B&B Bonsai and Birds
- Thread starter Marty781
- Start date
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
Interesting question...
I don't know about birds, but what comes to my mind is "any native toxic plant" for them : they have an instinct for not feeding on these.
Yew, for instance : they can eat the berries, but there are rarely any on bonsai, or small-scale trees. I think birds in general prefer berries or fruit, not leaves.
Pines ans piceas are I think to avoid : blackbirds or the like in my garden love the new buds !
Not sure about maples, but I haven't seen any eaten by the local birds. On the contrary, they feed on insects like leaf-cutter-bees (or whatever their name is) and caterpillars...
And birds' droppings are a very good fertilizer in the spring
I don't know about birds, but what comes to my mind is "any native toxic plant" for them : they have an instinct for not feeding on these.
Yew, for instance : they can eat the berries, but there are rarely any on bonsai, or small-scale trees. I think birds in general prefer berries or fruit, not leaves.
Pines ans piceas are I think to avoid : blackbirds or the like in my garden love the new buds !
Not sure about maples, but I haven't seen any eaten by the local birds. On the contrary, they feed on insects like leaf-cutter-bees (or whatever their name is) and caterpillars...
And birds' droppings are a very good fertilizer in the spring
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Most birds will avoid toxic plants but when confined to an aviary with nothing else to eat/do things may change so I'd avoid known toxic plants like oleander or castor oil plants though those are rarely used as bonsai anyway. You should also research pants that are toxic to birds. Some things that are poisonous to mammals are not to birds and vice versa. I don't have the specific knowledge.
My guess is the bigger problem will be damage to the bonsai rather than harm to the birds. Your birds perching on the bonsai may cause damage - broken twigs and branches.
Finches are seed eaters so not known for damaging leaves and branches. Parakeets are entirely different. Their beaks are designed to grow continuously to counteract the regular wear from eating hard seeds. If the natural food does not wear the beak enough they chew anything available to manage excess beak growth. Some of our larger cockatoos cause extensive damage to trees, power poles and even hoses as they chew wood to help control beak growth.
I've noticed parrots here eat succulents. Not sure if they like the taste or get nutrition but some of my cacti need protection from the native parrots so I'd avoid keeping any succulent bonsai like portulacaria in the aviary.
My guess is the bigger problem will be damage to the bonsai rather than harm to the birds. Your birds perching on the bonsai may cause damage - broken twigs and branches.
Finches are seed eaters so not known for damaging leaves and branches. Parakeets are entirely different. Their beaks are designed to grow continuously to counteract the regular wear from eating hard seeds. If the natural food does not wear the beak enough they chew anything available to manage excess beak growth. Some of our larger cockatoos cause extensive damage to trees, power poles and even hoses as they chew wood to help control beak growth.
I've noticed parrots here eat succulents. Not sure if they like the taste or get nutrition but some of my cacti need protection from the native parrots so I'd avoid keeping any succulent bonsai like portulacaria in the aviary.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Birds.
Welcome to Crazy!
Sorce
Welcome to Crazy!
Sorce
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Really the biggest problem is the growing conditions. I would suggest any of the Ficus species, all of which are tropical and probably a good environment for the birds you have mentioned. Some of them actually produce fruit that attractwild life, and live in an environment that is like indoors.
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
Parakeets will strip a tree bare if they're bored. I would worry about that.
