The nightingale is often kept as a cage-bird, and if taken before the nesting season soon grows to like its prison life, but if taken after it has joined its mate it will pine away and die. It is best to take it from the nest when young and bring it up by hand. In its wild state its song ends with the end of the nesting season, but in the cage it is kept up for a much longer time and is very pleasing.
For an American nightingale we have the mocking-bird, a sweet night singer which, as I have said, is given that name in the West Indies. Another is a variety of the Grosbeak, called the Cardinal Bird from its red color. This is called the Virginia Nightingale in England and is one of the finest American song-birds. Its loud, clear, sweet song is heard chiefly in the mornings and evenings and the beauty of its plumage adds to its attraction.
The thrushes are also fine cage-birds, the black thrush having a lively whistle and the art of taking up the songs of other birds. In this it is far from equal to the mocking bird, but with care can be taught to sing a number of bird airs.
The Song-thrush or Mavis of England is well-known through Europe as a singer of fine powers, one of the best of the songful train and a rival of the nightingale in its power of song. Another of the same tribe is the Missel-thrush, with a good voice but not the equal of that of the Mavis.
One of the sweetest of American bird singers is the Wood-thrush or Hermit-thrush, not as a cage-bird but as a haunter of secret places, from which its voice comes rich and full, sweet and placid, like the notes of a flute sounded in the morning air.
So far I have spoken only of the singing and whistling of birds, but there are other things they can be taught. Many have seen trick birds—the goldfinch, the canary, and other birds—that could do wonderful feats. They have been taught to fire little cannons, to pretend to be dead, to climb a ladder, to stand unmoved when fireworks were set off, and many other things of strange kind.
But if those who have seen these tricks knew how the birds were taught they would never go again to see them, for it is said to be done by cruelty. But there are bird tricks in which no cruelty is needed. Thus a bird may be taught to draw up water to his cage by means of a tiny chain and pail, pulling at the chain with his beak and holding every link drawn up with his feet. He may also be taught to ring for his food. A little bell is hung in a corner of his cage and he is kept a few hours without seed. Then, by a thread fastened to the bell, it is rung and at once a few seeds are put in the bird's seed cup. The little chap soon learns that he is fed when the bell rings and it will not be long before he will pull the thread and ring the bell himself.
THE PARROT AS A TALKER
Chief among the talking birds are the parrots. These quaint and curious winged chatterers have long been kept in the home of man, for we have tales of them more than two thousand years old. It was 1504 when the first parrot reached England, but now they are to be seen in all parts of the world, some kept for their brilliant colors, some for their wonderful power of speech.
Best known among them as a cage-bird is the Gray-parrot, the ablest talker of the family, the amusing Poll-parrot seen in so many homes. Though a cage is provided, they become such home-bodies as to be given all the liberty they want, being often free to go about the house, though they look upon the cage as their special dwelling place.