Birds are beautiful creatures. Where else can you find such intricate and vibrant colors and patterns than on the feathers of your pet bird? It’s the first thing we notice about them! When you look beyond their outward appearance, however, you discover an amazingly intelligent creature that requires daily activity to keep them at their happiest and healthiest both mentally and physically.

A bird’s natural habitat is the outdoors, free to fly around and frolic as much as they want. Birds are incredibly social creatures and they thrive on an active and playful lifestyle. When we keep them as pets, we confine them to enclosed spaces for their safety, not necessarily realizing that we could be doing more harm than good.

According to avian experts, two of the most common causes of illness in pet birds are environment and diet. If your bird is cooped up in its cage without the proper bird toys to keep it mentally stimulated and physically active, it may become frustrated and depressed, and begin to harm itself or others. To prevent this, a bird needs daily exercise and activities that encourage the use of their natural instincts to keep them healthy and happy. A variety of safe and species appropriate toys are a great way to ensure your bird is getting the exercise and mental stimulation it needs.

In some cases, daily playtime outside of your bird’s cage is critical for your bird’s health as well. For example, at least one hour of playtime everyday outside of their cage in a safe and controlled environment is recommended for cockatiels and budgies to maintain optimal health and happiness. Allowing your bird to play with bird toys both inside and outside of their cage is a great way to ensure its overall well-being. Outside the cage play time is not recommended for all species, however, and for birds that are best confined to their cages at all times, supplying a wide variety of bird toys for their entertainment is critical to their development and happiness.

Purchase your bird toys with care! Make sure that you are buying toys that are designed for the type of bird you own. Small plastic bird toys are great for small birds, but can be a serious hazard for large birds, such as parrots. Parrots can easily break the smaller plastic bird toys apart and swallow or choke on the plastic parts! Wood, leather, rawhide or acrylic toys are recommended for the larger bird species.

Don’t forget that your pet bird relies on you to take good care of it! Ensure its health and happiness by providing a wide variety of safe and species appropriate bird toys. Keeping them mentally and physically stimulated will keep them happy and healthy and both of you will enjoy a wonderful companionship for years to come!

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You have gotten your first real job after college and decide that it would be nice to get a pet. You are a couple of hours away from your parents and all you hold dear. Having a pet would give you some company, albeit not of the human variety. However, you are totally new to owning a bird. You don’t know what kind of a bird cage you will need for your new bird. And will you have to have bird toys as well? You have a pretty good job now, but you were planning to save a good bit of it. How much is having a bird going to cost?

A bird cage will be the first thing that you need to buy. After all, your pet is going to need to live somewhere. You are going to want the biggest cage you can afford to get. This is where your bird will live, and he will want room to fly around. The bigger the bird, the more room you will need. Cages made of metal are easier to clean, and cleaning the cage is something you will have to do regularly. Before looking at bird cages, decide on the species of bird that you want. Different species of birds require different kinds of cages. Try to put your cage near a window so it can have sunlight and fresh air. However, you don’t want to put your bird near any vents.

Perches are an important part of any bird cage. You will want to put a couple of perches in your bird cage so that your bird can have a variety of views. Multiple perches will also provide your bird with opportunities to exercise. You can find inexpensive ways to build perches yourself, such as little fruit tree branches or use some sturdy rope. One perch needs to be near the food and water containers.

Birds need to be stimulated regularly, and bird toys are one way to provide that stimulation. Like people, birds like new toys. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll have to buy new toys all the time. You can even recycle things you have around your home like old toilet paper rolls, strings of plastic beads or old gloves. Birds like playing with wooden balls or milk cartons. You can also try to put colorful things in a clear bottle, and watch your bird go crazy trying to get the bottle open. They’ll love the challenge. You can even switch the toys out from time to time, that helps your bird keep from getting bored.

You don’t want to leave your bird in their cage all the time. Birds like to be taken out and played with. Besides, enjoying your pet is the point of having a bird in the first place. So, to answer our question at the beginning of the article, you want a pretty good-sized bird cage. And you need bird toys, but they don’t need to be expensive.

Shop and buy a small, medium, or large bird cage for you pet parrot and pet birds. All types and sizes of parrot cages and bird toys are available for your pet birds.

