Adopting a pet bird is a bigger decision than choosing to adopt many other types of animals. Parrots and parakeets often have very long lifespans, so the decision to welcome one of these beautiful creatures into our lives is a long-term commitment. People often think of birds as beautiful things to have, almost like a decoration for their home. All too often, pet birds are bought on impulse without any understanding or knowledge about what it means to be a bird owner or what their care, housing and feeding require, and that\u2019s not even mentioning the noise.<\/p>\n
When I was younger, I begged my parents for a pet bird. I saw pictures of beautiful, graceful, colorful little parakeets and wanted one of my own so badly. They gave in and I became the proud owner of two parakeets \u2013 one blue and one green. One of the rules to having these pets, though, was that I had to learn for myself what they needed and how to take care of them, so I visited the library and over time, took out every book they had on parakeets and owning pet birds. That\u2019s when I realized just how much work my sweet little Pete and Jane actually were. Because they lived in a cage, they were completely dependent on me for all their food, cleanliness, entertainment and safety needs. This meant cleaning their cage daily, providing clean water and fresh food, rotating their toys regularly to keep them fresh and stimulating, and ensuring their safety. Word to the wise: my parakeets eventually learned how to open the doors to their own cages and let themselves out, so don\u2019t think that just because they\u2019re in a cage that they\u2019re \u201clocked up\u201d. Parrots and parakeets are incredibly intelligent, and their owners often underestimate them. I certainly did!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also important to consider where you live when deciding on what type of bird best suits you. If you live in a quiet apartment your neighbors might not appreciate lovebirds\u2019 shrieking or a large, loud parrot. Larger birds like cockatoos and macaws will also need need a considerably larger cage than parakeets or cockatiels.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve made the decision that you want to adopt a bird, you\u2019ll want to consider what type of bird you want, but also what type the space of your home allows and how much time you\u2019ll be able to spend with it. If you\u2019re looking for a more \u201cdecorative\u201d bird, a canary or finch is what you\u2019d want. Parrots and parakeets are highly intelligent animals that will not do well to spend hours and hours alone in a cage, without much attention. <\/p>\n
Many of the larger species like macaws, African gray parrots, amazons and cockatoos bond strongly to their owner, so you\u2019d need to spend a tremendous amount of time with these birds or they will become lonely, frustrated and potentially engage in self-harming behaviors as a result. The smaller species such as budgies (parakeets) and cockatiels are more social with each other and easier to care for, especially if they have a companion. One thing to note, however, is that a bird with a companion is more likely to bond to the other bird and want to spend less time with you. If what you\u2019re hoping for is a very personable pet bird and you have the time to spend with it, adopting a single bird is most likely going to provide the friendly companion you had in mind.<\/p>\n
A common misconception about caring for pet birds, and especially parrots and parakeets, is that they only eat birdseed. While seeds do make up a large part of a bird\u2019s diet, especially the smaller species like parakeets and cockatiels, a seed-only diet will leave a parrot deficient in several vitamins and minerals, and it\u2019s overall health will be poor. Better-quality seed mixtures will also have high amount of pelleted food mixed in, and some birds are on a pellet-based diet rather than a seed-based diet. Pellets are to birds what kibble is to dogs, it is specially designed to be nutrient-balanced and able to meet a parrot\u2019s basic dietary requirements on a broader spectrum than seeds are. Pellets are available in array of brands and sizes for most bird species. A truly rounded diet, though, will include fresh fruits and vegetables that are safe for your bird to eat. Many even enjoy sampling from their owner\u2019s dinner plate!<\/p>\n
Fresh water must be available at all times, and hygiene is a must. Parrots use their bills like we would use our hands, to touch, feel and explore, as well as tasting and eating. Developing and maintaining a regular daily cleaning schedule will help keep droppings out of inquisitive bird mouths (yeah, gross!).<\/p>\n
Birds need daily exposure to direct sunlight or full-spectrum lighting, specifically for the UVA and UVB rays, so that their bodies can produce adequate amounts of vitamin D. Besides being critical to their immune and respiratory health, egg-laying females require enough of this vitamin to produce strong-shelled eggs and healthy young.<\/p>\n
All birds produce feather dander, but some species produce a considerable amount of dust, such as cockatiels and cockatoos, and are called \u201cpowder birds\u201d. The dust is natural, is made up mostly of keratin, and is produced by the bird itself, but this dust can be a challenge to clean up after. HEPA filters can help control it as well as frequent cage cleaning. People with breathing problems or allergies should not keep powder birds since it can aggravate these issues.<\/p>\n
Parrots and parakeets are extremely intelligent animals, in fact researchers studying African gray parrots found their intelligence to be equivalent to a 2 year old human child. Because of their intelligence, they\u2019re also likely to become extremely bored without enough to keep them occupied. Parrots love to chew things, and rest assured if it\u2019s not chewing up the beautiful toy that you bought for it, it\u2019ll be chewing up your beautiful furniture, anything within reach of it\u2019s cage, your power cords, and all of your beautiful house plants. A parrot\u2019s instinct to shred things is very strong, so providing toys that are designed to be ripped and torn apart will satisfy this need deeply, and can help prevent self-harming behaviors due to frustration.<\/p>\n
There are lots of different kinds of toys available for different sized birds and their various needs. Small birds like parakeets will like things such as beads, mirrors, plastic rings, bells, and so forth. Large birds like macaws will need much sturdier toys leather strips, Manzanita branches, colorful, bird-safe blocks, dumbells they can hold with their feet, and knotted ropes. Many parrot owners like to create their own bird toys from various parts and pieces that can be bought from specialty stores for just this purpose.<\/p>\n
