Next post, I'll have pictures showing the birds enjoying their big slice of aviary heaven. It's been a great source of fun for me, too, and I wish every domesticated bird could live in such luxury.

Thank you, David! Once again, you've impressed me with your talents, and amazed me with your ability to sift through all the dreams and clouds in my head and create exactly what I want.

I'm Sorry, Flute

It's been a couple months since one of the male zebra finches died.(see previous post) Since then, even more changes in their little world.

The three remaining birds carried on, but I have waffled back and forth ever since over if we lost Andre II (Deuce) or Brut. I have been 100% sure that Deuce survived, because once the males started to sing again I thought it sounded familiar. Then, due to body size and the way the song seemed incomplete, I was positive that his boy Brut was still with us.

Yesterday I counted spots on the tails, and told David that Deuce was the survivor, because he had always had the most spots on the left side of his tail, and Brut the fewest. I was sure right up until I hear Corky saying toby-toby-toby, and while he sat still I counted HIS tail spots. Rats! Now I'm back to being unsure, not that it matters a whit.

In the meantime, the threesome didn't care who was whom, they just got along and and kept being sociable. Still no overt mating behavior, but it seemed like the two males were starting to be agitated with each other around the ever beautiful Flute, so I decided it was time for another female to join the group (and stir the gene pool in case things did get cozy...)

The new girl was brought home in February, and she was dubbed "Sparkling", nickname Sparkles (a name given earlier to one of the hatchlings before 'she' turned out to be a 'he'.) She rode home in her cage, looking supremely confident and keeping her feathers puffed. After a short while with her new family, she had another nickname: Miss Piggy. Wow, can she eat! Interesting how such a small bird with a such a tiny beak can appear to be wolfing down food as she stomps around in the seed bin.

Sparkles

Sparkles and Flute, having declared a short treuce

Anyhoo, she was one of the gang within a few days. She and Flute had the expected female tiffs, the boys duked it out over their choice of mate, and they settled into two couples: Flute & Brut (?), and Sparkles & Corky. All was well for a short time, until one terrible Monday morning.

I came in to open up the blinds and change the bird water and found Flute on the bottom of the cage, not moving. She was alert, but laying down and not flying away. I noticed tiny white feathers on the left side of the cage, and immediately recognized that she had been attacked from the outside. One of our cats, *Bill or *Mango, had apparently gone in the craft room at night, caught Flute too near the cage wall, and done bad things.

I felt horrible because I had been leaving the door to the room open, naively thinking that since I hadn't seen cats near the birds they weren't interested, and everything had been fine as-is for over a year.

Poor, poor beautiful Flute. One of her pretty white wings was mostly gone, and one of her legs was badly damaged. She was so brave and strong though; she kept trying to work her good wing and stand up, but to no avail. With David's help I transferred her into the small cage we keep for transport. Because she was still alive and alert (when you'd think most small birds would have died from the shock) we gave her a slim chance of recovering, but at the very least she needed a place to rest peacefully.

David was off work that week, so he watched over her that Monday. He said she moved around a bit with her good leg and wing, ate a little and had apparently made it to the water dish.

The little trooper was still awake when I got home, and to clean her wound I used a water mister to rinse the area. Before bedtime, I held her cage up to the other birds, and she actually peeped out a greeting. Sadly, those would be her last sounds. She died overnight, and taught me a valuable, heartwrenching lesson about protecting tiny, innocent birds from their enemies.

Not only did I start shutting the door, we immediately began making plans for David to build an indoor aviary. Something that would give the birds freedom to fly and move around; keep them safe from cats and dogs; and make it easier for me to watch their antics.

I'm happy to report we brought our vision to life, but since I've been so long-winded in this post you'll have to wait for another to see the finished product and read about the details.

P.S.  We did bring home another female to make sure both males were occupied, but more on her later when we're back on the happy side of things.

*Bill: Our gray, one-eyed, deaf male cat. He hasn't made an appearance in the "Journal" section of this blog yet.

*Mango: Our reddish and white male cat; a rescued stray we adopted from the SPCA to be a barn cat, but immediately ran off for several months. More on him later.

Happy Holidays Give Way to Sad News

For Christmas, the zebra finch family received a new bag of choice seeds, and a special cage-mounted, transparent feed station. The station gives them a clear view of their surroundings, and I can see them much better. More importantly, however, the feed station is designed to reduce (ads claim 'eliminate' but no) seed hull scatter from their messy crunch-extract-flick eating habits.

All four birds at the buffet (two kept moving during the photo shoot)

Andre II, Corky & Brut bellied up to the seed bar

And then there were three...

Just two days after these pictures were taken, I found one of the male finches deceased. He had found a resting place on top of the basket of growing grass I keep in the cage, and looked to have gone peacefully. There was slight damage on one of his wings, but we decided it was probably from the other birds "checking into" why he wasn't moving, not from a fight, because against all odds (3 males, one female...) there have been no observed incidents.
I'm still not sure who to mourn, though. They look so much alike in maturity; I can only tell them apart by their songs, and there hasn't been much for them to sing about the last few days. I'm fairly certain Corky is still with us, because I think I heard his awful "toby, toby, toby" call yesterday. Brut has always been timid and quiet, so I will wait to hear either his gentle peeps or Deuce's nifty, complex composition.

