FINCHforum

i don't know if this is in the right section but as it pertains to my flocks health i thought maybe it was the righting forum.

i just planted a trumpet vine also known as a hummingbird vine in my aviary, currently there are no birds in it so its not of immediate importance. i have been trying to determine whether this plant is safe, it is also know as a chalice vine.

a lot of info say this plant is great as finches, and all types of birds eat the seeds it produce when flowering, but then the conflicting info says its toxic... but it does not state why it is toxic. if anyone has more detailed info on this plant could you elaborate? its a beautiful vine and would love to have it in the aviary creating natural nesting sites for my flock. but if its harmful, i would like to know why it is.
thanks in advance

I wish I could help you with this, but I find the whole subject of toxic and non-toxic plants very confusing. There are lists and lists, but little explanation as to why these things are not good.

One list says pothos is toxic. I have pothos ivy in pots sitting on top of some of my cages, with the vine hanging down into the cages. The leaves get shredded. I've had no problem with sick birds from this.

I had a small room set up for free flight at one time. I had numerous potted household plants set around the room. I later found out some of them are on the toxic list--dieffenbachia, philodendron--yet I never had a problem with the birds.

I have a yellow trumpet vine on my fence, which attracts hummingbirds--why don't they get sick from it? And the native orange trumpet vine grows like a weed all over this area--shouldn't we have dead birds beneath all these vines?

I think sometimes owners of hookbills need to be concerned much more with toxicity of plants. I use native branch material for perches. I just go out and cut some wood, with never a thought as to whether it is poisonous or not--am I being careless?

Perhaps when people have had problems, it was from using wood that had been sprayed with pesticides? When I lived in Houston, during mosquito season, trucks would come around in the evening, spraying toxic chemicals in the air.

I haven't been of any help at all, have I? Hopefully, someone will answer who has either used trumpet vine or knows why it shouldn't be used.