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All pets benefit from training and this includes birds. A natural physical behavior would be stepping up and is a fairly easy command to teach your bird. Added benefits of teaching your bird this command will include your ability to enforce your higher status, it will help your bird overcome his natural fear, and it will strengthen the bond between you.

Your training sessions should be short, around 15 minutes.

Always make sure to train in a room that has no distractions, be sure to be consistent, once you order a command make sure you stick with it. You should watch your bird closely for signs that show he is tired, afraid, or getting aggressive.

If you and your bird have not bonded much you will want to spend a few training sessions where you allow him to just get used to you. You can do this by putting your hand in the bird’s cage, as you do this move your hand closer to the bird each time you place it in the cage. Allow the bird to perch as he feels comfortable and if you wish you could tempt him with a treat.

During initial training you may wish to use a stick in place of your finger. Get the bird used to this by placing it in the cage and letting him look it over.

Always remember whatever you do to end the session with positive reinforcements.

Gently push above the right side of the bird’s breast above his legs with your finger or stick. Whether using your finger or stick you should always make sure to place them above whatever the bird is perched on. Once the bird is stepping onto your finger say “up” or something to that effect, just remember to stick with whatever you end up saying.

Hand out a small treat once your bird does as you have commanded; hand out some verbal praise as well. In some cases a bird may try and use their beak to help them up, do not jerk away because this will teach the bird that they have an advantage over you. Also, he will be hesitant to step up if the finger is pulled away.

The more comfortable your bird becomes you can take him out of the cage and train in other environments. Chances are as you leave the cage he may pay more attention to your training.

As your bird learns the command they will associate it with good things happening like attention and treats, and as training continues you could reward by allowing your bird time on a play gym. And finally, think about finding other bird lovers in your community and share ideas, that’s what we did here in Champaign.

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If you ask a bird owner who has replaced furniture or window shade cords they will tell you that birds love to chew.

Chewing is a normal bird behavior that can be modified or redirected, but it will never be removed from your bird’s habits. Your bird likes to chew and it feels good, its fun, that’s why they do it. In addition to being entertaining chewing helps ensure proper beak maintenance and growth.

In short your bird will chew on anything they can get their beak on, it doesn’t matter if its toys, clothing, or furniture. If he starts chewing on your personal items this will be a problem. Uncontrolled chewing can be dangerous, who knows what your bird could try and chew on, anything from live wires to toxic materials.

To control chewing keep your bird in his cage when you cannot be watching him. Don’t forget to move any tempting items out of range. Give your bird plenty of access to items he can chew on.

Some products that are worth looking into include Cuttlebones and Cosmic Crunch Toys, these toys are good for their mineral and calcium content. We have these in our local store here in Champaign and your local store might as well. If not, check online. Tropical Teasers and the Cotton Candy Preening Toy contain bird safe rope, blocks, beads, and exercise material for your bird’s beak.

The Jungle Joy and Treat Cage with Toys are good for that stimulating activity with a possibility of a treat. Some great ideas to use with these would be nuts in the shell or uncooked pasta.

Healthy Cal Perches and Manu Mineral Perches are both special perches that are for chewing and provide important minerals.

Remember to rotate your bird’s toys on a regular basis so that he does not tire of them and they provide longer amounts of entertainment and stimulation. Giving your bird fun items for chewing makes for a happier future on his part and keeps more of your items chew free.

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In addition to food, water, shelter, rest, and social activity, your bird needs intellectual activity to keep healthy. The only way your bird can get this mental stimulation is through training and play time. Research has found that a bird can solve a problem by insight, similar to a small child.

Parrots are considered to be the smartest species of birds. They can learn to tell the difference between shapes, colors, objects, and people. The African Grey Parrot is one example of a bird that has the intelligence of a three to four year old child.

Birds by nature can be very resourceful creatures. It is common to see a bird lying walnuts on a railroad track to crack them open. Cockatoos have been known to clips sticks of wood in order to scratch their bodies. If you watch your bird you will see different ways they use their ropes, toys, pacifiers, and other things. You will come to find that those items may have different uses.

If you are interested in speaking birds, they have come along way. Once parrots were the only birds to speak, now there are many other birds that can speak. Try encouraging your bird to speak; you can use CDs, tapes, and books to teach speech training. There is one report of an African Grey named Jack who has over 100 word vocabulary, can distinguish both shapes and colors and can understand the difference between big and small things. Alex even tends to put words together to add new phrases to his vocabulary.

