Pet Bird Behavior and Misbehavior

If you think men are from Mars and women are from Venus, imagine where birds are from. Not only is a bird owner required to feed and care for his pet, he must also read the bird's mind and try to understand why she behaves or misbehaves. However, there are clues to help you understand what makes birds tick and how to interact with them.

Much as with children, normal behavior in birds can go awry as a result of physical or psychological difficulties, or just plain boredom. For example, if your bird is bored and lonely, she may scream for attention. Your bird thrives on interaction with the 'flock,' and her flock is you! Being a flock is a lot of work, but learning the ropes can be quite rewarding.

Why Birds Misbehave

Because parrots are intelligent, they are easily bored and express their frustration in a variety of ways. In addition to screaming, other indications of boredom include biting, fits of jealousy, feather-picking, overeating, refusing to eat and destroying objects within reach. During out-of-cage time, she may attack the furniture, woodwork, telephone cord, computer keyboards or any other object she can sink her beak into.

Parrots are social creatures, and they need to be included in the activities of the human flock. Bonding with a favorite human is important. You are the master of the flock, and it's up to you to set boundaries and provide opportunities for exercise, play and mental stimulation. Isolation can turn a potentially wonderful pet bird into either a screeching, biting menace or a quiet, obsessed feather picker.

Food for Thought

A varied and nutritious diet can also influence behavior. Include interesting and challenging foods like corn on the cob, unshelled peas and nuts. Many single pet budgies without out-of-cage time for exercising and socializing will spend their days overeating, particularly fattening seeds and treats. The addition of fresh fruits and vegetables will keep those little beaks busy while providing in-cage exercise.

Some of the budgie's larger cousins tend to undereat or feather-pick when bored. Give larger parrots stimulating fresh foods on a birdie kabob, a skewer for serving large pieces of fresh foods, and make sure you provide a wide variety of choices for the food cup. Varying the diet and presentation will stimulate a new interest in eating.

Overstimulation

Just as a child can become too overwhelmed at his birthday party, your parrot may wiggle away from an extended head scratch, back rub or cuddle session. She may either tire of the attention and want to move on to something else or may have to go potty. If you don't react in time to her need to eliminate, you may have droppings on your furniture, carpet, clothing or hand. When she squirms, put her in the cage or on some paper provided for the occasion. You can always try playing again when she's finished!

Despite your efforts, your parrot may eventually become restless and bored with toys and games. She'll want something else to do like explore the out-of-cage environment, eat or take a drink. If you don't pay attention to the mood swings, your cranky bird may move on to biting as a signal that it's time to do something else.

Boredom has a profound effect on your bird's overall well-being. If you've made the effort to keep her from being bored, but the undesired behavior persists, it is important you look in other areas of her life to discover what's causing the problem.

Screaming

Parrots are verbal creatures with voices that vary from pleasant whistles to raucous screeches and screams. Normal screaming occurs when the bird greets the morning, when she is ready to roost at night, when she is frightened or in pain, when hormones surge at breeding time and even when she's just plain happy.

Just as parents must learn with infants, a parrot owner must quickly learn to differentiate normal screaming from a learned behavior. Screaming frequently may indicate hunger, thirst, boredom, loneliness, fear, stress, fatigue, a reaction to the owner's stress or a lack of toys.

Screaming may also be an attempt to copy another bird or a behavior that has been unwittingly rewarded in the past by a novice owner.

Screaming, often combined with other undesirable behaviors such as biting or jealousy, can be prevented once the cause is discovered. To determine the reasons for this ear-shattering behavior, you should examine your bird's environment, her state of physical and psychological well being, the way she is handled, whether her nutritional needs are being met, whether she has been spoiled by too much attention or if a change in the bird's or family's life has drastically disrupted her routine.

If you need help with behavior modification, document when the screaming occurs and report your findings when you take your bird to see an avian vet or bird behaviorist.

Biting

For bird owners, biting is probably the most fearsome bird behavior. A little budgie beak is capable of piercing a hole in a finger, lip or earlobe. The thought of a bite by a conure, Amazon, cockatoo or macaw can certainly cause even the most unflinching owner to shudder.

There are a number of reasons why parrots bite, most involving the owner's behavior. For example, birds will usually bite when they feel threatened by a fearful owner who, at the approach of that formidable beak, jumps back waving arms, hands and fingers.

An otherwise docile bird may bite if disturbed while eating, bathing, playing or sleeping. Biting is a way to let others know she does not want their attention. Other reasons for a biting reaction may include changes in the environment; an invasion of the bird's territory; a lack of trust of the owner, family members or strangers; sudden movements, noises or vibrations; neglect or abuse including hitting and isolating; a lack of guidance; insufficient social interaction; improper nutrition or care; a separation from a human or feathered mate; and hormonal changes during the breeding season.

Young birds going through an explore-the-environment stage use their sensitive beaks to taste and 'feel' humans and objects and to help them keep their balance when they are climbing or stepping up to something. The best way to handle the little 'toddler' is to avoid the beak, but if it does get a hold of you, gently remove your finger. Be forewarned that innocent beak explorations in the form of nibbling may, if encouraged, grow into full-fledged biting as the bird grows older.

