History of bird-keeping and the teaching of tricks using Cyanistes varius (varied tit) in Japan

Abstract

The keeping of pet birds in Japan is reviewed with emphasis on Cyanistes varius (varied tit). Traditionally, bird-keeping in Japan was mainly for the enjoyment of their songs. Songbird competitions were popular and training of birds to sing was common, especially in the Edo Era from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, which meant that it was known that birds learn to sing and have dialects in their songs. There were districts famous for producing birds with beautiful voices. Within the bird-keeping culture of Japan, the varied tit had a specific image, which was different from other birds. They were trained to perform tricks and were used in street performances from the Edo Era until the middle of the twentieth century, when the tradition disappeared. The decline of the bird-keeping culture and the training of tricks may benefit the conservation of wild birds, but it also marks the loss of an ancient cultural tradition in Japan.