Birds Bathing

Every bird needs to take a bath, just like other animals. There are 2 ways for birds in its nature/wild for taking bath, using water or using dust/sands. The function of each function is different. When they use water for bathing, they will cleans all the dirt. Continued with makes its feathers become neat by using beaks and also puts the wax from its rear body part on the feathers, to make it becomes waterproof, protect it from the rain. This also has function to create the warmer body condition at night, that's why sometimes they take bath in the afternoon.
When they take the sand or dust for bathing, it has function to remove the mites or lice to get away from their feathers. In the wild, in its nature, sometimes they come to an ants nest, the ants nest produced a gas, kind of Nitrogen, which will removes or kills the mites or lice, so they will bathing on that.

The sample of the bird when they are taking a bath can be seen in this short video clip:

In Indonesia, there were some methods of Bird's Lover in bathing their birds. Especially in using water media. Some of them use water sprayer and directly spray it on to the bird while the bird is in their cage. Some 'hi-tech' bird lover use bathing cage, as seen in the picture on above.

The image on above shows an Orange Headed Thrush - Zoothera Citrina moved from its cage get into the bathing cage for taking a morning bath, before exposed in the morning sun. The Round shape cage is made from bamboo material, made in Solo, Mid Java, bottom part is made from multiplex material, polyurethane finishes. The bathing cage is made from wooden fro the frame, bamboo bars and zink plate oil paint finishes for the water tray and all parts.
Another bathing cage type, used by Asian Pied Starling 8 weeks old Chick, as seen in the picture below, is made from Teak Wooden Frame, Natural Color Polyurethane Finishes, with Aluminum Bars. This one is better than the other one as seen in the picture on above, of course the price rate is higher.

When the bird has instructed to move from their cage and get into the bathing cage, the empty cage give an opportunity for the owner to take care of it. They can remove the waste in the bottom of cage, clean the cage, replace or add the food or drinking water. Those activities would not bothering the birds. Just compare it if the bird is still in the cage, the bird may get nerve.

The bathing cage can be made by some materials. Some cages uses wooden frame and bamboo bars, oil base finishes. Other bathing cage is made from teak wooden frame with natural color polyurethane finishes and aluminum bars, this one is more expensive in price. Limited cage uses all aluminum components. Seem this last one is too expensive and too hot when it exposed by sun rays, even this might be more durable.

This bathing cage has a aluminum or steel zink plate, shaped tray for water reservoir. An arched perch is installed crossing the tray, the middle part of the perch is sink in the water, so the bird still can feel the water in the foots/legs and get bathing if they did not want to get into the water in bottom of the tray.

Some bird lover also create a larger cage for bird to fly around a little bit, with metal sheet tray shaped in the bottom and filled with find grain sands for bird to take a sand bathing.

If you see the image below, you can see this Orange Headed Thrush is in the bathing cage, it jumps into the water and take a bath happily. It has been well trained since it was youngster chick, learned the instruction how to move from its cage and get into the bathing cage, and so the other opposite ways around.

In Indonesia, it is common to use this method, bird bathing using bathing cage. Usually they're doing it in the morning. Some of them used to expose the bird under the morning sun first before bathing, some other bird lovers used to put into bathing first and the morning sun exposing will be done after that.
Some bird lovers also believe that gives a bird the night bathing is helpful, to increase the ability of the bird for the competition purpose. Especially in singing ability, the action & sound and performance during the competition.