In order to prevent biting, you must learn to read the bird's body language and understand her personality and moods. It's important not to engage in negative reinforcement by shouting in pain, screaming or hitting the bird. These actions will make your bird think you are playing a game of 'I Bite/You Dramatize.' Biting can also be discouraged with the use of a calm 'no' command and by providing foot toys, chew toys or a piece of vegetable or fruit. Brief timeout periods in the cage, followed by attention and a reward such as a head scratch or a treat, may also be effective.

Feather Picking or Self-Mutilation

Feather picking and self-mutilation are behaviors exclusive to pet birds. Normally, birds will pull out a couple of feathers here and there when they are preening or molting. However, when birds carry this to an extreme by chewing off breast, wing or tail feathers, the behavior must be stopped before it becomes an obsessive habit. Continued feather plucking will eventually damage the feather follicles and stop the growth of normal, healthy feathers.

Cockatoos, African grays, macaws, conures, Timneh parrots and Amazons are prone to feather picking. They sometimes carry the activity one step further to self-mutilation by chewing on the legs, feet or skin to create rather nasty, bloody messes ripe for infection.

Parrots may develop this behavior for either medical or psychological reasons. These include changes in hormone levels, malnutrition, external or internal parasites, bacterial or fungal infections of the skin or feather follicles, Psittacine beak and feather disease, environmental stress, nervousness, sudden temperature changes, insufficient sleep, lack of bathing time, not enough playtime, too small of a cage, incorrect cage location, isolation, boredom, lack of physical activity and exercise, inappropriate handling, insufficient light, constant fear and constant fear of danger from other pets.

A cure or prevention should begin with an examination by an avian vet. You need to keep a good record of your bird's feather picking and self-mutilation habits as well as the circumstances surrounding each incident. Take note of your bird's overall psychological condition and examine her environment with an eye for what might be improved.

Routines are important for your bird and should be followed as closely as possible. Make sure your bird gets enough sleep and good nutrition. Provide the opportunity for frequent bathing. Give your bird quality time for play and cuddling every day, offering her a variety of chew toys.

Regurgitation

Regurgitation, or bringing up undigested food from the crop (a saclike enlargement of a bird's gullet in which food is stored before digestion) and attempting to feed a favorite human, mirror or toy is a common behavior. This behavior is similar to when a cat brings home a prized dead mouse for its owner. What people perceive as disgusting is the highest honor their bird can bestow. It is the avian way of expressing love and affection to their human mate, just as it is part of normal courtship and breeding behavior between birds.

If your bird regurgitates on you, accept it graciously and don't confuse your amorous 'mate' by expressing your disgust.

Since regurgitation is more likely to occur during breeding season when hormones are raging, it is best not to arouse your parrot by stroking her abdomen, neck or back. Be prepared to receive this precious gift if your bird begins to bob her head, pump her crop and neck muscles, and pin her eyes (narrow and dilate her pupils rather quickly). One good strategy to prevent regurgitation is to distract her with a game or toy.

Regurgitation directed at a toy or mirror, accompanied by rubbing against the object, signals an attempt at mating. Budgies are famous for this since they think their reflection is another bird. Removing the object of your bird's affection can easily prevent this behavior.

Frequent regurgitation could be a sign of illness, such as a crop or upper digestive tract infection. If the behavior persists, you should take your bird in to see an avian vet.

Inexperienced bird owners frequently mistake regurgitation for vomiting, a forceful expulsion of the crop contents. If the cage, the walls and the bird are sticky with vomit, it is likely she has become ill with poisoning from zinc, lead or another toxic substance, has a gastrointestinal disorder or has ingested a foreign object. Take the bird to the avian vet immediately.

Night Frights

Cockatiels, cockatoos and macaws frequently experience night frights, also common among small children, when startled from sleep by a loud noise, vibration or sudden movement, or simply for an unidentifiable reason. Your startled bird may try to take flight, fall off her perch, thrash around the cage or bang against the cage bars, toys and feeders. She may become injured, bleed from pulled feathers, bruise her wing tips, feet, chest or abdomen, go into shock and even sustain internal injuries. When night frights occur, try to calm your bird. Stop any bleeding with styptic powder and call your avian vet for advice.

To circumvent injuries due to night frights, try placing a small night light near the cage or in the aviary so your bird can see where she is during this episode. Or, place an air purifier in the room to drown out potentially frightening noises. You can also provide a small, toy-free sleeping cage to reduce the possibility of injury. To lessen the chance of injury, place a towel on the bottom and lower sides of the cage to cushion the impact of a fall or from thrashing about.

Seizures

Seizures are sometimes mistaken for night frights. In fact, they are symptomatic of more serious, life-threatening problems such as lead or zinc poisoning, head trauma, epilepsy, infection or diet deficiency.

Following a seizure, your bird will look dazed and extremely tired. She will usually sit on the bottom of the cage or on a low perch for a prolonged period of time. You should keep it quiet in a toy-free, covered cage. After treating any bleeding from pulled feathers, take your bird to the avian vet for immediate evaluation.

