parrots-msg - 1/5/19
Period parrots. Cages.
NOTE: See also the files: Aviculture-art, p-falconry-bib, falcons-hwks-lnks, falconry-msg, bestiaries-msg, Featherd-Gold-art, fowls-a-birds-msg, pets-msg.
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From the fb "SCA Library of Alexanderia" group:
Diana Suciu
April 11, 2018 at 9:12am
So I am looking for two things for a project I am wondering if anyone has any experience or sources on the matter. I'm doing research on parrots in period:
I've been trying to find more biologic/naturalism texts where some of these parrots are scientifically described, specifically in Africa and Asia (I have managed to find several late period sources describing the taxonomy of parrots in South America but have found no references of anyone doing the same for the 'old world' birds until around 1700, which seems weird to me...also in the 1700s they overhauled the 15-1600s taxonomy of the south american birds, changed their names and such, so I am wondering if the same thing is true for the other birds, and I'm just not finding the right texts)
Also does anyone have any information on how parrots or birds were kept as pets. Other than some paintings relevant to period that show people posing with pet parrots, and a few items I can see included, I have very little information about period aviculture. If anyone has any references for that would be greatly appreciated.
Karen Harris
http://www.larsdatter.com/birdcages.htm
Birdcages in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
LARSDATTER.COM
Diana Suciu
I do have them as a source! Most of the cages seemed a bit small and flimsy for a parrot. But who am I to say. I did find some references to alexandrine parrots being kept in cages like that I guess other parrots could have been too. (Maybe I'm too used to the idea that birds of different sizes get different sized cages)
I have been thinking about this post... As an avid birdkeeper, I keep my babies in small cages for sleeping at night. I then let them roam on large perches during the day. Perhaps these small cages were similar in nature and served as sleeping cages, not necessarily as homes. Birds kept in tiny cages are VERY interested in getting out and would have been even easier to tame to hold in the hand, etc. African Congo parrots are super sensitive and intelligent compared to the more common (to NA residents) south american ones, I would imagine they would be VERY easy to tame into living on a perch full-time.
OTOH, cages were RIDICULOUSLY small until relativley recently in history. Most pre-1960 and antique bird cages (even for larger species like macaws and cockatoos) are considered by the parrot community as just too small to keep birds inside of humanely. Its alot like the bars on older cribs - no longer considered safe to use. Those teeny cages are one of the reasons one rarely sees anyone using older cages (that are still in good condition) as homes for birds no matter how nice or ornate they are.
Wish I had some period resources to share with you, but I do not. I do, however, have several parrots which I am willing to help you spend time testing any behavioral hypothesis upon - as long as they are safe, ofc.
Source: live with several large parrots, including an African parrot.
Diana Suciu
I have. CAG parrot too I've tested a few (vet approved) parrot treats on her just for fun.
The issue is most period cages i found are wood and a bigger parrot can get through that no problem. And only a few are metal. And my grey couldn't even fit inside the metal artifacts i found (used a measuring tape to check my birds dimensions to confirm). I am sure there are larger cages and there is reference to a papal aviary in one book i've found. I've found some paintings with stands in them.
I think it just depends how much time the person had to work with the birds. I have found reference to an Iron bar used for parrot training. What type I don't know. I would guess target training but the book just calls it 'discipline training'.
Can't find any reference to if wings were clipped or not if the bird was out of the cage. There is a journal account of a parrot following a noble woman around a room like a puppy. But no saying if it flew or walked or anything.
I have quite a bit of info, but of course never enough hahahaha.
Karen Harris
"Medieval Pets" also has several references to keeping birds (& parrots) as pets -- https://amzn.to/2qnDYv5
Galefridus Peregrinus
You might try scanning a few medieval bestiaries. I found this from a simple Google search on “parrot medieval bestiary:”
http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast235.htm
Kim Salazar
I don't know if this helps, but I remember some parrots in the late-lamented, Bibliodyssey collection.
One in a splash page from a 1504 manuscript: http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/.../bodleian-library...
A deck of cards that used parrots as one of the suits, circa 1500:
http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/.../round-playing-cards...
The Bodleian Library Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts
BIBLIODYSSEY.BLOGSPOT.COM
Diana Suciu
Oh that is really cool! I've seen parrots occasionally on manuscript pages (though if the type of bird was real or not is sometimes dubious based on modern descriptions) but this one looks good.
I quite like the card deck. That is very interesting!
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