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-- Your kid is asking for a pet
after watching an animal/pet movie after seeing friends/ somebody having a pet wich is cudling because the kid is in his/her vacation because you are gifting a kid A Proper Parrot Care...
A Parrot Owner's Important Responsibilty
Full of spectacular colors and personality, parrots are highly intelligent creatures. Caring for them in a home environment can come with many challenges, but when cared for properly, they are amazing pets. Depending on the species of bird you choose, the type of parrot care will vary. In general, smaller birds will have a lifespan of 15 to 30 years, and larger species can live anywhere between 40 to 50 years. Parrots form strong bonds with their owners. A handfed bird, which was separated from its parents at an early age and raised by human surrogates, makes a wonderful member of the family. Making the decision to purchase a bird is a life long commitment. It cannot be stressed enough, owning a parrot is the same as having a baby for a really long time that never grows up. Proper nutrition and socialization is vital in maintaining a high quality of life for parrots. Diet: For most species, a parrot diet consists of a fresh fruits, vegetables, parrot pellets, and a high quality vitamin enriched parrot seed mix. For a complete list of fresh foods to feed, check out the fresh food list. Fresh water should be offered daily, with periodic water changes as contamination leads to harmful bacteria. There are a number of formulated pellet mixtures to fit the needs of any picky parrot. We prefer to promote the dye free pellets, free of synthetic colors. Our parrots love the Zupreme Parrot Pellets because of the similarity in color and taste of hand-feeding formula. They are also crazy about Pretty Bird Daily Select Parrot Pellets. Each bird will have their own preference with size and color. Patience and consistency are key in switching your parrot's diet mainly over to pellets. Four Little Piggies: Parrots have short legs and feet with two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward. This arrangement of the toes is called zygodactyl (pronounced zy guh DAK tuhl). Keep in mind your birds size of toes and feet when choosing the cage bar style and perches. Parrots like to climb around, a cage with too many vertical bars will not allow him to do this safe and comfortably. Perches that are too wide in diameter will hinder their toes from perching properly. Housing: A proper cage is vital in your parrot's well-being and quality of life. Your feathered friend should be able to spread its full wing-span to each side of the cage. There should be plenty of space to hang 2 to 4 safe parrot toys. A parrot's cage should be placed in an area where the family spends the most time. The kitchen is not a good area for housing due to the dangerous toxins while cooking and other safety hazards. We highly recommend purchasing an acrylic cage for your bird to be housed in. Emotional Well-Being and Play: Parrots are playful, silly, and super smart. In fact, parrots have been tested for their intellectual abilities and are proven to have the intelligence level of a small child. With this in mind, a parrot owner has to understand the extreme importance of providing safe, colorful, stimulating toys for their companion parrot on a daily basis. In the wild parrots like to chew, shred, and nest various materials. These consist mainly of wood, clay, and grassy materials in their environment. This is fun work in birdie life and keeps their emotional and physical well-being alive. Providing parrots with chewable toys will greatly fulfill their wild desire and help to keep the beak trimmed. Just as toddlers get bored with playing with same toy, so does your bird. Parrots have excellent eye sight so they may either love bright toys or be afraid of them. In most cases, they love their toys after a few days of feeling unsure. Who can resist chewing and swinging from all that pretty stuff! To ensure your parrot's happiness, rotate their toys every two or three weeks. Grooming: A parrot's nails and beak continue to grow on a regular basis, so it is necessary to groom your bird's nails and wings every 3 to 4 weeks. If you are unable to properly groom your bird, it is advised that they be taken to your avian vet or experienced avian specialist every couple of months. Accidents can occur if you allow the nails to overgrow. They can easily get caught up in perches and loose rope and toys. Always check the bird toys for threads that your parrot could catch themselves on and get stuck. Bathing: It is natural for parrots to preen their feathers to keep them in tip top shape. Since parrots take rain showers in the wild, it is recommended to mist your bird with clean water. If the environment is under 75F then you will not want to get them wet. Parrots can catch colds easily. A small water bottle or pet mister from a reputable pet store will work great. If your parrot is fearful of getting wet, start out by talking to them in a soft and calm voice while slowly misting them. If after repeated bathing your parrot is still very fearful, consult your avian veterinarian for other helpful techniques. Take the time to know your parrot and their likes, bathing is part of who a bird is. Parrot care can be practiced correctly everyday even for busy families with the proper organization in preparing foods and upkeep of cleaning. Parrot Safety and Enrichment Ideas
Choosing the perfect toy for your parrot is fun! Safety is our first priority! All parrots will react and play differently. For toy safety, follow these general guidelines:
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What all you need to know before buying your pet bird.