Nurturing Intervention

As a bird owner, you'll need to become familiar with your parrot's body language, moods, likes, dislikes and personality traits. This will help you to discern behavioral changes and determine the reasons for them, and recognize you may inadvertently be causing or encouraging undesirable behaviors.

Never punish your bird, as she cannot make the connection between the crime and the punishment. For example, screaming at a screaming bird can actually encourage her to scream more, if only for the attention she receives. You should never hit a bird. Hitting or grabbing a bird's beak causes the bird to respond aggressively, fostering fear and distrust.

To help control inappropriate behaviors, let your bird know you will both love and protect her. Once you have gained the bird's trust and affection, she will begin to bond with you. This opens the gate to easy handling, learning commands, verbal interaction in both human and parrot language, and successful behavior modification.

Play Toys

Parrots, like children, need play activities to exercise and strengthen the body, burn energy, stimulate intellectual activity and for fun and entertainment. They must also learn to play by themselves, substituting the wild bird's instincts for flight, flock interaction and foraging for food with caged bird alternatives. Some safe toys readily available in your home include paper cups, cardboard rolls from toilet paper and paper towels (ideal chewing toys for Amazons, macaws and African grays) and uncooked pasta strung on vegetable-tanned leather strips.

Retail bird toys include blocks of wood with unshelled nuts or seed treat sticks inside, wooden blocks with rope and leather knots strung through them, wooden ladders and barbells, natural ropes and branches, zinc and lead-free chains, swings with wooden beads, nylon or acrylic keys or rings, hanging toys with zinc-free and lead-free bells, shapes made out of plain or vegetable-dyed soft woods or pieces of hide and leather strung on rope.

More complex toys include a mix of branches, rope, wooden beads and blocks, hide, leather, parrot cookies, pieces of cholla and manzanita wood and chains. These provide your parrot with decision-making opportunities and hours of mental and physical stimulation as she figures out how to take her toy apart.

To avoid tragedies such as lead or zinc poisoning, cut tongues, beak or foot injuries, strangulation or infection, toys must have lead-free and zinc-free links to attach them to the cage. Check your bird's toys frequently and remove them from her cage if cotton rope is frayed or sagging. If your bird has made holes that could trap a foot, beak or neck, or if the toy is covered with food residue or droppings, discard or clean the toys immediately.

Toys should be selected according to the size of the bird to avoid injuries caused by toy parts that are too large or too small. Avoid toys made with loose-linked chains, jingle bells, and metal parts that are not lead-free or zinc-free, such as bells with lead clappers; weighted toys containing lead, locks, nuts and bolts that may contain zinc or other heavy metals; eye screws that can be swallowed or caught in the mouth; and objects made from brittle plastic that can easily be broken into sharp-edges.

Naturally, if your bird shows no interest in a toy, or clearly dislikes it, take it away.

Play Activities

There are many interactive games people can play with their pet birds. Playing these games encourages trust, strengthens parrot/human communication, helps your bird release energy in a non-destructive way and gives you the opportunity to spend quality time with your little feathered bundle of energy.

Games

The Blinking Game: First establish eye contact, then close your eyes and the bird will copy you. Birds will generally blink whenever their human playmate does and sometimes will do it first to initiate play.

Peek-A-Boo: When a person leaves the room, a bird will normally stretch its neck to see where he went. To play, peek around the door so your bird sees you again. This game is also fun as an out-of-cage activity. Place a towel or light cage cover over your head. Your bird may burrow under it or pull it off entirely. Or place a cover over your bird and reward her with a cuddle or head scratch when she peeks out.

Yoo-Hoo: This game is fun when you are somewhere else in the house. Teach your bird to cry 'yoo-hoo' or 'hi there,' and you whistle or call back. This can also help teach your bird to whistle or speak, rather than scream, when she wants attention.

Drop-and-Pick-Up: Much like toddlers, birds love to repeatedly drop a toy and watch you retrieve it.

Tug-O-War: Take a towel and allow your bird to grab an end and pull while you gently pull on the other end. Allow your pet to win a few times so she doesn't develop aggressive behavior. If you have a shy bird, the odds of winning should be in her favor.

Upside-Down Game: Some birds enjoy hanging upside-down from the top of the cage or from a perch, often while holding an object such as a wooden barbell in its mouth. Your bird may become so expert she can hang upside-down from your finger while twisting her body around. Reward this fine trick with high praise, a good neck and head scratch or a piece of fruit.

Games are most successful if they are designed according to your bird's personality and favorite solo activities. Your bird may graduate from simple games to more complex tricks such as shaking hands, playing basketball, riding toys and playing dead. Parrots can also become great talkers and wonderful dancing and singing partners. Some like jazz or golden oldies music while others prefer Viennese waltzes or a bit of Mozart.

Obviously, it takes time, understanding and patience for birds and humans to learn to play together successfully. Take the time to observe your bird's individual behavior and learn the essentials of training and handling. This effort will result in hours of fun and laughs for both you and your bird.

