Birds of a feather

Andrea Roberts
Times Intern

 

Surrounded by the soft chirps of zebra finches that he has bred and raised, Langdon local Nicholas Virag is at his happiest.
Virag’s passion for his feathered friends was first sparked by his grandfather, and for the past 20 years he has allowed that passion to grow, becoming a certified breeder of various birds that he exhibits in competitions and shows. Today, he is also the vice president of the relatively young Royal Alberta Cage Bird Club.
“Basically I am just trying to get a better quality bird,” said Virag. “So something you don’t usually see in a pet store. If you are looking for a bird bred by a breeder who knows what they are looking for in terms of genetics and backgrounds, come to us.”
Although Virag doesn’t have any formal training in breeding and raising caged birds, his experience has taught him everything he needs to know about genetics and bird care. For instance, zebra finches don’t require as much of his time because they raise their own young. Currently, he has about 10 different mutations of zebra finch, which he breeds to make the most interesting combinations as well as the best showing birds.
Virag is currently preparing for the Royal Alberta Cage Bird Club’s summer show, the Feather Fest, being held in August. At the show, the public will judge the birds on which looks the most interesting.
Virag used to breed a number of different species, such as parrots and cockatiels, but found that too often he would house a bird only for it to wind up at the Humane Society or up for resale. Virag explained that people often don’t realize the commitment that comes with owning a parrot as the birds generally have long life spans. He uses the example of his Senegal parrot which he’s had since it was a week old. The Senegal parrot, he noted, has the mentality of a two-year old child, but it lives as long as 30 years.
Today, Virag prefers breeding and raising the smaller finch species because they do not bond to people, they live for about five to seven years, and they remain happy so long as they have another finch in the cage with them.
Virag notes most of the members of the Royal Alberta Cage Bird Club breed smaller species as well. The club itself has been in existence for about four years and consists of members from Calgary and the surrounding areas.
“The bird community is quite small so we all try to support each other,” said Virag. “We’re a group of people taking pride in raising pure breed birds.”