Bird-keeping and the development of ornithological science

Abstract

We review the growth of knowledge in several areas of ornithology, and demonstrate the important, but largely unrecognized role of European bird-keeping in the development of several different areas of bird study. By ignoring the early bird-keeping literature, historians of ornithology have overlooked many significant observations. There are several reasons why the role of bird-keeping has been ignored, including the shifting boundaries of scientific ornithology and the varying relationship between bird-keeping and ornithology. We review the significance of observations of captive birds to ornithology and show that they have made important and previously unrecognized contributions to the following aspects of bird biology: song acquisition, function and anatomy; territory; breeding biology; external genitalia; migration; instinct and learning.

Understanding the motivations for keeping wild birds in the semi-arid region of Brazil

“…Because of the variety of species, their colourful plumage, small size, ease of maintenance in captivity, ease of transportation, and excellent singing capacity [ 10 , 57 , 58 ], Passeriformes are the most common birds in the world of illegal bird-keeping and trade, and these factors also govern the choice of bird species in the study area, located in the semi-arid region of Brazil, where bird-keeping is mainly associated with cultural issues, becoming a challenge from a sustainable and conservationist point of view [ 18 , 59 ]. The necessity to consider the sociocultural context in conservation actions of wild birds on this region has been evidenced in recent ethnoornithological studies, which confirm the strong usage of birds for breeding and commercial purposes in several Brazilian semi-arid zones, although the legislation prohibits the use of wildlife in the country [ 17 , 18 , 23 , 32 , 33 , 42 , 60 – 66 ].…”

Samuel Pepys’s hand-coloured copy of John Ray’s ‘The Ornithology of Francis Willughby’ (1678)

“…None of these minute details were mentioned by Ray (1678, pp 247-249), and thus must have been determined by the artist. However, all three species would have been relatively common cage birds in the seventeenth century, and would have been familiar to most people (Birkhead and van Balen 2008). The Bullfinch is also shown with a bright red innermost primary which Ray (1678) does describe, 5 though this colour is best characterized as rosy-pink (Cramp and Perrins 1994, p. 815), and is almost invisible when the bird is perched.…”

Songbirds and Social Distinction in Seventeenth‐Century England

“…This process was known as 'stopping'. 95 Around the end of May, an owner would begin reducing the amount of light that a bird received, eventually creating an entire blackout room which no light could enter. During this time, 'no body must come in there but their Keeper, and he with a Candle once in three days' to provide fresh food and water.…”

“…During this faux winter, the bird would moult and replume, emerging towards the end of August in full song ready for what it expected to be spring. 98 These three methods for surpassing the natural limitations of birdsong were the marks of a well-trained and valuable bird. Therefore, it is regarding these practices that the manuals cast the most judgement upon those who fail to follow the gentlemanly model.…”