Silver-eared Mesia scientific name: Leiothrix, alias red-billed jade, red-billed green Guanyin, love bird, in the West called "Naiding" (love bird). One of the two species of Acacia thrush, which inhabits the plains and hills at an altitude of 1,000 meters.

The red-billed acacia has gorgeous feathers, lively movements, graceful gestures, and melodious sounds, and is very popular among people. However, its song is monotonous compared with other songbirds of the thrush subfamily, and it is not easy to imitate, so bird breeders multiply its feather color.

There are two species of Acacia in this genus: Tremella Acacia and Red-billed Acacia, both of which are distributed in China and live in the Yangtze River Basin and the vast area of Jiangnan. The two types are similar in appearance. 

Chinese name: Acacia

Latin name: Leiothrix argentauris

Alternative name: Beijing Nightingale or Chinese Nightingale

Second name Method: Huangzuiyu

Kingdom: Animalia

Domain: Chordate

Class: Avian

Order: Passerine Order

Family: Thrushidae

Genus: Acacia

Distribution: From the Himalayas to Indochina, once introduced to Hawaii

Appearance  

Acacia is small in body, 105-180 mm in length; the beak is thick and strong, about half the length of the head; the nostrils are bare. The sexes are generally similar. It is a typical species of the Orient and is distributed from India to the east to Vietnam and Indonesia. China is distributed south of the Qinling Mountains. Lively, with gorgeous feathers and melodious singing, it is a precious caged bird. It is omnivorous and eats seeds and fruits in addition to insects such as ladybugs and weevil.

Classification

There are two types of acacias, the white-eared acacia and the red-billed acacia. The white-eared Acacia has a black head, silver-gray ear feathers, a yellow bill, and the base and corners of the upper bill are brown. Often inhabits hills and plains at an altitude of 1000 meters, forming small groups of 8 to 10, and moving in shrubs, bamboo forests and evergreen broad-leaved forests. The beak is bright red; the upper body is dark gray-green from head to tail; the chin is yellow; the chest is orange-yellow; the abdomen is pale white; the tail coverts are pale yellow. The ecological habits are similar to those of the white fungus acacia.

Leiothrix argentauris (scientific name: Leiothrix argentauris),

also known as red-billed jade, colorful acacia, red-billed acacia, etc., one of two kinds of birds in the genus Leiothrix argentauris , is a migratory bird that migrates above sea level.

About 14 cm in length. The mouth is bright red; the upper body is olive green, the face is pale yellow; the two wings have obvious red-yellow wing spots, the chin, throat to chest are brilliant yellow or orange, and the abdomen is milky yellow.  The red-billed acacia has gorgeous feathers, lively movements, graceful posture, and melodious singing, and is very popular among people. However, its song is monotonous compared with other songbirds of the thrush subfamily, and it is not easy to imitate, so bird breeders multiply its feather color.

The average weight of the red-billed acacia is about 21.4 grams , and the body length is about 15 cm; the back feathers are dark green, the head is slightly yellow, the chest is yellow, the wing feathers are brightly colored, and the tail has a small Fork; bisexual plumage similar.

It has yellow, grey, red and black markings. The average length is 15 cm, and the sound is short and pleasant. The red-billed acacia (L.lutea) has golden throat, orange or red breast, yellow wings and blue (male red) markings, blue tail, fork-shaped, outwardly curved; once introduced to Hawaii; acacia Also known as Chinese Nightingale or Beijing Nightingale. Distribution areas include: southeastern Tibet, Yunnan (western, southern, eastern), southwestern Guangxi, India, Sikkim, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and the western mountainous area of Sumatra in Indonesia.

The average body weight of the white fungus acacia is about 28.4 grams. Habitats include plantations, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical (lowland) moist sparse shrubs, subtropical or tropical high-altitude sparse shrubs, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Habitat

Living from plain to altitude Mountainous areas of 2000 meters, often inhabit in the shrubs or bamboo forests of evergreen broad-leaved forests, evergreen and deciduous mixed forests, and rarely move at the forest margins. They are not only active in the lower layer of the trees, but also often go to the middle layer or the crown of the tree to forage, and occasionally go to the ground to find food.

Sociable

Sexy in groups or mixed with other birds, males and females are inseparable, lively and agile, not afraid of people.

Food

The staple food is various insects and larvae, as well as the fruits and seeds of plants. It is an omnivorous bird. Breeding begins in late April and continues into June.

Breeding Habits

Nests on thorns or dwarf trees in various types of forests, including coniferous, evergreen, and weeds. The nest is deep cup-shaped, composed of leaf stems, bamboo leaves, grass or other soft materials mixed with a little moss, and covered with fine roots or slender grass. Nests are often hung on vertical or horizontal branches of shrubs or dwarf bamboos 0.5-1 m above the ground. Each nest lays 3-5 eggs, which are greenish-white to light greenish-blue with scattered dark spots.

Acacia has high requirements on the environment, and canaries or tiger skins can be used to raise this bird. The parrot's cage should be kept clean and hygienic; the temperature is generally controlled between 15-28 degrees, and a water basin should be kept in the cage in summer to let it bathe. Usually, you should walk the birds often. In the cold winter in the north, you should pay attention to keeping warm, and the bird cage should be covered with a cage. The feed for acacias can be soybean meal, corn meal, appropriate fishMix flour and boiled eggs as a staple food, and usually add appropriate vegetables and mealworms. During the incubation and brooding period, pay attention to increasing egg food and live bait. In addition, pay attention to the behavior of the bird stealing eggs, and do not mix with other small finches.

Characteristics of cages

There is no strict standard. There are some chin cages and bright bottom jade bird cages. Bamboo cages can be made by yourself, the size is between the thrush cage and the point chin cage, the spacing between the strips is 1.8 cm, the bottom is bright, there is a fecal support plate under it, and a perching bar is set. Because birds eat a lot and like to take a bath, they should sprinkle water as soon as they see it. Therefore, the food and water cans should be deep and large, and a small thrush can be used.

Feed and Feeding Method

The northern acacia mostly feeds on eggs, millet, or egg yolk rubbed cornmeal (3:7). Indigestion and feather fading are more serious. Raising red-billed acacias in the south is inseparable from peanut powder. The approximate ratio is: 0.5 kg of cornmeal, 4 raw eggs, mix well, bake dry, and add 200 grams of peanut powder. Fruits, berries, insects and their larvae (or fresh beef and mutton minced) should also be fed regularly.

1. Artificial feed and feed formulations

The artificial feed is mainly soybean meal, corn meal, and cooked eggs; followed by fish meal, silkworm pupae powder; Wait. In summer, use mung bean flour instead of soybean flour, and use duck eggs instead of eggs; in winter, it is best to feed 4 to 6 skin worms or 6 to 11 pine caterpillars every day; the supply of insects must be ensured during the estrus and moulting periods; the moulting period must be supplemented with For feeds with more calcium, increase the feeding amount of colored feeds (such as bright red peppers, carrots, etc.).

2. Feed preparation

In order to facilitate the digestion and absorption of birds and avoid the occurrence of diseases such as diarrhea, the corn and soybeans should be washed and steamed in a pot until they are seven mature. , and then dried and ground into powder. When feeding powdered feed, a small amount of water should be added and mixed well. Acacia birds eat a lot every day, so they must add feed frequently, and pay attention to the constant water in the drinking bowl.