How do I know when my bird is sick?

Why Parrots Bite Us?

The typical scenario is this. You’ve owned your bird for a year or so. It has been your darling, adoring pet, never balking at cuddling and kisses. Then one day with no warning, your bird strikes out and bites.  Most owners express shock and disappointment when their beloved pet shows such unexpected aggressive behavior. But how unexpected should this behavior really be?

Most parrots cannot be considered domesticated pets. With the exception of budgerigars and cocktails, most species are only a few generations removed from their wild ancestors.  Some birds sold as pets today may have had wild-caught parents.  What does this mean?  It means that instincts rule.  If bird owners keep this in mind when training their pets, they will have a healthier relationship with their bird and there will be far fewer painful nips.

Keep in mind that in the wild birds can fly high in the trees to avoid danger.  A bird with clipped wings obviously cannot do this. Some will fly in a panic to the floor, thrashing about. This can be a very frightening and unsettling experience for both the bird and the owner.  It is best to get down low to where the bird is and not “swoop” down on it the way a predator might in the wild.  Talk in a calm voice and ease the bird’s panic.  The other protection your bird has is to bite.  In almost all cases, you will get warning signals. The trick is to learn how to recognize them before the beak comes down on your finger (or worse, a lip or ear).

There are some pretty universal signs when a bird is saying, “Back off”.  Your relationship will be the most healthy when it involves reciprocal “respect”.  If  Senegal puffs himself up and his eyes start to flash.calm him down first using a soothing voice.  

The foundation you build with a young bird will make all the difference in how you can handle him when he reaches maturity.  Books on parrot behavior may help you, but the best way to learn the signs is to watch your bird and make a note of specific reactions extraneous (i.e., nondangerous) stimuli.  A sudden movement or threatening approach during that “trance” can make them lunge instinctively.

It is important to note that birds that have shown aggressive behavior should NOT be allowed to sit on your shoulder. A startled bird can bite your face and do serious injury.  Certain species, such as Amazon parrots, should be trained to sit on your hand or wrist, never on your shoulder. While re-training a bird used to sitting on your shoulder can be challenging, it is not impossible.

All of your bird’s seemingly unpredictable behaviors can be largely predictable if you accept that they are part of a whole repertoire of natural instincts.  Unfortunately, most people give up after the first few bites and don’t understand why their sweet baby has become a piranha.  By establishing a few basic rules early on in your relationship with your bird, you can work through these behavioral issues, and your pet does not have to end up on the adoption merry-go-round.

                               Hans maccaw or mini maccaw

The mini macaws are a delightful group of small Ara species that have many of the personality characteristics of the larger macaws, yet are much easier to house. For those who are intimidated by the very large beak of the larger macaw species such as the scarlet, blue and gold, and green-winged macaws, you will find these medium-sized parrots can make great companions. The smallest of the mini-macaws is the Hahn’s or

 Noble macaw. They are on average 12 inches in length. Many owners who have multiple species of macaws report that the Hahn’s are the most adaptable, friendly, and trainable of the group.

The mini-macaws have a shorter life-span than the large macaws. They live on average 20-25 years, as opposed to the 60-80 year lifespan of some large species. The personality of the Hahn’s macaw is often said to resemble that of conures; even the distinctive white area surrounding the eye makes them resemble their South American cousins. Diet should be varied, with a medium hookbill seed mix, medium-sized pellet, fresh vegetables, occasional fruit, and some grains. Hahn’s macaws like to chew wood, so be sure to include some nice toys for them to exercise their beaks.

                            TRAIN YOUR PARROT TO TALK
                One of the reasons humans love parrots is their ability to talk. We love their vocalizations (well, maybe not the screaming they are sometimes prone to), and we enjoy the feeling of communicating with these intelligent, beautiful creatures.

However, you should never buy a bird only because you expect a talking genius. Frankly, you should assume the bird will NOT learn to talk, because a bird should not be traded in or abandoned just because it doesn’t learn human speech.

Most parrots learn to talk when they are either:

1. Kept alone with humans

2. Kept with other parrots who talk

3. Are members of a species with a facility for talking

The best talkers are those tiny budgies – parakeets still hold the record for vocabulary. I have never met a male budgie kept singly that has not learned words. However, budgies kept in pairs and female budgies generally do not learn to talk (there are always exceptions).