Three Tenors and a Flute - Update & Tales of Adventure

Corky, Brut and Flute are maturing nicely. The kids still shed an occasional batch of miniscule, grayish-white baby feathers, and their markings continue to gain definition and deepen in hue.

Deuce is still an attentive father and singing coach. The foursome seem to enjoy each other's company, usually grouping on the same perch for grooming or naps, and carefully packing themselves into the open nest at night.

For those of you hung up on the possible "bird incest" situation (I know you're out there, people) I removed the hooded nest quite some time ago to discourage mating & egg laying--you know, the whole brother-sister father-daughter thing... So far, I have not observed any mating behavior like I noticed with Andre & Crystal and Andre II & Bubbles, so Flute's virtue appears to be intact. I will remain vigilant, and take action when necessary.

I did have some bird excitement a few weeks ago. One night I went into the bird room to check on them before bed, and after counting only three in the cage I saw one of the males sitting on the curtain rod behind the cage. I was mad at myself, because I must have had a slot open too long when changing water that morning and didn't see him get out.

After shutting the door, I used my best bird-whisperer technique to lure him back into the cage. (Translation: I held up the small transport cage with its door open and walked around the room behind the fluttering bird until I funneled him into that one, then put both cages door-to-door and encouraged him to go back into the big cage (sub-translation: I tilted the little cage and poked a long-handled artist's brush hither and thither).

Several days later, I went in the bathroom to wash my face. As is my habit, I opened the window & screen and watched the horses for awhile. Then, as I turned to the sink and started the water, I heard a strange noise. Just a tiny scritch-scratch, but enough to make me look around. And there, on the shelf of the framed-in bathroom mirror, was a male zebra finch staring at me! Of course I immediately closed the window, then after a brief but stern lecture I used my "technique" to get him back to his family.

Since I was sure no one escaped on my watch, I checked the cage for any gaps, and sure enough there was a slight gap in the right front corner. I taped it closed with white athletic tape, gave them all another lecture, and we've had no more adventure flights since.

Three Tenors (and a Flute)

Andre the Second, Corky, and Brut have developed into a handsome little trio, and Flute is their pretty accompianist. Corky and Brut each sculpted the majority of their vocal pattern from Daddy Deuce's influence, but Corky has incorporated an outside influence--literally.

When I'm home during nice weather, I like to open the window behind the zebra finch enclosure ('cage' is such a horrid image) so my little birds get to feel the sunlight and a breeze, and see the greenery of the shrub right outside. Plus, Mother Nature has a much larger enclosure, and several more little birds than I do, and they like to come visit mine and sit in the shrub or on the brick window ledge.

Well, a few mornings ago I heard an unfamiliar bird call from their room, and I rushed back thinking I would find that one of the outside birds had found a way inside. Nope. Corky must have been secretly taking lessons from one of the visitors, because he was sitting on the top dowel rod letting rip with a new rhythmn, and Deuce was just looking at him with his beak gaping open. Couldn't tell if he was proud or aghast.

I'll try to get a recording, but I don't really have the tools for that.

Beaks and Cheeks II - Genders Confirmed

Final Answer?  Two Boys and A Girl

That's it in a nutshell. Instead of three daughters, Andre the Second is a proud father of two sons and one daughter. 

Flute has become more white than silver, but stays her pretty little girl self. Corky is sporting cheeks more orange with every passing day, and has decided to keep his versatile name. Sparkles, on the other hand, is also coloring up, and we've chosen to call him 'Brut'. 

Who stays and who gets to "travel abroad" is still under debate, but there's no hurry. Don't want to break up the family while they're still maturing.

 

Beaks and Cheeks

Good thing I didn't get their Christmas stockings labeled yet...

Soooo, turns out I did NOT properly read the info on how to tell the gender of a young zebra finch. I thought it interesting that Deuce was working hard last weekend to teach his girls to sing, because that's just not how it works in ZF City. Only the boys pick up a tune from their daddy and carry it down the line, while the females make non-melodic sounds. But then yesterday I noticed a slight tinge of color change on the top part of all three youngsters' beaks and went into research mode. 

In a nutshell, I may have to change all their names, because zebra finches get their adult feathers and adult coloring (including orange beaks and cheeks for males) at 5-6 weeks old. Hey Einstein, guess how old my birds are? Who would have guessed that a black beak would/could become orange! (I would have, if I'd read the original material more carefully.) Then again, I was born with black hair that turned blonde so I guess it's not that weird.

They're Growing Up So Fast

Corky, Sparkles & Flute are 1 Month Old

Here's a video of the threesome out and about with their daddy, Deuce, last week.They fought their way out of their eggs on June 9, and have come so far so fast.

Today I came home and saw that the kids had left Deuce with the proverbial 'empty nest' because they were hanging out in the tree house (upper left) while he hopped aimlessly about. All's well that ends  well, however, and as I type late this evening they are all nestled together in the main nest.

What's In A Name? It Must Be Champagne!

