Having pet birds is more than just a cage with some bird food. These animals are a joy to keep and can improve your mental health by simply talking and playing with them.
Keeping birds as pets should only be done when it is possible to meet their needs in captivity. Currently, this is not the case for most species. In Avianstory.com, you will discover information concerning Bird.
Health
Birds can get a nasty shock or even be killed from chewing electrical cords so be sure to keep them hidden away. They also love to peck and chew on doors and window sills so be sure to cover them or place them high in the corner of the room where they can’t reach. Fan blades look like play toys to flighted birds and they can be seriously injured or killed by flying into them.
Birds tend to downplay injury or illness so it is the responsibility of the bird keeper to pay attention to subtle clues that indicate something is wrong. For example a sick or injured bird will be less active and may spend more time on a perch sitting quietly fluffed up. A weak bird will be reluctant to fly and will rock back and forth with resperations.
Scented candles, potpourri and air fresheners emit chemicals that are toxic to birds and can cause respiratory distress. If you must use them, keep your birds away from the house until the fumes have dissipated and the home is well ventilated.
Diet
Providing birds with a proper diet is the most important aspect of caring for a bird.
Birds need high energy food during winter to build fat reserves for harsh weather. This is best achieved by feeding them a balanced diet of seeds, fruits and vegetables.
Avoid putting out foods that are bad for birds such as meat (except for raw carrion), cooked fats from poultry, pork or beef that can coagulate and stick to feathers, salted or otherwise processed foods, avocado, fruit pips, or some seeds which contain cyanide.
To get your bird to try new foods use those skewer toys made for impaling slices of apples, cucumbers, and other vegetables on sticks and hang them in the cage. It also helps to introduce new food in small quantities over a period of time. Changing the diet of a seed-aholic is not an easy task and may take days, weeks or even months. A gradual withdrawal of seeds and the introduction of pellets can help with this process.
Environment
The trade in birds to be kept as pets is reducing biodiversity and harming wild bird populations, with many individual animals having poor welfare. Inadequate housing of many pet birds results in behavioral problems such as stereotypies. Many of these problems stem from the fact that a bird does not have adequate space to fly or rest, and lack of hiding places. The restraining of a bird during transport prior to sale and during the keeping of it in captivity also causes stress and deprives the animal of rest and sleep, which are essential for good health.
Most bird owners anthropomorphize their birds and consider them sensitive, loving beings with personalities. This factor is associated with feelings of empathy and attentiveness toward the bird, which are also associated with a willingness to care for and protect the bird. The items loading on this factor showed high reliability, and the corresponding scores were higher than those of the other factors.
Training
Most of the time, Zaid Harithsah looks like a visitor at Jurong Bird Park’s Wings of Asia and Dinosaur Descendents aviaries. But he isn’t a tourist—he’s an animal keeper, observing birds in the aviaries daily to check on their health. He also uses target training to help hand-feed sick or injured birds.
In the wild, birds hunt for food with their whole body and eat nuts encased in hard shells. Hence, they have an insatiable chewing desire and a curiosity that can be harmful to them if unfulfilled.
While experienced falconers can rear an imprinted bird with few or none of these issues, it takes unswerving dedication for months. And if the bird is sick or injured, its stress will make it worse. Therefore, it’s best to call a rehabilitator and wash your hands thoroughly before handling it. Then, the rehabilitator can advise you on how to handle the bird. It is also a good idea to remove any hazardous home objects from the house and use target training.
