A strange observation that I made very early on is that even healthy
finches seek out medicines in their environment. It is not just sick finches that have this urge to seek out medicines around
them.
Not only that but healthy finches insist in consuming the
same small amount of various non-antibiotic medicinal drinks or items every day.
Through experimentation, I found an antiprotozoal solution, an antibacterial
solution and an antifungal solution that my finches of several African species drank quite willingly every day. I give full
details on these drinks and many other medicinal items in my article on self-medication in Estrildid finches.
I am of the opinion that this insistence of healthy
finches of several species drinking a small and constant amount of various medicinal drinks every day will shed new light
into what maintains bird health in the wild.
Otherwise the birds would not insist. If this behavior was a mere
fad, the birds would simply not persevere the way they do.
I have further observed that over time, every few months say, healthy
finches may change their preferred medicinal drink i.e. they may start drinking more antiprotozoal drink than the antibacterial
one. Or more antifungal solution than antibacterial solution. But when this occurs, the healthy finches stick to drinking
the new amount constantly every day until they decide to change their preferences again.
© 2008 William Astor. All
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