Basic Bird Care 

Owning a bird has certain responsibilities, if you want a happy, healthy bird.

Cage Size - The size of a cage is important and should be large enough that the bird may fully extend its wings and the wires small enough that his head can’t fit through the bars. Two different size perches are nice to give a birds feet a chance to exercise, a small one, so their toes wrap around the perch and a large one so their toes rest almost flat. Have several bird toys in the cage, preferably shred able ones. Tree branches can be used as long as they are non-toxic and cleaned before putting them in the cage. You may use newspaper in the bottom of the cage and the paper needs to be changed daily. Do not use corncob or other bedding as they may promote bacteria. Clean cage thoroughly with soap and water at least once a week.

Diet - Poor diet is the #1 reason for poor health. Feed your bird a varied mix of seeds, as well as lots of people food, such as vegetables, beans, grains, fruits, pasta (raw and cooked), sprouts, and nuts. (Some species have specific requirements, find out what is right for your bird.)

Fresh food and water must be changed daily. Check seed/pellet dish to see if he has food in his dish. Some birds only eat certain seeds and pellets and it may look like he has food still in his dish,

but if he ate everything out that he likes he won’t have anything to eat. Remember the cost of seed/pellets are inexpensive compared to the cost of the bird. Never give birds alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, avocados, guacamole, rhubarb, high salt/sugar or fried foods.

Health - Learn your birds regular habits. If your bird looks and acts different (e.g. sluggish, listless, feathers fluffed up and bird is at the bottom of the cage, change in breathing and seeming to be not his/her usual self). Check to see if it is too cold where the bird is, possible fumes from cleaners or sanitizers. If there are fumes or strong smells from cleaning or sanitizing products in the area, the bird should be taken out of that area, until the fumes go away. Birds are much more sensitive to toxic fumes than people are. Check to see if someone gave something unusual and deadly to eat or drink. Make sure the bird is warm, not hot, and that the bird is out of drafts. If the bird does not appear better, call the Vet!

Bleeding, this must be stopped immediately! Birds do not have very much blood to begin with and the loss of any significant amount may cause death. If a blood feather gets broken, it should be pulled out with pliers at the base of the shaft and flour, or a bar of soap should be applied to the skin opening until the bleeding stops. After the bleeding stops, the bird should be kept quiet, warm, and allowed to rest. If bleeding can not be stopped, call the Vet immediately!

Discharge from the beak, nose area, eyes, or vent area, should be observed closely. If the bird continues to "look sick" call the vet right away.

Birds usually drop their feces (the dark green colored-part) and urates (the whitish-colored part) of their excretions together. They should be firm, well shaped, and not watery. Even the urine (urates) is not watery. Sometimes, when birds are given different foods with high water content such as fruit, their droppings can become more liquid than usual. This is not a problem unless the droppings stay watery for several days.

Birds should never be placed with their cage completely in the full sun. they do need to get sunshine but they also need a place to get out of the heat if it is too much. Putting a towel over part of the cage or shielding part of the cage in some other way will prevent overheating. Signs of a heat problem include: wings being held low and away from the body, the beak open, panting, the bird seeming to be under stress. If the bird seems to be having heat problems, move the cage to a cooler (not cold) spot right away. If this does not help, the bird could be gently misted with water to help it cool down. BIRDS SHOULD NEVER BE PLACED IN AREAS WHERE THERE ARE EITHER COOL OR WARM DRAFTS BLOWING. The temperature of their environment should not be changed rapidly. Their systems need time to adjust to change.

When a parrot comes into a home, he/she literally becomes part of the family. Birds are flock creatures. They crave and require interaction. In a flock of any sort, there is a pecking order which is redefined each time a new member joins. This pecking order is to establish who is the most dominant in the group (who gets to roost on the top perch), and who are the subordinates. In the human/parrot flock, the human must be at the top and be in charge of the flock. Because of the complexities of the parrot as family member, adults must always be responsible. Parrots should never be considered as a gift for a child or for an adult who is not familiar with parrots. Being at the top of the flock does not mean that the human ever has the right to punish, hit, throw, or in any other way, hurt the feathered flock member! This is a very important rule and must NEVER be broken. Birds are intelligent and emotional. They also remember who has been kind and who has been hurtful to them. Humans are advocates for and protectors of their feathered friends. Teasing, slapping, locking a parrot in a closet, neglecting his/her needs, or otherwise causing pain to the parrot is ABUSE! This should never be tolerated and should be reported right away. All birds need at least 10 hours of uninterrupted, dark, quiet, sleep in their every night. Never leave birds unsupervised with children, dogs, cats, ferrets, reptiles or other pets.

Signs of Illness change in behavior, change in droppings, loss of appetite, weight loss, change in posture, activity, excessive sleeping, ruffled feathers, no interest in preening, swelling or redness around eyes, nostrils or vent, blocked nostrils, sneezing and dirty vents, labored breathing, rapid breathing, wheezing, gaping, regurgitation (without appreciation), any discharge from eyes, nose or vent and bleeding.