Time to Name the Fledglings

Before I reveal the chosen names for the three youngsters, I want to explain the origin of the choices.

When I received my first two zebra finches as a Christmas present from my husband, we were drinking our favorite low-budget champagne. I decided that the male would be called Andre (the brand of champagne) and the female would be Crystal (like the glasses). Then, after Andre suddenly passed away, I named the new male Andre II (not to be lazy, but to honor Andre the First), and Crystal's eventual replacement was named Bubbles (not just for the obvious champagne reference, but for her personality!) 

Sadly, Bubbles is gone, but I believe Deuce is raising three little females (based on their beaks being black, not orange like a male). So I propose the following names:

FLUTE (like the glass, and also as a tribute to Crystal)

SPARKLING/nickname SPARKLES (a tribute to Bubbles)

CORKY (this name goes to the bird that always climbed to the top of the others in the nest, is the biggest thanks to being first and last for feedings, and was first to pop out of the nest!)

Comments welcome!

Three, Two, One...LIFTOFF!

All three little ones have left the nest! 

Yesterday evening, I was complimenting Andre the Second on his excellent fathering skills, when suddenly one of the dark gray babies took his first short flight out of the nest and down to the cage floor! Nobody panicked; Deuce and I just waited while the little guy/gal got its bearings and starting hopping around. I called David in the room, and we watched together as it got braver, and started trying to hop up on the lowest perch.


There's a flat rock in the cage that Deuce (and all the previous adults) sits on once in awhile to sharpen his beak or reach into the grass garden (I'll explain later when it goes back in the cage). I moved that rock near the lowest perch to be used as a step stool, and it didn't take long for the little one to figure it out. In two minutes s/he was up on the low rung, and within twenty minutes s/he was spotted up on the top rung trying to preen just like daddy!

S/he still ran the whole "feed me" routine with the beak in the air, but Deuce has recently stopped eating much from the treat plate, so David guesses that he's weaning them off soft food. I still put in chopped up kale and chard (from the garden) and a couple chopped up grapes (from the fridge, haha) because Deuce needs that for himself. Later that evening the little one went to bed in the nest, and Deuce topped off the slumber party, not ready for an empty nest just yet.

Last night David greeted me after work (and my 70-minute commute) with more big news: he'd seen all three fledglings [young birds with developed flight feathers] sitting on the top perch with Deuce! I got to see it for myself this morning before work. I was so enthralled watching the avian show, that I completely forgot it was a mandatory hair washing day (I had a coconut oil treatment in, and it looked gross!), and had to stick my head in the utility sink, wash, rinse, towel, scrunch and run! 

Time flies when you're watching the birth of flight!

Now They Look Like Birds, Not Dinosaurs

   Deuce is still pulling 24/7 solo duty with his babies, and doing a great job. The threesome stay huddled in the nest, but no longer resemble Jurassic Park velociraptor dinos. They have fluffy starter feathers, and are beginning to get the classic zebra finch speckled tail. 

   What's really neat is that two of them are a darkish gray, and one is almost silver, so it will be fun to watch them grow and change. Apparently the males are not born with the trademark orange spot on the cheeks, so we won't know for some time what combination of genders we have. Guess I'll wait to decorate the nursery...

I CANNOT BELIEVE I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THIS MORNING'S POST!

Rookie Mistake
I was fooling around with my blog on my mobile device, and when I thought I was deleting something else, I deleted my tribute post to Deuce. Well dammit, here it is again as best I remember--he deserves the effort:

Happy Father's Day to Deuce!
   Though his morning songs are sad and subdued since Bubbles died, Deuce (Andre the Second) has stepped up to the challenge of caring for his three babies. Three, plump little hatchlings sleep and wait for their next meal, and he seems to be bringing them on time as the little guys/gals are getting bigger every day.
   Deuce eats from the plate of chopped up kale, broccoli, grapes and boiled egg, then digests and rests before regurgitating into the upraised beaks. When I first posted this morning, I had not seen him enter the nest for the feeding, but later I did and it was funny to hear them get all excited.
   I am totally nominating Deuce for Fathers Day Father of the Day or whatever award fits, because I didn't hold out much hope that he would a) know what to do, and b) be able to do it all on his own.

BUBBLES IS DEAD

   Deuce, aka "Andre the Second" is a single father now, with three young ones to care for. I came home after work yesterday to find Bubbles deceased, and Deuce wandering aimlessly about.

   Now might be a good time to point out that Bubbles and Deuce are zebra finches who reside in a flight cage in my craft room. Andre and Crystal were the first two zebra finches my husband gave me for Christmas 2011, and I loved watching them. But, Andre died within the first year, and Crystal was matched with Andre II (which went fairly well) but then she died after about a year. Bubbles was a replacement for Crystal, and she and Deuce did the wild thing several times during their first meeting, eventually laying and sitting on a few eggs. Those were infertile, but Deuce had time to fuel his jets before the next round, and the wonder couple hatched three of five eggs just days ago. 

   No explanation for the deaths; they have seed, water, daylight, nests, companionship. Guess I'll focus on life, and hope Deuce can feed and care for them on his own.