The amount of attention a bird needs varies depending on the species. But above all, a single bird will always need more attention from you than a bird with a companion. The decision to get your bird a partner should include not just the type of relationship you expect from it, but also the amount of time you\u2019re realistically going to be able to spend with it.<\/p>\n
Small birds like parakeets are extremely gregarious and social. Many times, having a companion bird will satisfy all of it\u2019s socialization needs and you will probably be an afterthought. With cockatiels, once the bird has formed a strong relationship with you, a bird friend will keep it happy but it will still crave attention from you. When I was 13, I had a cockatiel named Missy. He (to our amusement, I didn\u2019t know at the time that all young cockatiels have female colouring) was my only cockatiel until a friend gave me their female lutino, Julie. Their relationship was pretty rocky at first, Missy wanted nothing to do with Julie, all he wanted was me and to hang out with me. She kept trying, and would him to preen her crest, which he\u2019d respond by plucking one of her feathers! Over time, they got along better and better, and eventually even successfully raised a brood together. But Missy never stopped being bonded to me foremost, which probably interfered with his acceptance of Julie. This is something to consider if you\u2019re hoping to introduce a companion at a later age.<\/p>\n
Larger parrots like macaws, amazons, African grays, and cockatoos need and demand a lot of socialization and interaction with their owners, if they\u2019re tamed and bonded. Cockatoos especially love cuddling with their owners. But when these birds are confined to a cage for too long, or lonely or bored, they exhibit that frustration by feather plucking, screaming, with aggressive behavior and biting. Once started, feather plucking is a very difficult habit to break in some birds. These birds literally chew, bite off or pull out their own feathers leaving bald patches that may be isolated to one part of its body, or in every area the bird is able to reach. Usually a vet or a parrot behavior specialist can help identify the reason a bird is self-harming.<\/p>\n
This is the single most important item you can buy for your bird. Its cage is where your bird will spend most of its time. Cages come in all shapes and sizes for almost any size bird or need. You\u2019ll probably need two of them, one daily cage that your bird will live in, and a travel cage for vet appointments and such.
\nThere are a few important basics to know when buying a cage for your feathered companion. The most obvious is — the larger the cage the better! Your bird will most likely spend most of its time here, so to ensure that it gets enough exercise, for larger birds the cage must be large enough for it to at least fully extend its wings. For smaller birds that are more active, it should be able to jump from perch to perch while flapping its wings.
\nHorizontal bars, while not a necessity, will make it much easier for your bird\u2019s feet to maneuver and for it to climb around. And for large birds with powerful beaks that can rip through thin, flimsy metal, the bars should be thick and made of wrought iron. A nice cage feature on large cages is a built in metal \u201cskirt\u201d that helps contain messes.
\nFinally, and importantly I want to stress that you should avoid decorative cages. These were not designed with the bird in mind, but instead to look a certain way. While a functional cage CAN be nice-looking, most importantly it needs to be functional, safe and sturdy. Some decorative parakeet cages are made with plastic tops that can lift right off and sit precariously on a 3-legged stand. Imagine if something were to bump into that cage, it would knock right over and the top would fall off. If you happen to own other pets such as cats or dogs, and the room wasn\u2019t safe for them to play in, the result could be tragic. Above all, invest in a well-constructed cage that is safe and created specifically for your type of bird, by a reputable company. Look for one that is well-reviewed by other bird owners, so you know what you\u2019re getting.<\/p>\n
Here are some of my top picks!<\/p>\n
Occasionally, bird owners will want to try to breed their pets, especially the smaller varieties like lovebirds, parakeets and cockatiels. When male and female are kept together, it may be nearly impossible to keep them from attempting to mate and produce young! You can make this easier for them by purchasing a nesting box in the appropriate size and shape for the type of bird and attaching it to the cage. While all parrot and parrot-like birds will nest in a box, each species has it\u2019s own particular need as to what this box should be like or what needs to be in it. Parakeets like to nest on a bare wood nest box that only has a concave for the eggs, to keep them from rolling around. Cockatiels on the other hand, will appreciate a nice layer of wood chips in their nest box.<\/p>\n
With larger species like cockatoos, I don’t recommend or encourage hobby breeding your pet. These species can be very aggressive toward their mates, large nest boxes with two openings, for the persecuted bird to escape from is essential. From there, nature will take it\u2019s course, but there are some things to know to help the process go smoothly and healthy for parents and babies. You can read more about this subject here.<\/p>\n
Birds are vulnerable to many potential hazards in the average home. Remember how miners would bring a canary into a mineshaft to check for dangerous gasses? This is because all birds\u2019 respiratory systems are sensitive to the smallest amount of chemicals in the air. It\u2019s extremely important to avoid using perfumes, fragrances and scented cleaners anywhere around your bird. These can kill any bird before you\u2019d even be able to smell them. Also, Teflon is another common yet deadly item. When overheated, Teflon let\u2019s off fumes that are odorless to us but deadly to birds.<\/p>\n
If your bird is still capable of flying \u2014 some with clipped wings can get much farther than the usually surprised owner even knew \u2014 be vigilant about open windows and doors. It only takes a moment for a curious bird to slip out a crack or opening and disappear forever. Safety first prevents heartache later!<\/p>\n
Your pet bird is not domesticated, which means the birds we own are the same as the ones flying in the wild. However, taking care of its health care needs is similar in many ways to any other pet. Birds need routine veterinary care by a vet who specializes in avian care. Any other vet who has not been trained in taking care of birds will not be able to properly care for your bird. Because this vet is a specialist in birds, visits can also be expensive. When you first adopt your bird, you\u2019ll want to bring it in for a complete physical and any other testing. After that, annual checkups will be needed, just like with a cat or dog.<\/p>\n
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