Birds in the wild have exceptional memories. In fact they have been known to bury thousands of seeds and are able to recover 90% of them. It has been considered that they may have a special portion of their brain that allows them to accomplish things. Jack, the parrot we mentioned that lives right down the street from us here in Champaign can tell you the color of corn, even when he has no corn to look at.

Though it is debatable, scientists are now stating that birds have the right make up for emotions. They have a limbic system, a specialized part of the brain, which is found in humans and mammals, and is necessary for emotion to occur. Bird owners seem to think they can tell the mood of their birds, and have said this for years. Research is now determining how true this is and the possible impact it may have.

Birds do many things just for the fun of doing them. Things like frolicking in their bird bath, watching the splash by dropping something in the water, doing somersaults. Should you provide the right interactive toy, they will show interest for hours.

Research is showing many things that you as a bird owner probably already know. Your bird is a smart companion and you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to enjoy that!

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All the experienced bird owner I talk to here in Champaign will tell you that once you have become a bird owner, you can’t own just one. The logical step after you are comfortable owning one, is to own another. But before you add another bird there are things you should consider. The physical, mental, and emotional health of your current pet is the first thing that should be on your list.

You should never allow a new bird into your home without having a proper quarantine period. Many vets will suggest this time be between thirty and ninety days, the reason for this is that there are some illnesses that will not show for at least thirty days, and by the time you find it, it would be too late.

When you quarantine your new bird you need to keep him as far away from the other birds as possible, if you can do that in a different living space, with different vents that would be great. If not and you have minimal space you could keep a bedroom door closed with him inside.

It is important that you are scrupulous about your sanitation measures during this period. Washing after you care for or even touch your new bird is suggested. Don’t exchange any toys or equipment. Clean both sets of cages everyday. Insisting on cleanliness will reduce your chances of passing on illnesses to your birds.

Once the period is over you will take your bird back to the vet for a complete exam. You may want to have your birds feathers clipped while you are there. Once all is officially well with the health of your bird you can begin bringing him around your other bird.

Every bird you have will be distinctly different, though birds of a feather tend to flock together and you will see that for the most part they should get along well.

Don’t assume this will be an easy task. It is a lot of work adding a new bird to your home. You will find it is a challenge. If you are not sure about owning a new bird and bringing him home, you should consider your breed and contact your vet.

There are several things you can do to see that the transition is a smooth one.

-Offer separate play time to each bird.

-Each bird should have his own cage in the same room. This allows for socialization while in their own space.

-Allow the birds to exercise out of their cages together. A playstand is a great place for this and provides a neutral area for them to get to know one another.

-Pay attention for jealousy or signs that your birds are not compatible. You should monitor both birds for problem behavior including feather pulling, biting, screaming, and other aggressive signs. If these are common behaviors you will need to separate the birds. Self mutilation is another sign there could be a problem.

-Make sure you treat your first bird as the alpha bird. This will keep him confident in his place and thwart jealousy where he is concerned. Greet him, feed him, play with him, and attend to him before you do any of the other birds. Be sure to give equal time, but make sure he is reassured he is still very important to you

Adding a new bird will cure loneliness and fulfill social behavior in a positive way.

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Making a decision to adopt a parrot is a big one by itself. It requires some research what kind of parrot you need to be able to choose among over 800 varieties.

Some of the varieties are African Grey, Amazon parrot, Senegal parrot, Macaws – these are relatively large varieties; Lovebirds are small parrots that come from Africa. They all have different abilities, needs and wants that need to be considered before choosing a parrot.

But choosing a parrot is just the beginning. There are many aspects to consider if you want to have a healthy, happy bird that will bring you joy for years to come.

Some of the important things to consider:

1. Cage. This should be of right size for your bird. It should provide enough space for the parrot and at the same time have the right bar spacing. Make sure the cage has horizontal bar spacing so the parrot will be able to climb up.

2. Parrots are intelligent birds and get bored very quickly. You don’t want this to happen to your favorite pet. In order to keep this inquisitive bird interested you need to buy some specific toys. They need to provide some mystery to the parrot so it will be interested in further investigation and interesting discoveries.