Orange Headed Thrush/Punglor Merah

The Orange-headed Thrush is 205–235 milliimetres (8.1–9.25 in) long and weighs 47–60 grammes (1.7–2.1 oz). The adult male of the nominate subspecies of this small thrush has an entirely orange head and underparts, uniformly grey upperparts and wings, and white median and undertail coverts. It has a slate-coloured bill and the legs and feet have brown fronts and pink or yellowish rears. The female resembles the male but has browner or more olive upperparts and wram brown wings, but some old females are almost identical to the male. The juvenile is dull brown with buff streaks on its back, and a rufous tone to the head and face; it has grey wings. The bill is brownish horn, and the legs and feet are brown.
This picture is taken on early of April 2009, showing the newest Orange Headed Thrush I collected. I get it from a bird seller in Splendid Bird Market, Malang, in early of March 2009. Once it came on my residence on a rainy night, the next early morning it just got its name. I named it 'Selat Bali'. It has one white color feather on its left wing, this is not ordinary. In Java, the birds which has white color in their feathers, especially in the outer part of the wings [as usually it occurs on pigeon/dove], they used to be called 'Selat' [Java Language]. In Bahasa Indonesia, selat means 'strait' in English. The 'Bali' name I give is based on information from the previous Owner [who put this bird in the hand of bird's seller], as he said that this bird origin is Bali. So that's why I name it like that.
When you try to collect this bird kind, you have to be more patient. For the example, in the next days after I bought this 'Selat Bali', it is singing very good, in loud sound and various songs. This is hapenned in couple days and then in the fourth day, it is starting get into the moulting period. It starts to be silent. Sounds nothing, at least until about a month, 'till the feathers is complete. Once the feather is complete, it is starting to sing again, but only in the very low sound. I've waited for about couple weeks, it is always like that. This is a normal condition to the bird of this kind. That's why I said that you had to be patient.
I started think that it scared of the other Thrush I had. So, when a friend of mine ask me to borrow one of my Thrush collections, I just lend him one. I gave him the old one. He take it at night. Suddenly, the next morning it [Selat Bali] is starting to sing out loud! Maybe it knows that the superior one has gone.

Another picture I presented in here is the Orange Headed Thrush I had. I bought this bird about a decade ago, since early 1999 when I stayed in Malang, during the period I breed Canaries, Black Throat/Yellow Rumped Serins, Grey Finch and the Mule or Hybrid of the those kinds. Today, year 2009, so it has been over 10 years I kept this bird. First time I took this bird, seems it alreday aged about 2 or 3 years old, so today it is about 13 years old. I have brought this bird through the birds exhibitions and championships over 3 years, at least. I put name for this bird as 'Gerhana' to be written on the certificates everytime it won the exhibition.

It could sings various songs. Its origin songs, duplicate songs and other weird strange songs. It is also a good bird who dare to sing at anytime, anywhere and at anyplace. Even when it is in the moulting period, as it seen in the picture [the picture is taken while it is moulting]. The singing style also good enough, especially when it is 'drunk', in the top form, top performance. I think I'll be patient, keep having it and taking care of it as it is always satisfiying my ears with its songs everyday.

The other Thrush I had were also Orange Headed, and one species came from Nusa Tenggara, 'Punglor Cendana'.

Asian Pied Starling/Pied Myna

Asian Pied Starling or Pied Myna, previously it had scientific name as Sturnus Contra, absolutely classified into Sturnidae. For the time being it is classified into the Genus of Gracupica and their name become Gracupica Contra. I do not know why they put this bird into that classification order.  But based on my opinion, this bird kind is close to Starling rather than to Myna.

Famously called Jalak Uret in Indonesia. They have black and white trimmed color over the whole body. Black head color, white chest, black tail, a little bit pink on creamy to grey leg, cream to yellow beaks with orange to red orbital skin. Some sub species may occurs regarding their local mutant habitat. The differential is only a little, such as additional red color in the beaks, or from other origin there were white colors above the beak in front of brow or eyes. This white feather's color had so many varies based on its origins.

The picture belows is taken from Wikipedia, shows the Asian Pied Starling for West Bengal, India Origin. See the detail, they had a little bit red color in their beaks and a little white color feathers in front of their eyes/above beaks.

It was the best one among 'Jalak' family. In the wild, they lived in the shallow trees forrest, paddy's field, near river/river banks, villages. Even in the past, when the people population is  not too rapid as today, they also live in the edge of small town in Java. They used to find worm,  snail or other insects in the rice fields, sometimes they became a good mate for bull, cow  or buffalo as they lived on the bull's back to take all mites and lice from their skin.