Parrots are vocal by nature. Talking is just another way of communicating with you. If they can communicate fine without words, why bother? For this reason, teaching talking is really about associating pleasant and positive events with words. Arbitrarily trying to teach your bird words you think are cool is not very easy – and in most cases doesn’t work.

African Greys are considered one of the best talkers – mainly because they have the uncanny ability to speak in voices that sound very human. Most other parrots have “parroty voices” that are clearly NOT human. People have been tricked by an african gray on many an occasion by the accuracy of their mimicry.

So talking is about communicating. How would you teach a parrot to talk then? Think about how a child learns to talk – they hear you say things IN RELATION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

When you come in the room you say, “Hello.”

When you give them food you say, “Yummy cereal!”

When you change their diaper you say, “Oh oh! Messy poops!” (grin).

The child learns words because she sees that they relate TO SOMETHING HAPPENING in the world.

They also relate to emotions – if you hug your child and say “I Love You,” the child understands these words confer the meaning that is associated with a hug.

The best way to teach your bird to talk is to use the SAME WORDS with the SAME ACTIVITIES – association – pure and simple.

Why do you think birds tend to learn their names first? Because that word is associated with the pleasant fact that their human companion has come home or come over to pay attention to them.



               AFRICAN GRAY PARROT
 

        African gray parrot  have the reputation as being the best talkers of the parrot kingdom . They have an uncanny ability to not only mimic speech, but mimic it in a voice that sounds quite human.  They also imitate sounds with incredible accuracy, from dripping faucets to construction equipment.  Be careful about uttering any words you don’t want your bird to learn, since they seem to have a knack for learning just what you don’t want them to learn!

Because of their exceptional intelligence, African greys require an extremely stimulating environment. They can easily become bored and birds that are left cagebound can develop serious behavioral problems, such as destructive feather mutilation. I have seen many a plucked grey.  In cases of feather picking, an avian vet should take blood samples and test for bacterial infection or other physical factors first.

Greys have some reputation for clumsiness, but this is generally not a problem if the bird has a proper wing trim. It is extremely important not to overclip the wings. In cases where this has been done, birds can hit the ground too hard and split the skin at the keel bone. If this happens, the bird should be given immediate vet attention.

Do not buy a gray just because you want a bird that talks. Not all greys talk. Not all parrots known for talking will talk. It is a very bad idea to get a bird only because you want a pet that talks as you could end up disappointed and the bird could end up neglected.

Caging:  As large a cage as possible with plenty of horizontal bars to facilitate climbing.  Plenty of perches and toys. Toys should be rotated regularly to prevent boredom.  It is a nice idea to set the tv or some music on a timer to go on and off during the day to keep the bird amused while you are at work. The timer gives them adequate quiet time for naps.

Diet: medium or large hookbill seed, medium pellets, fresh vegetables, some fruit, palm nuts (native food), corn, sprouts, and grains. Give a varied diet to keep the bird interested and also to avoid food “phobias”.  They need a little more calcium than some parrot species, but beware of too much calcium (can cause seizures).

HEALTH-Generally very robust birds, but can nervous when changes are made to the environment. They are prone to feather plucking problems if frustrated and left cagebound for long periods of time. This can develop into a serious problem in some cases.  Anyone interested in an African grey should be very clear on the fact that they do need a stimulating environment. People with serious time issues would be better off with another species of bird.

Noise:  Not particularly noisy. Once they get talking, they can really go on for quiet a while, but it is usually so amusing you don’t want them to stop. Alarm sound is a series of sharp, shrill shrieks.

Sleep: At least 10 hours of darkness and quiet. A tv in the room does not equal good sleep.

Sexual behavior: Both males and females will sometimes regurgitate for their human.  They are not known to be highly aggressive during hormonal periods, but there will be some change in behavior when they become sexually mature. Many birds become more protective of the cage and wary of new things. It is a good idea to expose the bird to new things on a regular basis early on and throughout its adulthood so it learns to adjust.

Breeding: Best for experienced breeders.

                                       COCKTAIL PERSONALITY  
I compare cocktails pretty closely in personality to the African Grey. Albeit cocktails are far less destructive and demanding than the larger African Grey, of course. Both cocktails and African Grey's are generally not really CUDDLY, but they do like to hang out with their 'human mates" and be preened by them. However, they generally do not like to be man-handled by people. 