3. Don’t forget other important supplies such as different trays for water and food; perches. The best perches to buy are the wooden ones. They resemble to what the bird would encounter in its natural environment.

4. Food. You can’t feed your parrot seeds only. It really needs a variety of foods the way humans do. Malnutrition can cause sickness and eventual death of your favorite pet so pay close attention to it.

These are just absolute essentials but there are many other things to consider. You also need to learn how to teach your parrot good manners and tricks that will amuse your friends and family.

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If you’ve never put much thought into the difference between standard bird cages and parrot cages, then you are like most people. Picking a great cage out for your bird is something that you need to put good thought into, and size and material is such a small part of that. When you do select your cage, there are a few things that you will need to take under advisement before you actually pick out a cage for your feathered friend.

The Sizes
First off you are going to need to think about the size, and what sort of bird you are going to purchase. If you want parakeets, then you can get by with a small cage, but that really depends on how many parakeets you are actually planning to keep. If you just have a single parakeet then you won’t need a huge cage, but it still needs to be comfortable. Remember, this is the bird’s home, and it needs to be quite comfortable in it’s home.

Finches and other types of small birds such as canaries, budgies and lovebirds will not need a large cage, but still require one that is large enough so they do not feel cramped. This also depends on how many birds you are planning to put in one cage. If you are buying a parrot that is still a baby, the parrot is going to grow so purchase a cage that will still be large enough when the parrot gets older.

The size of the cage will be relevant to how happy and healthy your bird stays. The cage will have to be the right size for easy accommodation in the area in which you are planning to keep it as well. Birds like the interaction they have with humans so they need to be in a room that is frequented often. Consider this when you are shopping for bird cages. A small home may not have room for a large cage.

The Materials
The materials that bird cages are made of is another very important aspect of buying a cage. Most cages are made from steel or wrought iron. Birds have very strong beaks and often they will chew on the cage. If you are not careful, your bird will be out of the cage in no time. Parrot cages are made of even stronger materials since parrots have much more beak strength than smaller birds. They are also extremely smart and can figure out how to unlock their cage so you may want to consider this as well.

The best material is either a steel cage or a wrought iron cage. Avoiding wooden cages no matter how cute they may be is a good idea because they are more easily breached by the bird. Making sure the bird cages are made of materials that have not been painted is another aspect of purchasing a safe bird cage. Some paints can be poisonous to your bird.

You also need to make sure that the bird cages you purchase don’t have bars that are too wide. Make sure that the bars are no more than half an inch apart, because if there is more space your bird will probably be able to waltz right out. Make sure the material isn’t easily broken so that your bird won’t just break the bars and wander out of the cage.

The Shape
Bird cages come in all shapes and sizes, they may be round, they may be square, they may have a flat roof, and they may have a dome. A domed roof is good for birds that love climbing and love seeing everything that they can. A flat roof is okay for parakeets as they enjoy climbing and calling out for other birds. This will give your birds the ability to see everything that is going on in the house.

For the most part small cages are going to be round or square, and it doesn’t really matter because you are probably going to select a bird that is very small. Mostly you’ll want to make sure that the bird cage is good for the bird you are buying, you can get a cage that hangs, or one that stands, it all depends on your tastes and the needs of your bird.

Some bird cages for larger birds have play areas on the top for activities when they are out of the cage. There are two story bird cages for those who have many birds. These are perfect for parakeets, cockatiels and other small to medium birds. This is an option to consider if you have several birds and need more than one cage.

Accessories
All bird cages need to feature easy access for cleaning, and the replenishing of the essentials such as good and water. They also need a tray that can be removed without issue for cleaning. There’s a lot of cages with detachable roofs that make cleaning very easy. These need to have perches as well. Perches are a great place for a bird to relax, and if the perch is made out of wood then it will be a lot easier for the bird to relax on. Again, make sure the wood is not painted.

Something to climb on and even a few toys for the birds is recommended. Most birds are very active and like to have things to entertain themselves with when they are in the mood to play. Swings are one of the items you will see in many bird cages. There are certain types of birds such as parakeets that love to perch on the swings and talk up a storm.

Most importantly, make sure that your bird is happy in his or her cage. The cage is their home and you need to keep it clean at all times. I you do this then the bird will be very happy. Pick out a bird cage as if you were picking out a home for yourself.

