The problem of raising yellowbird

Alias: yellow bird, goldfinch, reed yellowbird. It belongs to passeriformes, passeriformes. Breeding in Daxing 'anling in Northeast China, migrating through Hebei, Shandong and Jiangsu, and wintering in Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan Province provinces. The yellowbird is about 12 cm long. Generally, it is yellow and green, with brown and black feathers, dry lines and bright yellow spots on its wings. Most of the male's head is black, and the center of his chin and throat is black. You can see yellowbird in the mountains and plains. Mountain areas are more common in conifers such as pine trees and fir trees, while plains are inhabited by canopies such as willow trees, elms and poplars, which often live in groups for food.

The main food is the fruits, seeds and buds of alder, birch, elm, pine and gymnosperms, as well as crops, weed seeds such as thistle, sunflower and wormwood and a small amount of insects. The nest is deep cup-shaped, made of cobwebs, moss, wild silkworm cocoons, some tender grass stems, grass roots and various plant fibers, and lined with soft substances such as animal hair, loose flocs and feathers. There are 4-6 eggs in each nest, which are light blue and white with brown and purple spots, mostly concentrated in the blunt end. Females hatch eggs and males feed them. The incubation period is I2- 14 days. Males and females hatch eggs together. But mainly women.

1, the choice of birds The yellowbird is a caged bird in the north, especially in Beijing. Because it is easy to tame and save trouble, I sing all day except molting, and I can sing for up to 8 months every year. It is generally believed that narrow mouth, long waist and long tail are suitable for singing. Some also choose according to the color of the lower body feathers, including cyan, white and yellow. Others like red feet (commonly known as "red claws"). ) or the head, neck and chest are all dyed red. In fact, these colors are all related to food. In general, yellowbirds in nature are all black-footed, and become flesh-colored after being artificially raised for a period of time. The yellowbird feathers that have been active in spring are often red, but they disappear as soon as they molt. The reason is not clear.

It is easy to distinguish the male from the female of an adult yellowbird. Male birds are strong and yellow-green, rarely have dry feathers, and have black spots on their heads or chin. However, it is difficult to distinguish male chicks from female adults who have just left the nest. This young bird, commonly known as "Ma Bird", is the most cherished in bird people. The price is 2-3 times higher than that of male adult birds. On the one hand, the young bird is easy to train, and on the other hand, it has just left the nest and has not learned the singing of the old bird, that is, it has no "wild mouth".

2. The characteristics of caged yellowbird migrates through the north of China twice a year in spring and autumn, which can often be caught and is easy to raise and tame. There are many kinds of yellowbird cages, but the lacquer bamboo round cage is the most exquisite one. The bottom should be closed and covered with a thin cloth pad, because it has less staple food powder or dry powder feces, which is not easy to pollute the bottom of the cage. There should also be a higher bottom ring to prevent granular shells from flying around and birds from spoiling food. In order to teach skills, or to be a "trap", some people keep female yellowbirds on shelves, mostly upright.

3. Feed and feeding methods Yellowbird mainly eats conifer seeds in the wild, so it likes to eat seeds of oil crops such as perilla, peanuts, walnuts and sunflower seeds at home. The yellowbird just caught can be lured by perilla, but it can't be fed for a long time, otherwise it will be overweight. Generally, millet, millet, barnyard grass and a small amount of perilla are mixed. When the yellowbird eats, it often picks perilla to eat, and all other seeds are picked out, resulting in waste. It is best to feed mixed powder. Corn, peanuts and perilla (3: 1: 1) can be ground into powder, and a small amount of sand is added, which is often given to leafy vegetables (Chinese cabbage, spinach, rape and purslane). In addition, eggs and millet are also fed, but some seeds of oil crops need to be fed in winter.

Feeding yellowbird is the easiest way to manage and train caged birds. As long as the water is sufficient and fresh, it is enough to clean the cage 1-2 times a week. The yellowbird is often basked in autumn, winter and spring, and the cage is hung in a cool place in summer. Give leafy vegetables and add perilla when molting. The yellowbird's feathers change quickly, "open" early, and the feathers are silvery gray, which looks very beautiful.

Beijing has strict requirements on the singing of yellowbird, and pays attention to "three big mouths", namely magpie, red and oil gourd. If there are other birds' calls, they are often considered as "miscellaneous mouths", especially the calls of peaceful birds, goldfinches, finches and young black tits. So it is very difficult to cultivate a real "three-mouthed" yellowbird. In addition to getting a "hemp bird" and strictly isolating it, we should often get up early, get into a small cage and take a walk in the Woods where gray magpies live. Hide in the schoolbag on the way, take it out when you hear the gray magpie, and open the cage. It takes two weeks or more to learn. Let them learn to call you gourd mouth. Generally, you keep oil gourd at home. In the evening, the oil gourd likes to sing, so he puts the yellowbird under the lamp to listen. In addition, people who keep yellowbirds like to keep a red one, which is to teach yellowbirds to call.

As for the technique of yellowbird, it is nothing more than simple actions such as "calling far", "ringing the bell" and "drawing lots" (commonly used by fortune tellers in the past), all of which are simple conditioned reflex induced by perilla. The breeding problem of yellow birds in artificial breeding should attract wide attention of bird lovers. Artificial breeding can get satisfactory "hemp birds", which does not need to be caught in the wild and is also conducive to protecting natural populations. If it has been successfully bred in China, it is necessary to raise several pairs in a big cage first. After careful observation, it is found that there is intimate pairing. If you put it in a breeding cage and put it in a grass nest, you may lay eggs.