Purchasing & Care Guide So, you want to buy a pet bird? Well, let me be one of many who will tell you that birds, whether they are a parakeet or a Macaw, can be wonderful companions that are able to provide hours and hours of affection, humor, and fun. The first thing that you must decide before you even begin shopping around, is what type of bird do you want? This should be determined by the following:
Making this choice may seem simple, but should you decide to take on a larger bird, a parrot, there are many factors to consider. And, even a smaller bird must have daily interaction in order for him or her to be happy, to thrive, and to be a good pet. The bottom line is, if you do not plan on giving that new bird the same amount of attention in two or twenty years as the day it arrived in your home, you should probably reconsider. Parakeets are a sweet, playful, and reasonably quiet addition to any home. Their chatter can be very pleasant to hear. If you are away from your home during the day, you may want to consider having a pair. They will not be quite as social with their owner, but will be content when their owners are not at home. Your parakeet can learn to say many thing if acquired at a young age and will enjoy his/her human friend if they are giving daily interraction. Cockatiels & Lovebirds
are a sweet, affectionate, little bird with an amazing
ability to interact with their owners. If they were hand
fed, your cockatiel may very well enjoy nestling up under
your chin, or riding on your shoulder when you go about
your business around the house. They are playful and
curious and no matter how old they get, it seems, they
never lose their charm. Now we get into the larger parrots. There are some bird species that fall between these two categories, such as Lories and other types of Keets that have their own needs. Birds such as Lories and Mynah Birds have different dietetic needs, and it is a messier clean up. Be sure you are fully aware of any bird's dietetic needs before bringing them home. We once had a Mynah Bird {Sparky} who we enjoyed very much for about 15 years when he died for some unknown reason.. He spoke in many different voices, male and female voices, had an unlimited vocabulary, {in seemed} and imitated various household items such as the telephone and microwave. I cleaned his cage 2-3 times a day, and it did not just involve changing papers. They are not seed eaters {or any hard foods}and so their waste is much messier. Conures,
Amazons, Cockatoos, and Macawss. I would go so
far as to say that bringing one of these talented
beauties into your home is much like bringing a new baby
into the home. Each species have their own distinction in
the bird world, but you will also find no two of the same
species that are a like. Their personalities, habits, and
quirks differ much like humans. Our one Amazon, Lolita, is one we have had fornearly 20 years and she is very calm, affectionate, and not at all a picky eater. She will eat whatever we give her, and we like to keep fresh fruits and vegetables plentious and she loves to snack on dried spinach and tomatoe macaroni. She is a Mealy Amazon, the largest of the Amazon world, the loudest, and only says a few things. But through the years, she has become a very affectionate pet and loves physical contact to a degree which is somewhat unusual. She is very calm when I personally am going about certain tasks such as nail trimming. The other two are a bonded pair who talk quite well. Tony is sweet and interacts quickly with anyone, and loves to whistle. But Susie can be a drama queen. She chases him around and knocks food out of his grasp when she is in "a mood" and makes sure he knows his place in the large cage they share. She does what looks very much like a karate kick and it is funny to see. But she is more likely to venture out beyond the cage area on her own, and she can imitate a car alarm....and she does a lot! She is a little more challenging and maybe that is why I find her endearing. They are both picky eaters and we are slowly- but surely getting them accustomed to something other than a parrot mix/seed. Our one Sun Conure reminds me of a perpetual kitten . He loves to play and find new things to do with both new and old toys. He will also snuggle up in our lap with a "blanky" and I would almost expect him to purr. When he believes he has seen a predator, he tucks his head inside the collar of my shirt. He is very loud and makes his demands known especially first thing in the morning when he hears and see me coming downstairs. He will voices his not-so-lovely Conure squawk until I fulfill the morning "get Sunny his grapes" ritual. His noise means he needs something, or is saying hello, otherwise his chatter is more of a soft muttering.
His friends, a pair of Suns, are more adventerous than he is, I think because they are two. Even though they are a bonded, breeding pair, they love to visit with anyone who comes into our home. The three are always frolicing and exploring.
The larger
birds such as Conures, Amazons, Cockatoos, Macaws, and
others are a time investment . They can live as long as
humans. Unfortunately, people tend to lose interest {Or
some situation arises in which the owner can not keep the
bird} and many birds have several homes in the course of
their life time. If you think you may fall into this
category, {losing interest} it is better for the bird if you do not bring
it home. Do not buy a parrot on impulse. It would be much
better a bird stay with the breeder or in the pet shop
until a committed buyer comes and give it a permanent
home. But if
you are certain that you want a bird, here are some
things you might want to look out for. What
is the overall appearance of the bird you are
considering? Feathers aren't a major issue
because birds can look quite scraggly when
molting, but if he is sitting in a corner with poofed up feathers, he may be having some problems. Also, if it looks like he plucks his
feather, he may have some issues
such as nervousness or is frustrated for some
reason. This is something you may see in
Cockatoos and Greys more often. And, it may be that a
loving, nurturing environment and time is all
that Mr. Feathers needs...or maybe not. Some
pluckers always pluck. Are
his eyes clear and is his eye pinning normal ?
{Eye pinning-the dilation and retraction of the
iris indicating fear or excitement.} Are
his stools green and white. Other colors could be
an indication that there is something wrong, or it may just be the color of the food they are eating. Are
there any open sores, swelling, or lumps? Is
the grasp of each foot equal when perched on your
arm or finger? Is
he curious about you, or does he seem especially
fearful? { Talk to him him in a quiet tone,
rattle your keys, look at nearby toys. Does he
look interested in what you are doing?} Does
the seller have some type of warrantee? It is a
good idea to have your new bird checked out by a vet
within a couple of days of when you bring him home. If
the seller will not allow for that, you are buying your
bird as is and will have to deal with any health issues
that come up. For an experienced bird person, they may
purchase the bird anyway depending on the degree of the
problem. Once you
have your bird home, you will want to provide a
draft-free, quiet environment and let him adjust to his
new surroundings from inside his cage for the first few
days or even weeks. He may not be very perky and may sit in the corner
of his cage. It does not mean he is ill. He is just
fearful, but watch for signs of illness because the
stress of a new home can accelerate health issues. Once
he seems to have adjusted, then you can begin interacting
on a higher level. Offer him
snacks by hand and leave his door open so he can venture
out on his own. Talk to him and routinely fuss with his
cage, cleaning it and changing his food and water dish.
It is best for one person to begin the intereaction and
training of the new arrival. After he becomes more
adjusted to his surroundings and the people in the
family, he will become confident with everyone-though
some birds will become attached to one person and will
not tolerate others. This is not neccessarily a good
thing, so if this would be a problem for you, have other people interact with him as often as
possible. If you are committed, he will be a wonderful, loving pet for years and years.. |