Pet Bird Body Language

Have you ever taken the time to watch your birds really closely and notice the different behaviours they have that can indicate an enormous amount of information about each bird ? Just as humans have a definite body language so to do our birds. In this article I will go through some that I have noticed and I would love to hear from other members who may have made observations of their own while observing their birds. Even without inspecting the nestbox it is possible to tell by the behaviour of a breeding pair when their chicks are starting to hatch. Over the 21 days your birds will most likely have been taking regular shifts of looking after the eggs with the male sitting all day and the hen sitting all night. The changeovers are usually fairly predictable the hen emerging around 6 or 7 am and the cock taking over and changing back around 5 or 6pm. Things are quite calm and orderly. Then around 21 days after the first egg was laid the sitting routine goes right out of the window. Changeovers are much more frequent as each parent take a turn of feeding up and returning to the nestbox to feed the chicks. Things take on a much more frenetic pace and woe betide you if your late taking them their soft food and greens in the morning. You won't be met with the calm happy twitters of your grateful birds, more like an exasperated looking parent pacing the perch or hanging off the front wire of the aviary indicating in no uncertain terms that you better hurry up as they have babies waiting for breakfast. If you don't pick up on these sort of signals you may not be as in tune with you birds as you could be. From the moment a baby bird hatches its very existence depends on its ability to convey to its parent that it is hungry and needs food. This carries on for as long as the chick is dependent on the parent bird for food and sometimes they will try it on even after it is weaned and usually the parent bird will respond with the bird equivalent to a clip on the ear. The one thing I love watching the most is when a chick first emerges from the nestbox. After finally working up the courage to follow it's parent who has been patiently flying backwards and forwards from the nestbox to the front of the aviary to encourage their offspring to follow, for all the world as if it is saying come on watch me, you can do it. Then once that first giant step is taken the very next thing the parent starts to teach the chick is where the food is . The parent will fly from beside the chick to where the food supply is backwards and forwards until the chick follows and starts the long process of learning to eat by itself. Then once all the chicks are fledged and all demanding food from the parents at the same time you can soon see who has the dominant personality amongst the group or who is the more quiet one who usually is last in line for a feed. Other examples of reading a bird's body language are when your birds go into a sudden panic and fly around madly then just as quickly go completely still, not making a sound. In my part of the woods this usually heralds the arrival of a bird of prey such as a hawk. I don't need to see the bird to know that it's there. One thing that fascinates me is that usually just before the arrival of such a bird you will often see some wild rainbow lorikeets screaming through the sky, yelling their heads off, as if in warning to other birds who don't have the lorikeets speed to escape, to take cover as danger is approaching. We have a lot of spotted turtle doves around here, unfortunately for them, much sought after by hawks for their lunch. Their plan of action when a hawk arrives on the scene is to keep perfectly still so as not to attract attention to themselves. Usually after a short while one will panic and try to escape and is usually snapped up by the waiting hawk. Back to watching your own birds, obviously there are the signs to look for if you suspect a bird is unwell. We all know that birds will try to hide the fact that they are sick for as long as possible, but if you are really in tune with your birds you should be able to pick up very slight changes in their personality and behaviour that may indicate they have a problem before it gets too serious. Things like sleeping a bit more than usual, changes in eating habits, irritability, being a bit dominated by the other birds more than would normally happen could all mean something is not quite right. You can usually tell when a hen is about to start laying . She will get a bit of a humpy look to her stance and her dropping will become large and runny. She should however still be eating well and generally be in good health. This is the time to make extra sure you hen has a fresh and plentiful supply of calcium to replace what she uses up laying her eggs. If a bird is egg bound ( unable to pass the egg) she may go down to the floor of the aviary and appear in some distress. The first thing to do if this occurs is to keep the bird warm and administer a liquid calcium supplement such as Calcium Sandoz by mouth. If you are unsure of what to do or the bird doesn't seem to be responding contact your avian vet immediately. Sexing your birds can be made easier by some careful observation of their behaviour. Young males will start to show tell tale signs of the first throaty whistles at quite a young age, but it is easy to miss if you aren't watching. It is best to observe them from a distance and don't stare at them or they will stop doing it. If you can't tell which one is making the noise look at their tails for a tell tale slight movement in time with the whistle. Once you have an idea a particular bird might be a male you can either shift him to a different aviary and continue to observe the rest of his siblings or make a note of his ring number for future reference. Compatibility is very a important factor in breeding. If you have the opportunity to let your birds select their own partners you will see they have very definite ideas about who they want to be paired with. If you have an aviary with equal numbers of young un-bonded cocks and hens it is quite often the case that one of the hens has the attention of all the males or conversely one of the cock birds has all the young females trailing after him. I don't know what that exactly says about those more popular birds body language to the other birds but I think I'll let you figure it out for yourselves!!

Avian Health Care Tips

Birds get sick for many reasons but there are two main categories where most of the problems lie. These two categories are the bird's environment and diet. After these comes trauma as a source of problems, but it runs a weak third. If bird owners can optimize their bird's environment and diet, many problems that we avian veterinarians see could be avoided. This means that your bird can live a longer, healthier life and your wallet will also be spared much trauma!

When you do need the services of a veterinarian, make sure that the veterinarian is an avian veterinarian who sees birds on a regular basis. It is not a bad idea to call around and talk to some of the local veterinarians who claim to be "bird experts" and ask them some questions. Don't be afraid to ask for references either.