Parrot Communication Birds communicate to other birds and to their owners in a variety of ways. While all species have their own unique methods of bird language, there are many common signs. Birds use their body, body parts and voices to express awide range of emotions. Ways That Birds Communicate: Barking Some birds give out a type of bark when excited or when trying to prove their dominance. Beak Clicking When a bird is clicking the beak, it is trying to tell others it is threatened or that it is protecting something. Beak Grinding When a bird grinds the beak, the bird is trying to communicate it is feeling secure, relaxed, and content. Nothing better than birdie yoga! Beak Wiping When a bird wipes its beak, the bird is trying to communicate that he is aggravated or upset about something. Beak wiping is also typically normal behavior for birds when they are trying to clean the beak or dislodge something stuck in it. Chattering Parrots large and small are social creatures. They like to talk! Young birds chirp or chatter when they want fed. Birds in the wild often chatter as a warning sign to other birds that something is not right in their environment or as a call to attract another bird's attention. Crouching If the bird is crouching with its head toward the owner, he wants to be petted or scratched. If crouching with head down, relaxed body and raised wings, the bird wants attention. If crouching with head down, eyes pinning, flared tail feathers, ruffled feathers, and a rigid body, the bird is giving a warning to back off! Flashing or Dilating Pupils Flashing or dilating pupils means the bird may be trying to communicate aggression, excitement, nervousness, or pleasure. Growling Some birds communicate with a type of growl that can indicate to back off and leave them alone. Head Shaking or Snaking A bird that is shaking its head from side to side means it is excited. Panting A panting bird is overheated, fearful, stressed, overexerted and uncomfortable. Purring A bird can give a type of purr, this communication may mean the bird is relaxed and content. Singing A bird sings when it is communicating a message to another bird, perhaps as a mating call, or when it is content and happy. Talking A bird talks when it is content and happy and wants to send a message to the another bird or their owner. Tail Bobbing When a bird bobs its tail that may mean they are sick, but some birds bob their tail when they are talking or singing as well. Look for other signs if your fear illness. Tail Fanning Tail fanning by a bird indicates its unhappy about something and may become aggressive. Tail Wagging Just like dogs, tail wagging communicates that a bird is content or happy. Tongue Clicking When a bird gives a rapid clicking of their tongue they are most likely trying to communicate friendliness or an invitation to be friends. Sometimes, this could indicate a sign of mischievious intent. Wing Drooping A bird will droop its wings for several reasons. It may have just taken a bath and is holding the wings down while drying. It may happen in young birds who have not learned how to hold their wings. The bird may be overheated and wanting to cool itself. The bird may be sick. Wing Flipping If a caged bird is flicking its wings sharply, it is communicating annoyance or fear. It could also mean the bird has lost balance and is trying to correct itself, if this is the case the wing flipping won't last long. Wing and Body Quivering Quivering wings and body means the bird is fearful of something in its immediate environment. They can also display this communication when they want to fly to you or something but are hesitant. Wing Drumming Birds drum their wings when they need exercise or out of boredom. It may also communicate the bird is protecting its territory. Whistling When a bird whistles, it is communicating that the he feels content, safe, happy, and comfortable. |
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