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Florida, along with Texas and California is among the top three states with the most bird ownership according to Bird Talk magazine.

Though parrot fever or psittacosis is a relatively uncommon disease in humans, there are over one hundred cases reported annually in this country.

Most wild and domestic birds can be natural reservoirs of the causative bacteria, Chlamydia psittaci, however parrots, parakeets, and cockatiels are among the birds most commonly implicated in human infection.

The vast majority of cases of psittacosis are a direct result of human exposure to pet birds, either as owners or pet shop employees. The remainder of human cases is due to occupational exposure; turkey processing workers, vets, and zoo workers to name a few.

In the bird, infection may not become apparent unless resistance is compromised through conditions like crowding, transport, deficiencies in nutrition or other stressors.

The infection in the bird is mostly gastrointestinal and respiratory with the bird showing the following symptoms: diarrhea, nasal discharge, fever and discharge from the eyes.

The organism is shed in the liquid feces or nasal discharge of a sick bird. Even healthy birds can be carriers of psittacosis and may shed the organism intermittently.

Here it can contaminate the environment, the bird’s cage and the feathers. As the feces dries, the bacteria become airborne from the motion of the feathers and this is where humans can get infected.

The aerosolized, airborne particles are very small and do not settle easily and remain suspended in the atmosphere for long periods of time.

The infection in people can range from an inapparent illness to a systemic disease and severe pneumonia with some fatalities reported.

The onset of disease may be fever, headache, body aches, cough and shortness of breath. The illness is usually self-limiting (up to 2 weeks).

More severe disease may show diarrhea, vomiting and enlarged liver and spleen. The organism can affect some organ systems other that the respiratory. Cases of endocarditis, arthritis and hepatitis have been seen.

Psittacosis is treatable with doxycycline. The fatality rate of patients treated with antibiotics is very low, less than 1%.

What is done to control psittacosis in birds? Parrots and other psittacine birds are treated with a chlortetracycline for approximately a month prior to shipment or after arrival. Mass treatment and quarantine of birds have been used successfully in controlling the disease.

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Often we are unable to detect illness in our pet birds because they are genetically programmed to hide them. This is because in jungles and the wild, if they display illness and disease they will be killed at once. It is survival of the fittest in the wild. Some commonly displayed symptoms are listed below and what they mean in terms of bird illness.

Diarrhea- If your bird has infection in the intestinal tract, because of bacteria or virus, there will be additional fluids in the stool. You must take the bird to a vet, because if the food is moving too quickly in the digestive tract, nutrients are not being absorbed. More over if the diarrhea is greenish colored, it is a symptom of metal poisoning or Psittacosis.

Eye Discharge- Eye discharge is very dangerous and can lead to death of the bird. This symptom normally occurs in cases of Psittacosis. Psittacosis is highly infectious and can affect human beings too. Rush your bird to the vet and get other pets and members of the family checked too. If caught in time, it can be cured by antibiotics.

Lethargy- Is your bird not eating properly or is inactive? There can be many causes for this and none of them good. The bird might be suffering some serious ailment like infection, heart of kidney disease or even cancer. Get your bird tested and treated at once.

Loss of Appetite- This again is an outward manifestation of some serious internal problem. Birds are fragile and neglect of these symptoms can lead to death. Consult your vet, and follow his advise.

Nasal Discharge- Commonly caused by dust, bacteria and even feather dust. Certain species like Cockatoos, Macaws etc produce a large amount of it. In case the discharge is colored and abnormal it is a normal clearing of respiratory passages. If it is colored, take the bird to a vet.

Puffed Up Feathers- This is a normal reaction of birds when they feel insecure or threatened. But if the feathers are puffed up even when the bird is asleep it is an outward symptom of an internal disease. Take the bird to a vet.

Vomiting- Birds often throw up during the mating season. Even so, check with your vet, just to play safe.

Prevention is better than cure, so clean the cage regularly and monitor the bird’s feed and other habits. Use an efficient air purifier. Birds are a pleasure to keep, but as with other pets, they come with a set of responsibilities. Ensure that your pet is healthy and clean. This will prevent infections to the bird and to you and your family.

Source:ezinearticles.com