After big exploitation in late 60's to early 90's, they became rare in the wild in 90's. This condition is same as to what happened to Pycnonotus Zeylanicus that time. Fortunately, this  condition gave an oportunity to the breeders who could saw bright future and took the chance for trying to breed this bird kind. The result is, they have successfully breed them as the  commercial result also melting profits to them.

If you can find them now in the market, most of the Pied Myna wore ring on their leg. It shows that they are now the product of the breeders or farms. Only a little survived birds from the wild is traded today. It is a good sign, as they have a chance to be scored out from the mark of the red list member now.

This Picture is showing the Pied Starling from Java Origin. They had all black color cap, from base of beak to the end of cap, more lower black color on their chest.
If you try to feed them since they were baby with another adult birds collection you had, you better watch out as it is will resulting the Pied Myna with the songs copied from the birds you had. They are smart enough to reproduce the sound they heard everyday, especially if they are the youngster one.

In the early day I collect and take care songster birds, it was early 80's, the Pied Myna was the one of my favorite bird. It became the patron bird. Another function applied to this bird was the alarm to me. It was not a quiet bird, even in the middle of the night. Once they have a little bit hindrance to their sleep at night because of the person or other sound or light, crowdly they awaken. So, it is more safe to keep them as your live alarm, also protect from thieves. For this purpose, a lot of people in Java in the past put them in the house. Sounds like amazing thing, does it?

Bush 'Branjangan' Lark [Mirarva Javanicus]

Bush Lark, Mirarva Javanicus,or Branjangan in Indonesia name, was the most amazing and also the only ground bird, which used to be a collection pet bird in Indonesia. They had an amazing songs, loud sound [consider its small body size] and the most important is the way they acts when singing songs. They can singing while flying. The 'flying' is very funny as they fly almost only vertically, they could not do the horizontal direction as the other common birds. They use their foots rather than use the wings. That is the reason why they had been classified as the ground bird.

The pictures here I presented on the right side is my collection, the one and only one bush lark I had for the time being. I think I will collect another one, but regarding the number of the bird collections I had now, I have to re-consider that, I did not have much more time for daily activity for taking care of them all. Maybe later ...

The bird is seems not came from Java regarding its color, size and the physical acts [see and compare the other smaller pictures I attached - I forgot where these 2 pictures I get down loaded - maybe in 2005 when I stayed in Jakarta]. The color is too dark, too many brown. The size looks smaller than the Java's. The last one, usually bush lark from Java used to raise their cap feathers if they are male and adults, almost all the time. And this one I had was not like that. Seem it came from Nusa Tenggara or other islands near Bali [or the islands more to the east].

The first time I colect this bird kind was in 1996, or earlier .. I collected a couple. The one I get in Surabaya in 2001 was the greatest one. It came from a bird collector, which used it for bird exhibition or championship purpose. So, we shall know what quality bird was that. The bird was very dare to sing, in any time and any conditions. The sound was a super mega loud. The songs were quiet unique as I had made it records all the sounds I played from the electronic device, from CD player and also patronizing it by other birds such as Love Birds, Starling [Sturnus Contra], Prinias, and other common patron birds.

When I moved to Jakarta in 2005, I put the bird in my family hand. It did not get a good daily care/treatment for almost 2 years. So, in the end of 2006 I decided to transfer it to the care of a friend of mine, a bird lover, a collector, in Jakarta. His name is Mr. Widodo Lestari.
I brought the bird from Surabaya to Jakarta that time by night train, received by Mr. Wid @ 7 Jakarta time in Gambir, the Train Station. He had captured this bird acts once after he had this bird. I attached the short video capture for you can see it in here below.



Seems this gentleman still keep this bird for his collection until today. Unfortunaley, in the next couple weeks after I delivered the bird to the hand of Mr. Wid, I had received notification that I should moved back to Surabaya ... what a life.

The bird in the video was singing loudly while stretching its wings and vibrate it. It means it is threatening gesture toward other bush lark [other bird near by]. An invitation for a fight. As long as I have been informed by Mr. Wid, he also already had several bush lark stored in the same house. So, you can imagine what kind of sound he heard everyday if all of his bush lark are singing together in the same time. hohoho ... it must be very crowd, noisy and breaking the ears ...

