Red Crested Bird

A striking bird, it is bold and confident, good for exhibiting and can be tamed quite easily.

Description:

Size: 20 cm (8 in)

COCK:

Crest: red. Body: grey and white. Eyes: black. Legs: black. Tail: black.

HEN:

Similar, but slightly smaller and slimmer. The only sure indication of sex is the cock's rather attractive song during the breeding season.

Diet: (Seedeater)

Plain canary seed and mixed millets form the basic diet. It also enjoys a little plain sunflower seed. Insectile mix, meal-worms and fresh ants' eggs are eagerly devoured. Grit and cuttlefish bone must always be available.

This bird lives happily in most temperatures, but may often be seen basking in a patch of sunlight on the ground. A frost-proof shelter should he provided.

Breeding:

Nesting takes place in untidily built nests, thorn knee high from the ground. These are built in thick bushes or hedges. Heather and grass blades are often used for nesting material. Willow or wicker baskets can be used as a base.

Both parents share the incubation of the eggs and rearing of the young. Four to six eggs form a normal clutch. Hard-boiled egg may be added to the normal diet for rearing. This specie appreciates plentiful live food when breeding along with small smooth-backed caterpillars, maggots, locusts and woodlice. Spiders are often enjoyed.

When first leaving the nest the chicks have ginger colored crests. The young birds are sometimes fed at ground level after fledging and the chicks flutter their tail feathers for seeking attention. The Red-Crested Cardinal is usually a very protective parent.

Once mature, this species has a tendency to put on weight. So provide a large flight to prevent it becoming lazy and taking insufficient exercise.

Red Crested Bird Information

• Though the bird has not been quantified but the bird in wild is found in various parts of the world covering an area of about 20,000-50,000 kmē. Evidences prove that the bird population has decline to an extent but the specie is still considered to be least concerned. It does not feature in the IUCN red list. The species mentioned in the IUCN are those that have experienced a 30% decrease of population within the last 10 years or last three generations.
• Breeders find difficulty in breeding the birds. As a result of which interested bird owners face the difficulty of coming in touch with good breeders having a good collection of healthy red crested birds.
• The male birds have a good song.
• Generally the birds prefer fake plastic plants in their aviary as they feel secured to a great extent.
• The birds are delicate in nature. The birds love to feed from hands and may even develop a good bonding with their owners.
• Though they can not talk like a cockatoo but they are very active and intelligent as well.