Keeping Birds as Pets

There are as many different species of birds as there are reasons to have birds as pets these days. Their beauty, intellect, curiosity and charm, work like winged magnets pulling us in closer to them. No one size fits all. Birds range in size from the small socially active zebra finches to the large and colorful macaws. Some of our companion birds make beautiful music as they sing while others talk and imitate us. Birds have unique personalities and many can even outlive us, living anywhere from 5 to 105 years old. It’s no wonder why so many people like having pet birds. In fact, it has been reported that 1 in 8 households has a pet bird today.

Birds make excellent companions. They are true wonders, winged angels, and they bring much joy and happiness into many people’s lives. Birds are the only pet that can speak back to you in a human language, and it is believed that some of these birds even understand what they are saying. Birds also work hard to please you when they try to preen your hair and some may even try to feed you! If you are one of those fortunate people who are thinking about getting a bird, or already have a bird I say good for you!

There is another side to this though, the bird’s side. Have you ever stopped to think about what your bird's needs are? What keeps them healthy and happy? Maybe you already know, or sometimes you just think you know. Here are some of my helpful tips, if only to offer you confirmation on what you do know. I hope these tips help you understand some of your birds many needs better. If I have left out something, please tell me so this can be updated. I will start with an important one, diet.

Birds require a diet that is nutritionally balanced. One that is specific to that species of bird. An all seed diet to a bird is like an all potato chip diet to you. They will never turn down those seeds. The best diet for your bird is one based mostly on pelleted foods, with just a sprinkle of seeds and some fresh foods like broccoli, carrots, lettuce or corn. Pelleted foods contain a good balance of all the nutrition your bird needs with very little fat. Birds on all seed diets can get very fat and catch diseases like fatty liver. Birds need to be converted slowly from the all seed diet to mostly pellets. Some birds have been seed junkies for so long, that they cannot be converted, but this is rare, but it can happen. You want to be very careful and go slow when converting your bird to pellets, so your bird doesn't starve itself to death. Birds need to have time to get used to the new foods, so mix a little of the new pellets with a little of the old seed for a while. Birds need vitamins, and nutrients, especially vitamin A. They can get this from a healthy diet of pellets and those fresh greens, like carrots with the tops still on. If you don't feed your bird a healthy diet, your bird may develop behavioral and health problems and you may need to spend a lot of time and money at the veterinarian's office trying to figure out what is wrong.

Some people- as unbelievable as it sounds, feed their birds a diet of only macaroni and cheese! Do you see macaroni and cheese growing in the wild anywhere? It's not natural in the bird’s diet and lacks many vitamins and minerals. A person feeding this diet to their bird clearly never took their bird to a vet, or attended a local bird club meeting or picked up a book on the care of that bird. Some people just don’t know any better.

In addition to a healthy diet, birds require some intellectual stimulation. Since your bird will depend on you for everything, you will want to fill your bird’s world with toys to chew on and things to keep busy with when you are away. When you are with your bird, you will want to remember that you are a member of the flock in your bird’s eye. You will be expected to act as such too, and if you get out of line, your bird will tell you. As a member of the flock, you can enjoy talking back and forth, grooming each other, or giving your bird many different toys to play with. Your bird has a very active brain, and must have things to do to help it remain challenged and content. If you don't, you risk allowing your bird to become bored and restless, and that can lead to behavioral problems like a screaming bird or one that plucks all of its feathers out. Some screaming is normal, and some is the result of something not quite right at home. Your avian vet might be able to help you determine what is normal and what is not. Also, other people who have birds like yours might be able to share their experiences with you. Bird clubs are where people meet and share those experiences.

Some people who are unaware of the natural noises birds make when they call out like they do in the wild, become annoyed, and some lock these birds in dark closets thinking that will teach the bird and shut him up. What happens is that solitary confinement over time causes the bird to go insane and it will try everything to hurt and even kill itself. People who do this know no better, and clearly were unaware of the problems that this could cause. If those people reached out to an avian vet, attended bird club meetings or picked up a book on their bird, they might have learned more effective ways to help their bird before the problem became out of control. If a bird goes insane, it may never recover. Birds are loud. In the wild they have to scream to other members of their flock who might be quite a distance away. In your home this can sound quite loud and may annoy your family and/or your neighbors.

Birds need room to stretch, so buy as large a cage as you can afford and fit in your home and stay away from anything coated with zinc, which is toxic to your bird. Look for "Bird Friendly" or "Bird Safe" in their descriptions. Zinc causes many problems including the worst case of feather picking and even death.

Birds have very efficient lungs. They have evolved to extract even the tiniest of particles out of the air to quickly get the most oxygen into their system. Pollutants therefore can be many times more deadly to them. Heated Teflon (over 400 degrees), whether coming from non-stick cookware or from certain stoves, can kill your bird in seconds without you even knowing there was a problem. Aerosol sprays, scented candles, bug sprays, and cigarette smoke can also bring your bird unnecessary distress and even death. You will need to keep your bird away from these airborne pollutants.

Birds like to fly, and it's a good source of exercise. Too many people forget about their bird being able to fly and may leave a door or window open. If your bird escapes to the outside world, it seldom returns as it becomes quickly lost and scared in the new unknown world. Its days are numbered. Most people recommend having the birds wings trimmed regularly (and don't forget those toe nails that need regular trimming too or if necessary, the occasional beak trim too!). If you want your birds to be able to fly, you will need to be conscious of this all the time and never take chances. Indoors -- curtains should be pulled over the windows and large mirrors should be covered to prevent dangerous collisions with your bird trying to fly thru the window or mirror. Also, ceiling fans should be turned off when birds are loose in the house.