Just look and see what is the cage for the bush lark is looks like. Refer to the way this bird fly and acts when it is singing, the cage for this bird also had unique design. The cage is tall enough to give a room and space for bird to fly vertically. The shape can be round or square. In the base of the cage, it must be flat and plain. The Sands or other coarse material should be put in a thin layer, as the bird has a unique behavior. They used to use the sand for bathing. Usually in the wild, this activity worked for the purpose of departing the mite or lice hide in their feather. The sands or ashes from ants nest are sometimes producing gas, which the mite or lice does not like it. In the middle of the cage's bottom, a vertical perch with a stone mounted on its top for the bird to rest their feet while sun bathing.

The birds exhibition or championship in Indonesia had been excluded this bird kind from the list since around 2003. This made the demand for this bird in Indonesia's market drastically goes down. The bird sellers does not in a rush no more to provide this bird. The collector who wants now collect this bird will meet a little bit difficulties to find a quality bird. Not so many quality birds are available in the market. I have checked this when I tried to find a good one last time. And if there any quality bush lark in the bird seller's hand, so it must be very high price they will offer it to the buyer.

Bar-Winged 'Prenjak Putih' Prinia

Bar-Winged Prinia [Prinia Familiaris] or Prenjak [Putih] as it is its name in Indonesia, belong to Family: Syviidae, adopting the note of Martin Strange, it has length about 13 cm. It is distinguished from other prinias by two bars in its wings. I do not know how to describe its sounds [in English], but according M. strange, the voice is: an explosive and high-pitched twee-wee-wee.

Well, the sound is the core point of this article. Can you imagine what an amazing sound is that?

Mr. Strange absolutely has done the detail survey to this species, but I could make note that one of his statement in his book 'Birds of Indonesia' was not really true: 'on Bali it feeds on rice in the family temples'. Yes, I could said that, because commonly the birds lover in Indonesia knows and it is well known that these birds will consumes insects only. It is very difficult to teach them to consume the industrial bird food products, so, to feed them with something like rice is very impossible. The Sparrow may did that and he saw those sparrows. But I also will say, if that thing is really happened, the prinia must be very hungry and got a huge starving feeling ... hahaha... [btw, nothing is impossible in the world, right..?]

Anyway, I had have this bird kind for many times before and for the note, I had specific condition for collecting and caring this bird: they has not to be an insects consumer only, they must take consume the industry made bird food also. The reason why I state this, because sometimes I am too busy with my job, my work, I can not always looking for them the insects from the market or the bird food seller. So, in emergency case [while I'm too busy] they must consume what is in the cage I prepared the daily diets for them. For if they are not to do that, they will not survive then.

Commonly, this bird can sing several type of songs. Usually about 5 [five] different songs, that was the common intelligent capability of this bird. If the bird was tamed since baby's age, about 3-5 weeks and never hear heir original song from other bird, they will adopt the sound of other bird they heard everyday. The sound must be closely the same to their own voice type. By the way, I ever heard a prinia, in a birds event/exhibition, which could sing the Yellow-Vented Bulbul's songs. Damned, I really feel very surprised that time... and of course, the owner put a high price on it when I asked him the value for that if he would like to sell it.

In Indonesia, usually the birds lover have this Prinia for the mastering purpose. The mastering has a meaning that the birds for the contest in Indonesia shall has various sounds, so this prinia will be the patron for the contest birds to duplicate its sounds.

Once I had found a bird, the prinia, which had amazing voice, so loud, the songs were unique and the bird was really dare to sing, challenging the other birds. That was when I used to work for a project in Bojonegoro in 2007. Unfortunately, the owner seem doesn't want to sell it. Baahh... made me really feel over disappointed.

