Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-02-01
Feeding Wild Birds In Captivity

cult lIdH I0e Iceul0R OF OedSlS- IL -
easier because the avian appetite is less
faStidiouS than the appetite OF beasts, be-
cause birds are content TO eat the same
kind offood day after day without change,
and because. since less food is required,
here is need OF comparatively little labor
10 prepare and distribute it, II is more
difficult because less is known about the
native foods of wild birds than about the
natural food Of wild animals, and because,
since the whole life OF the bird is changed
by captivity, il is especially important
that its tood be proper substitute for
that to which it is accustomed and that
IFS diet be properly regulated.
II is OF the utmost importance that there
be nothing hit-or-miss in the treatment.
To insure against that, the aviaries at the
Geological Gardens at Bronx Park are
in charge OF keeper who comes from a
family OF English gamekeepers, who was
long employed in the London ZOO"
and who is said "to know more about
the care OF birds than any other man liv-
ing"
For convenience birds may be divided
into four classes: soft billed birds, hard
billed birds, meat eaters and fish eaters.
To the first group belong such birds as
the thnushes, jays, vlreos, and the like.
In liberty these birds feed on wo,ms, in
sects, berries and so forth. As sub
Stitute they are given food composed Of
meal, carrots, potatoes, poppy seed,
boiled hens eggs, and ants eggs.
The various ingredients are ground
fine, well mixed and thoroughly baked.
BY this means the food is made dry and
all parasites are killed. Occasionally the
bill OF fare is varied with mixture OF
boiled rice, sliced bananas, apple, bits Of
bread, and meat that has been ground
very fine and has had the sinews remov-
ed. The birds pick up the gravel neceS-
sarY tor their digestive processes from
the sand in the bottoms OF their cages.
The group OF hard-biled birds include
the canaries, sparrows, pigeons, parrots
and others. Their diet is much less
varied than that of their soft-blled breth
rem il consists almost wholly OF seeds.
Canary seed, hemp seed, millet seed, and
the seed OF the Indian thistle are given to
the smaller birds in the group. The lar
ger birds receive a mixture of Sunilower
seeds, cracked corn and canary seed,
and the domestic birds, such as pigeons
and, doves, eat corn, barley and the like,
just as they have always done.
Foremost among the meat eaters, Of
course, is the eagle. His comrades are
the hawks, owls and other birds OF prey.
Raw beef, cut into small pieces, is the
principal food of these birds. Occasional
ly they are given fish. AtintervalS, also,
they feast on dead rabbits, rats, mice and
other small animals. Such diet is a
splendid substitute for their native food,
for birds OF this class subSist largely upon
small quacupeds, birds, snakes and in
sects. 1t has been found that horse meat
is very good food for these birds, since
it is not fat-producing food like beef.
These big meat eaters are large feeders,
and, since they cannot get much exercise
in captivity, they are liable to obesity
and fatty degeneration OF the heart. On
that account it has been found best TO
feed them on only six days OF the week.
The other birds are fed daily.
The fish eaters include the herons. peli-
cans, cormorants, and other web-footed
and wading birds. Their diet is almost
wholly composed of fish. The food is
cut into little pieces for the smaller birds.
The fish are carefully prepared by clean
ing and washing in order 10 remove the
intestinal parasites and to cleanse the
slime from the scales. This slime is very
harmful, for if gives the birds disease
like ptomaine poisoning. One class OF
birds only is immune 10 the evil effects
of this poisonous slime and OF other i'm
purities-the carrion-eating buzzards and
vultures.
Strangely enough. the larger birds are
the only ones that are at all fastidious
about their food. AT times they refuse TO
eat; but unless this refusal is protracted,
the keepers pay little attention to it.
When a little bird will not eat, however,
the keeper knows al once that something
is wrong. The sick bird is Immediately
taken from the common cage and placed
in the hospital.
Its allment may be either physical or
mental. II has been observed that birds
have psychology OF their own. They
are affectionate, sympathetic and, il has
even been declared, altrlistic. Many oi
them mate for life. Even among those
that mate only for single year, one Of
pair will often pine away or die OF griet
at the loss OF the other. When bird
/
ment, every effort is made to tempt IFS
appetite. II the bird is physically i'll, the
physicians prescribe the proper remedies.
No bird in a normal condition will over
eat. Usually only new arrivals at The
Zoo are guilty OF this fault, and it almost
invariably indicates that the bird was i'm
properly fed during transit. Its a CON-
mon thing for soft-billed bird, during
its Journey TO the Geological Gardens, TO
be fed corn or hard grain by some one
who does not know that he is thus starV-
ing the bird. When the bird finally
reaches the Zoo. it gorges itself, and as
result becomes "crop bound.
When bird falls into such q condition
i must be taken to the hospital and pu