Hand-fed, well-socialized cocktails can form very strong bonds with their owners. Otherwise quiet birds, they will frequently make contact calls with their owners, calls that sometimes can be quite loud if the person is out of sight. 

Their popularity as pets is in part because of their calm temperament, to the point that they can even be bullied by smaller but more confident birds such as Budgerigars and the far more aggressive Lovebirds. Great care and supervision should be provided when mixing cocktail with other birds. It is not uncommon at all for a larger or smaller bird to maim the cocktail, potentially creating life-threatening

                                      MATING AND PARENTAGE

                  Courtship begins when the male feeds the female; then mating will happen which may be lengthy and repeated several times a day for several days. The male climbs onto the females back, often holding on to her flight feathers for a good grip. Eggs can be laid as early as 3 to 10 days after mating, then one or more every other day. Typically the clutch contains 4 to 6 eggs. The incubation time is approximately 22 - 25 days and it can take up to 24 hours for a chick to work itself out of the egg. It's best not to interfere with the process, except when you found that the youngest chicks tend to get neglected by the parents. The egg sac contains needed nutrients for the chick to absorb. I was over-eager in the beginning and pulled the chick from the egg -- causing it to die. A common mistake that inexperienced breeders make. Nowadays I would only observe and assist only if I notice that the baby is in trouble. When a hen is brooding, she may not come out of the nest box very often. The male will go into the nest box and feed her. Once the babies have hatched, the female and female will feed them. I liked to provide mashed hard-boiled eggs to my parent birds to help them feed the chicks. They really LOVED it -- and it had the protein and calcium they needed for the chicks. I grind up egg shell (from boiled eggs) and provide it to my birds (breeders or not) -- as this is an excellent source of calcium for them. I also provide various soft foods to them. You will be amazed at how quickly the food disappears once there are babies to be fed. Always make sure to provide a constant supply of food, so that the parents can get on with their challenging job of feeding their babies.  

                                       Housing Facts for love birds

                                   My recommendation is to start small when it comes to your breeding stock. Start with one pair and expand if you like at a later stage.

Lovebirds will generally breed well when kept as single pairs. Some lovebird species can be bred in a colony setting. The white eye-ring group of lovebirds are particularly well suited to colony breeding. This being said, the peach-faces are equally easy to breed in an aviary / communal setting - particularly if there was plenty of room for all. The major drawback of communal breeding is the fact that one has less control over the pairings. But if the caretaker isn't too involved in the genetics, that probably won't matter to many.

If indoor / cage breeding is preferred, get a good-size breeding cage - a cage that is large enough for you to put the nesting box in.

The cage / aviary should be large enough for natural branches, toys -- I love creative, fun homes for my birds. They spend their lives (or most of their days in their cages) -- make it a fun environment. 

              SPACE IS IMPORTANT. The lovebirds at the very least should be able to "beat their wings" without hitting something every time. They need to be able to climb and play for exercise. I have heard the theory that supplying toys and the like will distract birds from mating or parenting. This is not so. The happier a bird, the better a parent it will be. Besides, we are not talking about automatic "breeding machines" -- birds are living beings. They deserve better than being exploited without consideration of their happiness and welfare.

                                     SEXING YOUR LOVE BIRD

           Lovebirds are not sexually dimorphic, which means that you cannot visually tell if a lovebird is a male or a female. However, there are some subtle differences between males and females, but they are only SLIGHT differences and do not constitute a definite method of sexing lovebirds.

• Hens are usually a little larger than male lovebirds, although her head may be slightly smaller.

• Hens often have wider pelvises (as they have to pass eggs) and are usually a little broader than males and often perch with their legs a little further apart than cocks. Experienced breeders can quite often sex lovebirds by feeling their pelvic bones (under the tail). The male pelvic bones are closer together, feel pointier, less "flexible" than female pelvic bones. With some birds you can feel a distinct difference, others are "iffy" to say the best. Quite similarly to us humans, where some females are more "rounded" than others. It is not a definite method, but breeders are using it regularly -- understanding full well that it is not a sure method of sexing.


• Don't Trust Natural Pairings: Lovebirds don't always pair up male and female, but sometimes pair up with a same-sex lovebird. Breeders will find out about such pairing when both birds start laying eggs (10 or more eggs in a nesting box), or no eggs are laid at all. Of course, eggs laid by two paired females will be infertile.