Diet
Poor or inadequate diet is the number one reason for illness in birds. Whether the illness is due primarily to the deficiency or the birds get a secondary infection, diet is the key. Dietary deficiencies cause a wide range of disease, ranging from poor feather color and feather picking to severe upper respiratory infections to egg binding in laying hens (a situation where an egg is stuck in the reproductive tract of the female bird).

We will break diet into categories then offer some ideas of optimal or healthy diets for your bird: The five categories are: 1. vitamin and mineral, 2. protein, 3.carbohydrates, 4. vegetables and fruits, 5. fats.

Vitamin and Mineral: Vitamin A deficiency is the most common single dietary deficiency or problem seen in cage birds. Vitamin A may be provided as actual vitamin A or as beta carotene. The advantage of beta carotene is that you cannot give too much to your birds whereas vitamin A, if over- supplemented could cause liver and bone disease. Many foods are high in vitamin A and this list, along with other healthy fruits and vegetables will be provided in the vegetable and fruit section.

Vitamin D3 is the next most common problem. Vitamin D3 is essential for healthy bones, feathers, and egg laying. Without this vitamin, calcium cannot be properly used by the body. Natural sunlight will allow the body to produce normal amounts of this vitamin so will using vita lights or other full spectrum lighting if indoors. Windows absorb too much of the UV light necessary for vitamin D3 so placing your bird by a window will not work. Vitamin supplementation is an easy and inexpensive way to ensure your bird receives proper amounts of all vitamins. It is important to use vitamins made for birds as they will contain vitamin D3. Other forms of vitamin D will not be properly utilized by your bird; they need to have D3. Although the rest of the vitamins are also necessary, I just wanted to review the two most important ones.

In the case of minerals, calcium is the most important. The only birds that require extra calcium in their diet are African Gray parrots, Blue Fronted Amazons, and any bird laying eggs. All other birds will receive enough calcium from a good vitamin/mineral supplement. Cuttle bone, mineral blocks, manu blocks, oyster shell grit, and D-CA-PHOS (Fort Dodge) are all excellent and natural sources of calcium. Do not overdose your birds with the food additive type of calcium supplements as it may cause calcification of their internal organs.

The best type of supplements to give your bird are the powder forms that go on the food. Water soluble types are not as good as they are low in the fat soluble (A and D3) and vitamins break down fast in water losing potency and increase the growth of bacteria.

A few brands I would recommend are Prime, Avia, Superpreen, and Necton. Only buy enough vitamins to last six months or less as they slowly lose their potency when exposed to air. Vitamins/mineral supplements are utilized best when mixed with wet foods not seeds or pellets.

Protein: Birds do need protein in their diet; the amount and type vary on the bird's activity and age. More active birds (show birds and birds in large flights that fly around a lot) and breeding birds (egg laying hens, parents feeding their young) and growing birds need more protein than the average caged pet bird. Older birds or birds with certain metabolic diseases such as liver and kidney disease or gout need less protein. The quality of the protein is also important. While many seeds have decent amounts of protein, the quality is not that great unless the bird eats all the seed types in the mix in proper proportions. Since this is not realistic, I prefer to give the birds pellets. Seeds are also very high in fat and most birds prefer the taste of seeds over other foods, this may lead to obesity as well as deficiencies.

There are many brands of pellets available, stick to the brand names, avoid newcomers to the market that are not from a regular bird food manufacturer. Many of the pellet companies have a variety of pellets for your birds needs, Consult your avian veterinarian if you are unsure of which type to feed your bird.

Many birds who have been on seed will not readily accept the pellets. You may need to "cold turkey" them on to the pellets by withholding their seeds, make sure they have plenty of water and "wet" foods. If you are uncomfortable doing this type of change over, you can offer your bird a mix of pellets and seeds or place an additional bowl of pellets next to the seeds. You may want to offer a limited amount of seed so that your bird is hungry enough to try the pellets (this holds true when offering any new food to your bird that they do not seem to want).

Birds are like young children, they will not make wise nutritional choices on their own, and are usually afraid to try new things. Be patient whenever you are attempting diet changes or offering new foods to your birds. If your bird will not eat pellets or you want to offer seeds, their diet should be no more than 20-50% seed (depending on their activity levels and whether they are outside or inside and the environmental temperature). Avoid sunflower seeds unless using the new low fat sunflower seeds available, the birds really enjoy the taste of sunflower seeds and will preferentially eat them over other foods. They are high in fat and not very nutritious. If you want to give your birds sunflower seeds, use them as treats or rewards.

Other good sources of protein for your bird are non-fat cottage cheese, regular cheese (high in fat), lean cooked meats (beef and poultry) and well- cooked chicken bones. Give these protein sources once or twice a week in addition to a balanced diet offered daily.

Carbohydrates: There are two forms of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Simple ones are the sugars. They are rapidly digested and absorbed and are not very good for your bird. Avoid giving treats that are high in sugar, never give your bird chocolate as there is a substance in there which can kill your bird. Fruits are high in sugar and therefore need to be given in moderation.

Complex carbohydrates are the starches. These are great energy sources for you bird and serve as building blocks for non-essential amino acid (the building blocks of protein) and fats. Your bird should have starches in its diet in the form of cooked rice, beans (good for protein as well), cooked potatoes, pizza crust, pasta, corn, and tortillas.

