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| Softbill Photos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright 2004 Rare Feather Aviary All Rights Reserved |
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| What is a softbill? A most asked question since the word softbill is used to describe a wide variety of birds. In general, a softbill is a bird that eats soft type foods -nectar, insects, fruits not to be mistaken for a finch that may include soft foods in a mostly seed diet when rearing young (waxbills are a good example). |
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| Red Crested Touraco (Tauraco erythrolophus) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| There are basically four type of softbill - based on the type of soft foods eaten - Frugivore, Insectivores. Nectivore, and Omnivore. Frugivores are mostly fruit eating birds where as Insectivores are insect eaters, Nectivores seek out nectar, and Omnivores eat all of the above. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Red Crested Cardinal (Paroaria cucullata) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Softbill, because of their requirements, are more challeging to breed than finches, although you do have species that are rather easy to breed. A hand raised softbill makes for an awesome pet given the proper accommodations. From my experience a hand raised touraco makes an intriguing pet with loads of personality. There are softbills known for their song like the Shama thrush, others for their speaking ability like the Myna bird and there are softbills with the most beautiful colors like that of the Tanager family. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Wbite Eye Zosterop (Zosterops palpebrosa) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Amethyst Starling male (Cinnyricinlus leucogaster) along with a Rosy Bourke (Neopsephotus bourkii) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| MORE SOFTBILLS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||