Birds having such active and curious minds and liking to chew on all kinds of things can get into trouble if left out of their cages unsupervised. They find all the wrong things to chew on, including electrical wires and the paint on your walls. Lead poisoning can bring internal bleeding; electrical shock can bring instant death. Birds need to be watched when outside of their cages as there are many hazards awaiting their curious minds. To learn and keep up with all the hazards, I recommend attending educational seminars, speaking with your avian vet and attending bird club meetings.

Birds like to feel secure in your home, so keeping the family cat and dog away from them is a good idea. Keep the bird cage higher than the family cat or dog. Otherwise you risk all the problems that ongoing stress brings, including behavior problems and illness. It is also important not to have the bird's cage higher than your own head if you intend to keep the bird friendly to you. Height is a sign of dominance to many birds, so if they perch higher than you there can be dominance issues between you and your bird. Your bird will gladly assume command of your flock if you allow it.

Birds are naturally messy and noisy. That is how they live in the wild. Some birds are messier and some are noisier than others. You will want to keep their cage clean using newspaper on the bottom of the cage and changing it daily. Clean water, food and clean containers help prevent bacteria growth and spreading disease too.

Many of the smaller birds like finches and canaries are happy living with other finches and canaries. They are grateful for the fresh food, water and veggies you will provide, but then your part is done. They don’t care to be held or cuddled. They can live on average between 5 and 10 years.

Many of the larger birds like the macaws and cockatoos are happy living with you and being a part of your life. They enjoy the time you can spend with them and depend on your continued attention for the rest of their lives. These birds can live anywhere from 75 to over 100 years if properly cared for. If you love your bird, be sure to include in your Will what you wish for your bird's care in your absence and make arrangements to pay for their care for the rest of their lives. They will have a tough enough time dealing with losing you, so try and make it easier on them. Many of the bigger birds like the blue and gold macaws are overfilling animal shelters throughout the country because people didn't realize all the work it is to keep a bird like this. Avoid these problems by reading books about the bird you are interested in, talk with the local animal rescues and bird clubs before setting foot in a pet store.

Many of the medium sized birds like the parakeets, lovebirds, and cockatiels live somewhere in the middle, between 10 and 40 years if given a good life. Like all birds, the more time you spend with them, the stronger your relationship will be, the more trust the bird will have for you and the more rewards you will have with them.

If you are considering the purchase of a bird, arm yourself with knowledge and information so you know as much about the cons as you know about the pros. Ask the tough questions like is this bird loud, or what are the birds needs? Compare the answers to your research. Most pet stores will tell you what you want to hear to close that sale. Remember, most pet stores that sell live birds are in the business to make money on that sold bird and may not tell you something that might make you reconsider that purchase. The bird rescues are full of birds where the customer bought on impulse and didn’t learn about the cons before walking in the pet store. Another area of concern is where pet stores may try and sell you a bird that is un-weaned. This is a baby or very young bird that still needs to be fed formula. The pet store may say it is a great way to bond with the bird. In reality, the pet store is trying to sell a very young bird to you so they can quickly make the sale and get the next bird from a breeder. In the meantime, you have to feed the bird thinking it will make the bird your best friend. In reality this doesn’t happen, and in too many cases, customers unknowingly feed the bird food that is so hot, that it burns the bird’s throat, killing the bird, or feeding the bird so much formula, that the bird cannot breathe and chokes and suffocates. Pet stores are poorly regulated. Look at how well the birds are housed. Check for clean water, cages and food. Dirty food and water breed bacteria. Birds are so good at hiding illness, that you could buy a sick bird and not even know it. Learn how to look at bird droppings, diarrhea, and other symptoms of an ill bird. Ask your avian vet, local bird club, or read a book on the bird you are interested in too learn more.

I highly recommend that if you are looking for a pet bird, to look at your local humane society or animal shelter and adopt. Not only will you be given a better education on how to care for your bird, you will be told what to expect. Shelters and humane societies are looking out for you and the bird because they don't want to see you unhappy and bringing the bird back or a bird having 25 homes. Their motivation is not profit driven, but rather, what is best for you and the bird driven. You will also be helping to ease an overpopulation crisis of birds in these shelters. Bird rescues can also work with you to find a healthy bird. They know the signs of a sick bird. Rescues and pet stores are 180 degrees apart in many ways.

Consider joining a local bird club so you can learn from others and minimize problems. Keep up with new and old hazards, the latest on nutrition, and how to handle behavioral and nutritional problems before they get out of control. Bird clubs also hold educational meetings, raise funds to help avian causes in the community, and have many books and resources on various species of birds to help you. Bird clubs work to educate, to support, and to help you give your new friend the best you can offer. Your bird is your ambassador to the avian world, a winged wonder full of personality and charm. Always remember though that birds are still wild animals, yet sensitive, with feelings, emotions, fears and attachments, just like you and me. Birds go through mating and molting seasons that send their hormones into overdrive and they grieve for the loss of a member of their flock, whether it's their mate or you. Having a pet is a responsibility. Having a bird is an even bigger responsibility, because they are smaller, they live longer, they can fly, they are more active and they are more sensitive. Also remember knowledge is a powerful thing. It's good to know up front the pros and the cons before you put down the money and make a lifetime commitment to your new bird. Putting down the money is the easy part. If you love your bird, so too is the commitment. Thank you for reading.

Steve Fitzsimmons