Vegetables and Fruit: There are only a few things your bird should not have in this group of foods. One is avocado. There is a substance avocado that is fatal to birds and there is no treatment once they have eaten it and get sick. Iceberg lettuce is mostly water and has little nutritional value, birds seem to like it and will eat it over other good vegetables.

The following list is not complete but contains many of the vegetables and fruits that are high in vitamin A or beta carotene: broccoli, dried red chili peppers (birds do not salivate so they do not detect the hotness of these peppers like you or I would but if your bird kisses you after eating some of these, watch out!), Sweet potatoes and yams -- cooked or raw, carrots, winter squash, pumpkin, red cabbage, mustard greens, brussel sprouts, spinach, kale asparagus, parsley (give sparingly), dark leafy lettuce -- not iceberg lettuce, papaya, apricots, peaches, mango, cantaloupe, cherries (may turn stool or droppings a dark red color that looks like blood but is harmless), and watermelon. Many of the other vegetables not listed are okay to eat. You can use fresh or frozen vegetables, but avoid canned vegetables as they are processed and have had most of the good nutritional value destroyed. You can give these raw or in the case of frozen, thawed out. Cooking is not necessary (you may find that your bird prefers cooked yams and sweet potatoes over raw, just make sure they have cooled down).

Your bird can eat as many vegetables as it wants, that's okay, but avoid too much fruit as it is mostly sugar and water and therefore, not all that nutritious. Always wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly before feeding. If you use fruit cocktail, buy the type with no sugar or syrup added. Your bird's droppings will get more watery when you feed them fruits and vegetables, especially with fruits. Do not mistake this for diarrhea. It is usually an increase in urine production due to the high water content of these types of food, or in other words, water in, water out!

The fecal portion of the dropping should remain formed but you will see less of the white stuff (urates) and more "water" (urine). This is okay. If the fecal portion is also unformed or has an odor, then you need to have the bird checked. Remember, your vet needs to see the droppings so do not clean the cage before your visit.

Fats: Fat deficiency is rare to non-existent in birds, especially in the pet bird. There are cases where birds require a certain type of oil in their diet, but fat is usually quite plentiful. Most cage or pet birds tend to have diets that are too high in fat. This is usually due to a high seed intake. Most seeds are high in fat. A good rule of thumb is the larger the seed, the greater the fat content (by percentage of makeup). Sunflower seeds are the largest contributor to obesity in birds. Peanuts are another high fat food that birds love to eat, so offer them as treats only (or not at all). Large nuts are also high in fat. Seed treats like honey sticks are very high calorie, high fat foods and should only be given to your birds once a month or less. Many people think that since these birds eat high fat foods in the wild that they need them in captivity, however, your bird is not getting the exercise that a wild bird gets when flying around looking for food. Besides, if a wild bird gets an obesity problem, it falls easy prey for a predator or gets sick and dies. Not a good outcome.

The best way to minimize your bird's fat intake is to minimize fatty foods. Seeds should constitute only 20-50% of the diet if you want to feed seeds. Pellets are good, since they are low in fat. Your bird can eat all it wants and will not get fat. If you bird likes regular cheeses, give them sparingly. The yolk of hard boiled eggs is high in fat and should be given judiciously, egg whites are a good protein source and have no appreciable fat content. Chicken and turkey skin and meat trimmings are very high in fat and should be avoided. Do not supplement your birds diet with any fats or oils unless you consult your avian veterinarian first.

The Optimal Diet
What should your bird eat? Here are some suggestions. They are offered only as a guide line; some variation is okay. A good rule of thumb is that anything that is good for a human with a heart condition (remember, no avocado or chocolates).

Diet 1. Maintenance pellets (Pretty Bird ), offered on an as eat basis. If your birds are breeding/laying you may need to go to a pellet designed for production. Offer vegetables and fruits -- 75-90% vegetables, the rest fruit daily. Mix your vitamins in with this. Change the bowl daily, clean and disinfect it on a regular basis. If you live in a humid climate, you may need to change this bowl two to three times a day to prevent spoilage. Offer daily table foods, part of your breakfast, lunch, or dinner if you want. Remember, moderation is the key. Treats such as honey sticks and nuts should be given once a month or less.

Diet 2. Use a safflower based seed mix in place of the pellets. Sunflower and peanut type diets, while they taste good, are too high in fat and not nutritious enough for your bird. If there is left-over seed at the end of the day you are probably offering your bird too much seed. Make sure your bird eats the other goodies. Some times it is best to offer seeds twice a day for 15-30 minutes then remove the seed bowl so the bird will eat the other foods. If your bird is overweight despite a low fat, healthy diet, consult your avian veterinarian.

Diet 3. This is not really a diet as much as a place to put table food! Offer your bird what you are eating. Do not offer your bird food off your fork or spoon, out of your mouth, or anything you have bitten off of as this is a great way to make your bird sick. The bacteria in our mouths are not good for your bird.