I ever had a very good quality prinia, once in 1995, in Splendid Bird Market, Malang. I have to pay Rp. 60,000.- that time. That was a little bit higher than its common price that time. But it's o.k. for me because the bird was very dare to sing in the crowd and always singing. It also not too difficult in daily diet, fulfilled my specification I mentioned on above. Unfortunately, I was the one that quickly get bored to something I had for not so long period. I sell that bird when I got interested to other bird and I changed it.

Until today, I still hunting, looking for a quality prinia every time I had time to be spent to birds market or in friend collections. The picture I present on above was the Prinia I had today. It has a good song, an original one but not the common song. Usually they had single song to be repeated, but this one I had could sing two different voice to be repeated. That's why I collected it. It was a special one.

Yellow Rumped Seed Eater

Yellow Rumped Seed Eater or well known as Black Throated Canary, in its origin have been recognized in 7 [seven] different types, based on its origin area. The differences are in the color, shape and its song. The details of the difference is very limited, as you can only recognize it when they are placed together in the same place or close enough for us to see the differences. It is easier to see the differences if we could have those all kinds, but we can also can see those birds based on its pictures anyway. Some pictures belows may could show a little bit about the colors differential for us to get visualization or overview.


This pictures shows a kind of Yellow Rumped Seed Eater from Kenya origin. Their overall color is more brown, compare to other Yellow rump, which usually more gray in color. Another kind like this one, which have been introduced to Indonesia many years ago, used to be called by Indonesian birds lover as Kingstone or Senegal Black Throat. They had no black spots on the throat, but instead of that they have black color 'mustache' in the left & right side oh the throat, just like the mozambiq finch. Their sing abilities also not as good as the other kind.


This one in Indonesia used to be called as the Black Throat, from Boswana. The characteristics, which to be recognized by birds lover were black color in the throat is much more than other kinds, overall color is more gray than the brown, the white eye brow is duller that the upper kind/kenya or senegal. This kind has slighter body shape and also famous with its best singing abilities, covering the songs and the acts. Based on those superiorities, this kind became the most favorite one to be collected by birds lover in Indonesia. The higher price of this kind also automatically occurs.


The last picture is came from Southern Area [of Africa]. This kind is close to its relative, the Boswana origin, with darker gray colors, little bit bigger body diameter [looked more fatty] and different shape of head/top. The singing abilities is a little bit lower than the Boswana kind, as the song is too rapid in cadence and beats and the lower sound level.

Today, as some kinds of those Yellow Rumped Seeds Eaters, which have been introduced to Indonesia for few decades, have been lost in its details characteristic by the creativity of many breeders. So many kinds have been crossed to each kind, resulting so many hybrids, so we could not see clearly now where the differences are. But some original race in limited number is still exist in the hand of some limited breeders.

If you think you have other opinion or reference regarding those references on above, please do not hesitate to give and post your comments in the available space by clicking the comment's button below.

Western & Southern Citril

Western Citril

Western Citril, has been introduced to Indonesia in the late of 90's, when the singing finches were being very popular among the bird lovers in Indonesia. They like this bird kind regarding its songs, which sung very loudly and the songs it self were as good as black throat or gray finch. The defective of them was only the lack of tempo when its sings. The tempo is too fast, too rapid, while most of the bird lovers use this bird for guiding the other birds to duplicate the songs or being a patron. If the tempo is too fast, it is very difficult for other birds to follow and record in the way of song duplicating. This is becoming a matter of reason why the popularity of citril [famously well known and named in Indonesia as Green Master] was becoming unpopular. In exception of that reason, some bird lovers and breeder is still love to care them for several reasons.

That matter has an effect, the less popularity means less value or not profitable no more. So, as the birds were not imported no more, it was becoming rare in Indonesia.
Some breeder also well noted that those birds were successfully crossed and produced some nice hybrids, came from the black throat, gray finch, green finch or canary.

Southern Citril

This southern citril also introduced to Indonesia, as well as its relative, the western citril. The different, physically, between western & southern citril is very limited. Usually the differential could not be seen easily and clearly by common bird lovers. Especially if the birds does not placed together at the same place and same time. Absolutely the experts could see its different at the first sight.