What is your favorite bird? If you don't have a bird yet and could choose any bird, what bird would you choose and also why would you make that choice?

I have cared for finches for some 22 years now - mostly Zebra finches, but also society finches, owl finches, and spice finches. I cannot work in my study without the chirps of the females and the songs of the males (which they learn from their elders). The beautiful songs of our oldest finch, Winston, Jr., was learned from his Dad and which he has now taught to the two younger males that live here. One rather strange thing I do is to open one of the four cages early each evening to let the birds fly around my study (600 square feet). When I retire and turn out the lights, they invariably fly back into their cages and nests. Best wishes, Z. G. Standing Bear in Divide, Colorado USA

Now I know the secret to you always having a beautiful song in your heart, hedgehogs AND finches! I never realized their songs were passed from generations. To this day I learn something more about the amazing world of animals daily or more often. They never stop amazing me. They will always make me smile!

Oh, indeed! Birds, as I have been taught, engage in significant imitative behavior (as we humans do). Old Winston, Sr. had a beautiful set of songs he sang and his four sons picked up on that, and all of them sounded like the old man. They carried on when Winston died, and Winston, Jr., the last surviving son apparently taught the songs to the two other younger male finches here. They came in with fairly squawky incomplete songs, but picked up on the melodies of Winston, Jr.. Sort of like a young tenor studying under Luciano Pavarotti. Best wishes, Z. G. Standing Bear

The beautify of that story is comparative to a double rainbow. I have always stood firm that birds were capable of communication through human language and didn't mimic. Through my stubbornness it didn't occur to me that even we mimic to learn and then communicate. I enjoyed you story about Winston and the birds - a lot of food for thought. You always seem to know the heart of the animal.

I can honestly say I have never heard of this behavior. So I am just going to answer the original question.

I love my sun conures they are sweet, silly and gentle birds. Very loving. But, if we are dreaming and I would not trade in my conures I'd have to say the hyacinth macaw. They are so majestic, beautiful, seemingly gentle, intelligent...they are mesmerizing.

I have a unique position here in that my "work" is now teaching online college courses from my study, where the finches live. Of the eight of them, I readily recognize their chirps (the 4 females) and songs (the 3 males) and demanding chorus (the baby). We have not had babies here since 2004, when Snowball and Winston's clutch of six were born. But it has been a privilege to listen to their communications each day. Although they are wild birds, when I let them loose they tend to hang around me at my desk and I am convinced they are looking at what I am typing on the computer. There are only two birds flying around the study at one time (or one female who lives alone). Though the new parents have not been released since the birth of the baby - they need to tend to their parently duties. Best wishes, Z. G. Standing Bear

Z. G. Standing Bear, It sounds like you have a remarkable life. It would be lovely to do something you enjoy doing with your birds surrounding you. Such beauty.

I think it sounds like a wonderful way to have a less stressful environment to think. We have a lot of mature trees and a big yard with a whole lot of different birds and animals. Of course, I feed everyone to encourage them to stick around. I keep my windows open right next to my desk. I love listening and gazing out of the window.

Well, I'm an old man (71 years) and a disabled Vietnam combat veteran, yet I did devote 33 years to the Army (so I am not complaining). We (my wife and I) live at 9,000 feet elevation, halfway up Pikes Peak overlooking a small lake and so the wildlife is abundant, ducks, geese, hawks, eagles, exactly two blue herons, bears, two mountain lions, foxes, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, mule deer, elk, and a couple of pelicans (??). In fact, on our neighborhood web site at www.myspringvalley.org and can see a bear ambling across my front yard and a bald eagle perched on our flagpole. The climate is usually pleasant and dry - and we have almost no flying insects.