Another treat you can give your bird is Zu-preem Monkey Chow. This is a good brand since it is not oily and has a low bacterial count. Purina Monkey Chow is very oily and has a high E.coli count so it should not be used. Dog and cat food, while a good source of protein and a balanced meal is designed for dogs and cats. It is high in bacteria that will not hurt your dog or cat but could get your bird sick. With all the good commercial diets available for your bird, using foods formulated for other species is not really necessary.

Water: Birds need plenty of fresh water, not only for drinking but also for bathing. If your bird does not like to take baths, there is nothing wrong with him; he just does not like to take baths! The water bowl should be large enough for the bird to get its head into, not just his beak. You should change your bird's water daily, if your bird is a messy eater, or likes to dip his food in his water, you may need to change it more often. Depending on the number of birds and their location, the water bowl(s) should be disinfected on a regular basis. This will be covered in the section on disinfection. It is best to use bottled or filtered water since many municipal supplies are borderline at best and may be high in minerals and contaminants. Tap water sometimes has low levels of bacteria that may be harmful to your bird. Water that is safe for human consumption is not necessarily safe for your bird!

If your bird has a habit of defecating in its water then you need a covered or hooded bowl for water, this helps to keep the water clean. You should never add anything to your bird's water without consulting with your avian veterinarian. As mentioned earlier, vitamins should not be added to your bird's water. Your bird may like to be misted with a spray bottle on a regular basis. If this is to be done, make sure that the water is fresh and has no additives. Outdoor birds should be provided with misters or Sprinklers that can be turned on in the hot weather to help cool the aviary as well as allows your birds something to play in.

Environment
This is another very important area that you need to pay attention to when you have a feathered friend. Cage, location, lighting, noise, routine, toys, perches, cleaning/disinfecting, Teflon and other toxins, heat and drafts are all important factors. Bathing will also be covered at the end of this section.

Cage: The cage should be large enough for your bird to spread and flap its wings without hitting the bars. Cages are important as they protect your birds from the "outside" world (other pets, children, friends and relatives) as well as keeping the bird out of trouble.

Birds are like two year olds. They should not be left out alone because they have a way of getting into trouble. Many a nice piece of furniture and curtains have been ruined by an all too curious bird. Lead poisoning in birds is usually due to the bird being left out alone or unattended and he finds something neat to chew. If the cage is painted, make sure it is with non- leaded paint, the label should read safe for children/infants, contains no lead. If the cage is painted and is of questionable or unknown origin, have the paint removed and re-apply the proper paint. It is imperative that the old paint be removed, not covered, as the bird can chew through the new layer of paint to the old layer.

Playground areas are nice for your bird, they allow exercise and "fresh air" and a time to socialize with other birds in the house (if they get along!). There are many types of playgrounds, wood and PVC are the most popular, make sure the perches are the right size for your birds feet. If using PVC, make sure that it is either roughened or has a grippable material on it so that the bird will not slip. More about perches will be covered under the toy and perch section.

Perches and Toys: The best perches are the natural hard woods such as manzanita, ribbon wood and eucalyptus (very hard when it dries). Other woods may or may not be safe but it is best to stick to one of the three mentioned above. PVC, as mentioned earlier, is also a popular perch playground material that is easy to clean. If you cover it for better grip, use a material that can be easily changed for easy cleaning. Terra-cotta is a recently introduced perch material that seems to work well, is sage, and does seem to help keep the nails a bit shorter.

Another new perch material is rope. These perches are fine except they are easily destroyed by larger birds and need to replaced often as the frayed and loose strand may entangle your birds feet. With any of the perching materials, varying diameter perches need to be offered to prevent fatigue to the birds feet and simulate more natural perching behaviors. Sandpaper covers should be avoided as they may irritate the skin on the bottom of the feet and lead to bumble foot, a seriously debilitating foot disease.

Toys should be made of very strong materials, especially for the larger parrots, macaws, and cockatoos. Large dog choker chains are very good for suspending things. Dog chews such as the large one-piece cowhide (do not use pig ears) can make fun and chewable toys. Many of the acrylic toys, while expensive, are excellent and safe toys. Human infant teething toys that are not fluid filled are good for young birds who are still developing jaw strength and for small birds of all ages. It is natural for birds to be destructive so do not be surprised when your macaw or cockatoo (or even some of the other birds) break these "unbreakable" toys and perches. Expect to buy more and you will not be let down.

Dishes: Ceramic, plastic, and stainless steel are your best bets. All are good and depend on your birds needs and the design of the cage. If you get ceramic crocks get them from a reputable manufacturer that has lead free claims. If the glazing gets chipped off, and it will, the porous clay underneath is easily chewed off by your bird. If there is lead in the clay, your bird could end up being poisoned. Always replace crocks with chips or cracks. I have found that many of the high impact plastic bowls that clamp on the cage are easy to use, easy to clean, cheaper than other bowls, and come in many colors. These are my personal favorite. Disinfect your bowls on a regular basis ( see the section on Disinfection).

Light: Outdoor birds enjoy the benefit of natural sunlight. If your birds are outdoors, make sure they have access to sunlight but also make sure they have a way to get out of the sunlight or adverse weather conditions if necessary. Indoor birds need 12-16 hours of light a day. It is best to keep your bird(s) on the same schedule so their internal clocks are not constantly being reset. Fluorescent lights, especially full spectrum or gro-lights, are better than incandescent lights. The UV component of full spectrum lights is important for the natural production of Vitamin D3 . If D3 is provided in the diet via supplementation then the type of light is less important.

