03/03/2022
Great information here for anyone who has never had a bird and has questions.
So you want a bird huh?!
Well let's just see if you're REALLY ready for one. Here I will go over many things and/or reasons why not doing your research first makes this a bad idea.
THE BIRD- I don't discuss prices on this page. The reason is because it varies by color/mutation, the country you live and the actual place/person you buy, adopt or rescue from.
FOOD- Do you have the time to cut up vegetables and fruit daily or make a chop? Do you know what chop is? Are you aware not all food is safe for birds? Are you willing to spend the extra money on buying a good quality pellet or seed mixture?
WATER- Is not only for drinking but they like to bathe in a water dish too. Their water dishes should be changed out several times a day.
They bathe in them, many p**p in them by accident and drop/dunk food in their water. Oh and when they bathe in their dishes water gets splashed out several feet from the bowl itself.
SLEEP- Parrots tend to sleep when the sun goes down until the sun comes up. They should have about 12 hours of sleep and may nap on and off throughout the day. Sleep is important for their overall health.
Do you like sleeping in? Maybe a bird is not for you.
THEIR BEAKS- Their beaks aren't just for eating. They like to chew and destroy toys or even household items. They can and will chew up furniture, clothes, phones/cases, remotes, wallets, purses, wires, walls, blinds, keyboards and so on. A busy beak is a happy beak so if they're bored and/or not provided enough stimulation or left alone, this can and will happen. Having extra toys handy is a must.
BITING- Can happen for a number of reasons like anger, jealousy and fast movement to name a few but this means you need to understand body language.
They may bite you, a child, another animal and even each other (to the point of death). Even a toe of another bird can be taken off in seconds.
TALKING- So you saw a cute video of a bird talking, singing or dancing and you want the same. Just because they have the ability to speak, not all will talk. I personally spend countless hours repeating myself ALL DAY LONG for weeks to months sometimes before anything is ever uttered and sometimes they don't pick it up. With that.... NEVER by a bird for its speaking abilities and just think of it as a perk if they do.
P**P- Something you will see a lot of. Actually sometimes you may feel like all you do is clean. You clean it off yourself, clothes, furniture, floors, walls, cages, toys, them and playstands.
Would you like to walk around in your f***s, drink it in your water or eat it if it happens to get in your food? Yeah.. probably not and neither should they.
MESSY- When they eat they may hover over their bowl or hold it with their feet. They can be picky and throw what they don't like on the floor and sling wet/juicy food on the walls.
New toys can be destroyed in a matter of minutes with all the shreds left behind. They throw toys on the floor and who picks it up? YOU, OVER and OVER! I mentioned earlier they take baths and water spews out for several feet away from where they are.
MOLTING- This happens when they have new feather growth, so expect extra cleaning during these times. You can find feathers and dander all over for months. Some birds produce dander all year long (more so than other species) like Cockatiels, African Grays, Cockatoos and Amazons.
This also means changing out your air (AC) filters more frequently. Some people even experience Bird Fanciers lung and it's deadly to humans.
TOXIC/DEADLY/UNHEALTHY
Candles, wall scented plug-ins, cleaning products, pesticides, mouse traps, any aerosol sprays, pots and pans (Tons have teflon and it is toxic to birds. Dont use them if they contain PTFE or PFOA) Irons: for hair or for clothes, certain kitchen appliances ex: air fryer, stain repellents, self cleaning oven option, oven bags, aluminum foil with non stick coating or just about anything that says/is non stick, some hair dryers, certain metals/wood/plants/flowers, nearly all paint, most all glues, tape ingestion, hair dye, nail polish/remover, sharp objects, electrical cords, any non food grade dye, even some bird toys are unsafe because of ingestion like: bird tents/huts, clips on some bird toys, thread of any sort can be ingested like: swings and boings (birds should be monitored when in use), cigarettes/smoke, mirrors can cause sexual frustration and/or agression with their own image, things with glitter, glow in the dark stuff, shiny/silky like papers, certain inks, detergents, ceiling fans, carpet fresheners, essential oils, flea collars, mothballs, human medications, pine oil, tea tree oil, fertilizer, other animals, space heaters, bread machines, waffle irons, ironing boards covers, carbon monoxide, gas leaks, sleeping next to your bird in bed, open water like: toilets, filled sinks, cups/stove top pans with water, other pet water dishes, human grade food such as salt, some seasonings, dairy, onion, avocado, alcohol, fruit pits, chocolate, seeds/pits of some fruit, sugar/sugar substitutes and coffee/grinds (caffeine products) Also be sure to monitor yourself/other family/guests when closing doors/cabinets of any kind.
VETERINARY CARE- Overall annual check ups, nail trimming, vaccinations (if applicable in your country). A true board certified Avian Vet is best and is able to do/test more.
*You are their flock now, their teacher and their parent.
*When you're sick, their life must carry on the same.
*Do you have the ability/time to deal with taming or aggression?
*Is your entire family okay with the idea?
*They require many hours of daily interaction. Do you work days and off nights (opposite of THEIR schedule. Being left alone all day is no fun is it? They feel the same.
*Does your home provide adequate space for a larger cage if need be?
*Consider your age and health because many species live a very long time.
*Consider the type of home you live in (your neighbors and your own sanity) they scream, squawk and are attention seeking.
*Some species are one person birds.
*Some species require special diets.
*Are your feelings going to be hurt if they love your spouse or another family member other than you? It happens...
*You will likely experience hormonal issues.
*How will you handle punishment? You don't hit them. You shouldn't put them in their cage as punishment all day or you will have more problems on your hands. You shouldn't yell back.
*Not only do you need to initially consider the cost of the bird but also its food, vet check, cage/travel cage price and toys.
*Travel a lot? Can they go with you? Can a boarding facility guarantee no avian diseases are in their building?
*Hand fed does not mean hand tame.
*Can you afford if something tragic happens and the bird needs surgery or plenty of tests run?
Whether you rescue, rehome or purchase/adopt are you asking the right questions. Has the bird been disease tested? Surely you wouldn't drop lots of money not knowing if the bird is thriving well.
Did you skim through this, roll your eyes, say to yourself "Geeze that's a ton of stuff to learn", then *Maybe a bird is not for you now or ever.
RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH
Don't buy on impulse for something cute because only the animal suffers from your lack of knowledge.
Don't let the next bird be the one you gave up to another home or rescue.
Would YOU want to be given up on and unwanted because you weren't what people saw in a video or expected?!
These are kids with feathers that stay toddlers their entire life.
**Chances are if you are reading this a bird owner cared enough to share or you left a comment on a page showing you were interested in a bird.
BIRD OWNERS/CARE TAKERS feel free to add more in the comments that I'm sure I missed and also feel free to share this post because many people need to see what it takes to love, provide and home a bird.
With everything said they make wonderful family companions and can be loving and cute. Just understand they may need time, patience and a bit of space but they may not offer you the same.
