Aussie Finch Forum

Sorry Frank but when I click on the "To read the rest of this article, click here " I still get the response :
"404: Page not Found
Sorry, but the page you are looking for has not been found. Try checking the URL for errors, then hit the refresh button on your browser, or click here to try our search."
Perhaps your site is not accessible to Australian addresses.

Hello Greg,

Sorry for the trouble. I just clicked on it and was brought to the article, so perhaps was just a temporary glitch. Here is another link, which also is working now:

http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatbirdb ... pet-birds/

Enjoy, Best, Frank

So much has been written about full spectrum light by so many over such a long period.

I have followed the discussion in Europe to the point where it became booooooring. (and thank God it has slowed down) The bottom line was: Keep your money in your pocket.

Cheers, Case, Tauranga, New Zealand.

casehulsebosch wrote:So much has been written about full spectrum light by so many over such a long period.

I have followed the discussion in Europe to the point where it became booooooring. (and thank God it has slowed down) The bottom line was: Keep your money in your pocket.

Cheers, Case, Tauranga, New Zealand.

Thanks for your input; it really depends upon species, etc. I tend to stay with professional journals,,...as you say, so much out there; filtering very difficult. During my time at the Bx Zoo there was good evidence of the value of some wavelengths of light for certain species.

Of course, millions of pet trade birds have been bred w/o. Where reptiles are concerned, UVB is essential for Vit D production for those that cannot utilize dietary D3

Another aspect is that UVA, while not critical to survival, is impt to natural behavior and breeding in certain species...again, these may reproduce w/o, but perhaps not as easily/effectively, etc. Value to rare species breeding programs could be substantial.

Best, Frank

Hi Frank.

My limited knowledge too comes from professional sources. People who lecture at technical universities, the poultry industry in The Netherlands which is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in the world.
Philips which is still the largest producer of lighting in the world and lots of amateurs who have made it their job to find out minute details to perfect their hobby.
It is the "could be" in your last paragraph that i have a problem with.Research will tell.

What I have noticed in Europe is, that since the import ban, people suddenly started paying attention to details and started breeding with species like, Cardinals and Pekin Robins to name but a few, as they could no longer just go the the corner pet shop and buy another one for a few bucks.

The latter has since been supercedes of course as imports of all birds are going on again by the truckload. I presume through former East block countries.

Cheers, Case, New Zealand.

Thanks..much more research needed. As there, stricter regulations here in the USA spurred captive breeding as well. Unfortunately, softbills and others not given nearly as much attention as in Europe, Asia. Best, Frank

From what I have been able to gleen from books and internet, the amount of UVB the birds can get depends on the light being quite close (~20cm) to the bird. There are 2 aspects I am interested in: 1/ Vitamin D and
2/ How birds perceive their environments with or without the UV spectrum.
As far as Vitamin D goes, regular access to sunlight cannot be replaced, I feel.

Uraeginthus wrote:From what I have been able to gleen from books and internet, the amount of UVB the birds can get depends on the light being quite close (~20cm) to the bird. There are 2 aspects I am interested in: 1/ Vitamin D and
2/ How birds perceive their environments with or without the UV spectrum.
As far as Vitamin D goes, regular access to sunlight cannot be replaced, I feel.

Hello,

Thanks for your interest. Distance from the source is important, and linked to the type of bulb used. Florescent bulbs are best used within 6-12 inches of the basking site (this based on reptile studies with UVB meters). Mercury vapor bulbs, more appropriate for birds, are effective at greater distances. Most now come with recommendations re usage. Most bird species that have been studied are able to utilize dietary Vit D (in contrast to many reptiles). However, perceiving the environment is another matter; mate choice, chick rearing and other impt behaviors are strongly influenced by light characteristics...i.e. male budgerigars feathers appear of different colors to females under different wavelengths, and this affects mate choice. Much more research is needed, esp. as regards the effects of light on breeding success. Please see this article and those linked within for more info, and let me know what you think , Best, Frank

I was listening to a radio program the other day about pygmies (all live in rainforests much less light in all parts of the world) and it is proven people and animals that live in low light conditions grow smaller then their daylight inhabiting counterparts....wonder if it works the same for birds living in flouro lighting?...

Fluro lighting requires some research if one is considering it.

High frequency fluro's are a must if you don't want your birds toi be sitting at a disco all day. The colour lighting 965 is the closest to ful daylight. A shortcoming in vitamins due to a lack of direct sunlight can be overcome by addatives.

Cheers, Case, Tauranga, New Zealand.