Noise and Routine: There are multiple theories on these two subjects. I have found that most birds will get use to whatever they are raised with. Birds raised in quiet homes with very strict routines do not do well when placed into a more hectic situation. My own birds are very use to a "non-routine" routine of lighting, feeding, and cleaning schedules, being up at midnight was no big deal to them' Certain birds like the African Gray Parrots are more susceptible to change. It is important when a change has occurred that the bird is watched closely for signs of illness or unhappiness. These include excessive sleeping and fluffing, decrease or loss of appetite (watch for change in droppings), decreased vocalization, aggressive behavior, etc. If any of these should occur, call your avian veterinarian as soon as possible.

Heat and drafts: The ambient (air) temperature of most homes is adequate for your bird. Sudden changes in temperature are not good but the changes that occur in our every day living are not drastic. If you are going away, make sure you leave your thermostat set such that your indoor pets, if left behind, do not experience sudden temperature fluctuations. They will be stressed enough with you being gone, there is no need to make things worse. Birds should never be placed near vents, ducts, or drafty windows and doors as they are unable to get out of the way of the air flows and can become sick after prolonged exposure. If your bird is sick it is important to provide them with plenty of heat and comfort. This does not replace a proper veterinary exam but may be part of the at home treatment recommended by your vet.

Teflon: Cookware coated with non-stick surfaces should not be used if there are birds in the house. When new or over heated they emit Teflon gas that is odorless, colorless, and harmless to mammals. It is fatal to birds, there is no known antidote. If you have Teflon coated cookware (pans, waffle irons, etc.), either get rid of them or make sure you keep the bird on the other side of the house with windows open while using them.

There are very good stainless and cast iron cookware available, that when used properly, are also non-stick. If you burn or over heat coated cookware, open all windows immediately and get your bird as far away as possible from the source.

Disinfection
A clean environment is just as important to preventing disease and disease spread as is good nutrition. Many diseases can be contained or prevented with proper disinfection. A detailed analysis of disinfection with all the various chemicals could easily become a book.

My goal is to give you a brief overview of what I know will work under most conditions. In time of certain disease outbreaks, the rules become more stringent, check with your avian veterinarian if you are having an on going problem that you have not been able to resolve. Do not be afraid to ask for a second opinion.

I will discuss only two classes of disinfectants that should be used in the average bird owner/breeder home/aviary. The first group is the quaternary ammonias such as Kenosol Roccal -D (hard to find in California), Neon Pet Products and Pursue (Amway), just to name a few. They are good at killing Chlamydia (psittacosis), Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease virus (PBFD), Pseuodomonas bacteria, and Polyoma virus. Make sure they are listed to kill Pseudomonas, many times the product needs to be used at a stronger concentration to kill the bacteria.

The other class of chemicals are the chlorinated compounds. The most notable of these is bleach. Bleach used at 4 ounces per gallon of water will kill just about anything. Bleach is inexpensive but can be very awkward to use due to its odor and ability to ruin clothes and carpets. The new members to this group are the stabilized chlorine dioxides. The most notable of this group are Oxygene and Dentagene, both by Oxyfresh. This would be the best product to use during a Polyoma outbreak or during the handfeeding period in and aviary. Due to its expense, it may not be appropriate for pet birds, non breeding birds, or in the offbreeding season.

In multiple bird household and aviaries I recommend disinfecting wet food and water bowls daily. They should be cleaned with hot, soapy water to remove as much debris as possible then soaked in disinfectant for 20-30 minutes. In homes with one to two birds, the bowls should be cleaned daily and disinfected once a week. Cages may be periodically washed then sprayed with disinfectant and left to air dry, once Cry, hose with fresh water. Make sure you remove the bird first! The frequency at which you wash and disinfect your cages depends on how dirty they get and how many birds you have. The more birds you have, the more often you need to disinfect. Perched should be brushed with a wire brush as needed to remove dried feces and food, they should be replaced twice a year or as needed.

Flooring in the bird room should be easily cleaned. If your birds are on carpet, put some plastic under their cage to facilitate cleaning, your carpet will appreciate this as well as yourself. Linoleum and tile can be mopped or hosed on a weekly basis, after cleaning, coat the floor with disinfectant and let it air dry, then mop it with warm water. If you cannot remove the birds from the room when cleaning the floor, make sure there is plenty of ventilation and that you do not spray the birds with disinfectant.

If you will be disinfecting electronic equipment or equipment that cannot get wet then you need to use an aerosol that contains an ortho-phenyphenol disinfectant. These are capable of killing all the problem organisms, it even kills tuberculosis, a problem seen occasionally in wild caught or imported birds. Two brand I can think of are Pursue Broad Spectrum Disinfectant Deodorizer Spray (no TFHC, environmentally friendly) and Lysol Disinfectant Deodorizer Spray. Spray these in to or on to the appropriate area, including fan and motor housings, and let air dry. If spraying in to a fan or motor, turn off before spraying and let sit for 30 minutes before starting again.