Bird

What we (don’t) know about parrot welfare: Finding welfare indicators through a systematic literature review

Parrots are popular companion animals but show prevalent and at times severe welfare issues. Nonetheless, there are no scientific tools available to assess parrot welfare. The aim of this systematic review was to identify valid and feasible outcome measures that...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Piseddu, A., Zeeland, Y. R. van, Rault, J.-L. 2024. What we (don't) know about parrot welfare: Finding welfare indicators through a systematic literature review. Animal Welfare 33, e57.

Less activity means improved welfare? How pair housing influences pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) behaviour

The activity level and specific behaviours exhibited by captive animals are crucial indicators of welfare. Stereotypies, or repetitive behaviours that have no apparent function or goal, are performed by animals experiencing poor conditions in their environment and indicate welfare concerns....

Year Published: 2024Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Wolff, L. M., Stevens, J. R. 2024. Less activity means improved welfare? How pair housing influences pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) behaviour. Animal Welfare 33, e49.

Familiarity of an environment prevents song suppression in isolated zebra finches

Despite the wide use of zebra finches as an animal model to study vocal learning and production, little is known about impacts on their welfare caused by routine experimental manipulations such as changing their social context. Here we conduct a...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Finch

Citation: Zai, A. T., Rodrigues, D. I., Stepien, A. E. et al. 2025. Familiarity of an environment prevents song suppression in isolated zebra finches. PLOS ONE 20(1), e0307126.

Social enrichment improves affective state and foraging behavior compared to physical enrichment, while maintaining growth performance in broiler chickens

Environmental enrichment is key for improving the broiler welfare in intensive production systems. This study lasted for 43 days and evaluated the effects of physical and social enrichment on broiler welfare. A total of 96 one-day-old male broilers were divided...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Herrera-Alcaíno, S., Luna, D., González-Pavez, J. et al. 2024. Social enrichment improves affective state and foraging behavior compared to physical enrichment, while maintaining growth performance in broiler chickens. Animals 14(22), 3186.

Do cockatiels choose their favourite tunes? Use of touchscreen for animal welfare enhancement and insights into musical preferences

Music may be one of the oldest forms of art, and its appreciation is thought to be universal among humans. Music could also represent a useful tool to improve captive animals' welfare, especially if individuals can choose the music they...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Le Covec, M., Di Stasi, R., Aimé, C. et al. 2024. Do cockatiels choose their favourite tunes? Use of touchscreen for animal welfare enhancement and insights into musical preferences. Animals 14(24), 3609.

Perches used as environmental enrichment influence fast-growth broilers’ biomechanics and locomotor morphometry at the age of 42 days

Currently available conventional breeding methods for broilers often result in impaired biomechanics and skeletal growth for the animals. The addition of environmental enrichment is an alternative which can help alleviate these effects. This study examines the effects of environmental enrichment...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Nazareno, A. C., Silveira, R. M. F., Fernandes, D. P. B. et al. 2024. Perches used as environmental enrichment influence fast-growth broilers' biomechanics and locomotor morphometry at the age of 42 days. PLOS ONE 19(11), e0313214.

The effect of rearing and adult environment on HPA axis responsivity and plumage condition in laying hens

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis responsivity is influenced by early life experience and also modified by the environment an individual experiences as an adult. Because laying hens are transferred from rearing to laying farms at 16–18 weeks of age, they are...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Nordgreen, J., Dumontier, L., Smulders, T. V. et al. 2024. The effect of rearing and adult environment on HPA axis responsivity and plumage condition in laying hens. Animals 14(23), 3422.

What are the priority welfare issues facing parrots in captivity? A modified Delphi approach to establish expert consensus

Parrots (Psittaciformes) are widely kept in captivity, yet their welfare is under-researched in comparison to other captive species. This study aimed to determine key welfare issues affecting parrots through a modified Delphi approach. Twenty-eight welfare issues were first compiled via...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Chalmers, R., Cooper, J., Ventura, B. 2024. What are the priority welfare issues facing parrots in captivity? A modified Delphi approach to establish expert consensus. Animal Welfare 33, e54.

Individual behavior and housing setup interact to influence markers of welfare in the critically endangered Hawaiian crow

While some stress can be beneficial for survival, identifying drivers of detrimental stress is essential for improving animal welfare and reproductive outcomes in conservation breeding programs. We examined the interaction between housing and behavioral indicators of temperament, both of which...

Year Published: 2025Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Gosselin, R. P., Flanagan, A. M., Mendl, M. et al. 2025. Individual behavior and housing setup interact to influence markers of welfare in the critically endangered Hawaiian crow. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 282, 106475.

Poultry enrichment in a research setting

Poultry, like all purpose bred birds, are one of the handful of animals that are not a covered species by the USDA in a research setting. While there are recommendations for husbandry and care available, there are not many defined...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Scamardo, A., 2024. Poultry enrichment in a research setting. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 12(6) (November/December), 25-28.