Guidelines For Good Care
10 Things You
Need to Know Before Adopting a Bird*
1. Parrots, including lovebirds, parakeets, and
cockatiels, are noisy and messy, and can be destructive.
Vocalizing (squawking, chirping, talking) is an important
part of any parrot's social communication. Birds eat
continually throughout the day, dropping and discarding bits
of food everywhere. Birds are instinctively programmed to
chew and shred wood, whether it is a perch, toy, picture
frame, or furniture. Birds will also chew electrical cords,
paper, and curtains.
2. Birds are very sensitive to air quality. Unlike
humans, a bird replaces nearly all the air in its lungs with
each breath. Because no residual air is left in the lungs
during the ventilation cycle of birds, they transfer more
oxygen and more pollutants during each breath. Birds should
never be exposed to tobacco smoke, chemical fumes
(hairspray, cleaners, etc.), or Teflon coated materials.
Exposure to some toxic inhalants can cause immediate death;
chronic exposure to other toxic can lead to premature death.
3. Chlamydiosis (psittacosis) and avian tuberculosis
can be transmitted through the air from birds to humans.
These diseases can cause significant illness, especially for
people with compromised immune systems. Birds also
continually shed "feather dust" - particles of feathers,
which may aggravate asthma in some people. Many homes with
pet birds have HEPA-type air filters in rooms with birds to
control allergies from bird dander.
4. Light exposure and sleep are very important to
birds. Birds need at least 4 hours exposure to UVA and UVB
rays from sunlight or full-spectrum lighting to provide them
with vitamin D, which promotes vitamin A absorption,
critical for upper respiratory health. Birds must have a
minimum of 10 hours of sleep each night.
5. Birds are not domesticated animals. Domestic
animals are animals that have been bred for hundreds of
years to live in the care of humans and are distinct from
their wild ancestors. Birds commonly kept as pets are no
different than their wild relatives they are the native
species of other countries.
6. Birds need veterinary care from a veterinarian
that specializes in birds. Proper vet care for birds can be
expensive. Your vet will probably recommend a complete
examination and diagnostic tests when you first acquire your
bird; in addition, she/he will probably recommend annual
well-bird examinations. Smaller birds require the same vet
care and regular examinations.
7. Birds are active and inquisitive and must be
provided with ample room to move about and play. An indoor
or sheltered outdoor aviary or a flight safe room (windows
covered, no cats/dogs, no ceiling fans, etc.) that will
allow the bird (s) to fly is good for exercise. Birds with
clipped wings can get exercise by climbing, swinging, and
flapping, if provided with ample space, toys, and climbing
structures.
8. Parrots are extremely social animals, and have
been compared to human toddlers in the needs of their
emotional and social lives but, unlike children, they never
grow up.
9. All parrots have long life spans. Depending on
species, they may live 20 to 50 years or more. Caring for a
bird is often a life-long responsibility.
10. All birds need a varied diet, not just seeds or
pellets, but grains, beans, fruits and vegetables too.
Courtesy of Monica Engebretson, Animal Protection Institute
*This text was prepared by Monica Engebretson, Grassroots
Coordinator, Animal Protection Institute. Please copy,
distribute and utilize this document in its entirety for the
benefit of all companion birds in your care.
E-mail:
info@greyhaven.bc.ca
