Should Your Parrot Need Toys?

Now I know that we keep our exotic birds, parrots etc as our pets for many reasons. Some of us have them just to hear them talk or sing. With some of us, it may be more of a flock mentality, we actually bond with and think of them as one of the family. But yet still others, lose interest after awhile and really neglect the attention these beautiful creatures deserve.

So, what ever you motivations are or were for keeping a bird in your home, be aware of your birds feelings, and whatever you do or don't do when you are home with your feathered friend, or friends, please keep the following in mind:

A bored bird is really really a sad thing to see.

Most parrots need toys to be happy, not having something to do has been shown to cause feather plucking, and other behavior problems.

So, what can we, the human, the head of the flock do?

Put yourself in the mindset of your pet bird and think about this:

Sitting there in his cage with nothing to do while his master is out of sight, he must feel like a lion in a cage.

He looks around for exciting things to see and explore, but there is nothing there but the confines of his enclosure, the bird cage.

Yes there may be some scraps left from his last meal that he could peck at, but that's such a bore. What to do, what to do? Out in the wild, his instincts would tell him, look for food, look for food.

Along the way he may encounter a funny looking plant that seems to have some kind of edible morsel hanging within. He would land there, check it out, hunt and peck, try to find a way to get at that treat.

He would have to use all his learned and instinctive skills just to get to and inside that nut shell, or the remotely hanging fruit or seed spray that seems to be just outside of a place that's easy to get at.

Eventually he would have found his tasty reward that made him full and content.

But you know what? He would find that part of the reward of getting to this prize was that he got to do all kinds of exciting things to get there!

Things such as climbing all around on limbs, hanging upside down by one foot while trying to reach whatever tasty treat might be hanging there.

Or maybe sitting there and grinding away on a branch until the piece breaks off and crashes to the ground.

Or things like shredding the leaves with his beak just to watch the pieces fall down on the critters below.

Or things like hopping from one small branch to another branch just to watch them spring back.

Oh such fun!

Now wouldn't it be nice if his bird cage came equipped with a variety of useful fun things that a lucky bird might find in the wild?

Maybe we could find something that would create a challenge for him to get to his food, something fun. Maybe we could add something to his cage like this. Fun Bird Toy

So, think like a bird!

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Cockatiel Parrot Air Cleaner - 5 Safest Features To Have

If you own a Cockatiel Parrot you've got a bird with big personality in a little body. You've also got a bird that can produce a heck of a lot of dust. And as adorable as these birds are, the white powder that they produce can trash their room and your home pretty quickly.

The right air purifier is the best and safest way to keep the dust down. An air purifier that has these 5 features indicates that it is both safe and effective.

Numerous Filters For Particles----Dust is composed of many different sized particles, so a variety of different sized filters is necessary. Pre-filters trap particles that you can see and save the HEPA filter for microscopic filters such as bird dander, bacteria, and viruses.

Carbon cloth is also an excellent filter to have in a cleaner for your bird because it can remove noxious gases, chemicals, and odors that have the potential to be lethal to your pet. And because it is woven like cloth it has the ability to remove additional particulates as well.

No Ozone---The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that any amount of ozone produced indoors is harmful. Unfortunately, in order for ozone technology to be effective the level would need to be so high that it would become deadly. Clean air is great but for most people (smile), that is too high a price to pay..

Split Capacitor Motor-This type of motor allow will allow an air purifier to clean 24 hours a day safely and effectively without needing time to cool off. Make sure the technical specifications of the cleaner have this feature listed.

The advantage to you and your Tiel is that the air is kept clean. This helps prevent your bird's air passages from becoming clogged. Clear air passages give your bird the best chance of remaining healthy with a high quality of life.

Steel Case---Because you want a unit that can run all the time, you definitely want a case made of steel. Plastic cases often emit noxious fumes when the heat from the motor makes it hot. Steel will not emit noxious odors.

Long-Life Filters---A unit that needs you to go inside to clean, wash, spray, or recharge makes it hard on your bird in several ways. Most importantly, if the unit has to be stopped, particles remain in the air. And anytime the air is not being cleaned the dust is accumulating in the air making the air unhealthy for you and your bird to breathe.

And secondly, by having to do anything inside the unit exposes everyone to the very pollutants that you are trying to minimize. Opening the unit can send the powdery white stuff right back into the air again.

A cleaner that only needs to be vacuumed on the outside, and that has a filter life of at least 5 years is best. This means maintenance can be performed without any interruption in cleaning, and operation of the unit is only interrupted once every 5 years for the 10 minutes that it should take to change the filter.

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The Regent Parrot - A Little Known But Beautiful Parrot

The Regent Parrot, or Australian parakeet as it is sometimes called, is primarily found in southwestern and southeastern Australia. They can found in heavily wooded areas and have a strong preference for eucalyptus groves.

The bird goes by several different names including the Regent Parakeet, the Regent Parrot, the Australia Parakeet, the Rock Peddler, the Black-tailed Parakeet, the Smoker, and the Marlock Parakeet. It's hard to imagine that such a small bird has acquired so many names.

The male of the species are a yellow color with an olive-yellow crown and nape. The female is more of an olive green with a dull olive-yellow on the head and breast. The back on both sexes is a dark olive green with a red band across the middle of the wing area. The outside of the feathers are yellow underneath and bluish-black on top. The beaks are a reddish color and the legs are grey. There is some evidence that the locale of the bird has some bearing on the colors as the eastern Australia birds seem to be more colorful than the western birds. The juvenile birds resemble the female in color and will gain their final coloration by 14 months of age.

The birds can range in size from 14.5-16.5 inches in length and, like so many other parrots, have a long life and have been known to live 25 years in captivity.

Their food mainly consists of seeds, fruits, nuts, and berries and for the most part they feed on the ground rather than in the trees.

These birds make excellent pets as they have a very pleasant nature and seem to enjoy human companionship. As a matter of fact they have been known to follow their humans around the house when let of their cages. When first introduced to humans they are very trusting and are easy to train as they are quite intelligent. They also exhibit good talking skills.

They do like to fly and are known as very good fliers. Because of this they are very suitable for aviaries and prefer a large cage for that same reason. The birds are very energetic in their nature and should have plenty of toys and things to chew on such as perches and wood.

A breeding pair will produce one brood per year. The female will normally lay from 3-6 eggs which will hatch in roughly 21 days. The chicks will be ready for flight in 40 days and will leave the nest shortly thereafter. There are import restrictions on the bird. However, they have been cross bred with a number of other breeds.

Normally the Regent Parrot is a very hardy bird and easy to keep healthy. However, if they are kept in an aviary caution must be taken that they do not become ill with intestinal worms from feeding off the ground. If maintained in an aviary, regular trips to a veterinarian may be in order to check for worms. Other than that, they should provide years of enjoyment.

These birds are not highly available in the marketplace, but can be found at some pet stores and breeders.

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The African Grey Parrot The Different Types

In this article, we'll concentrate on the distinctive varieties associated with the African Grey Parrot. The first African Grey Parrot would be the Congo, Timneh, Ghana and the Cameroon.

However, essentially the most renowned is the Congo and the Timneh. The Ghana is similar to the Congo African Grey but smaller with a deeper colour. Then there's the Cameroon, and that is a really uncommon parrot.

In the natural environment, all of these birds live on fruit, nuts and vegetables which can be available in the uppermost parts of the trees.

They are very sociable birds and flock together. They live in the jungle and have a companion for life. Domesticated parrots will every now and then pluck out their feathers when fed up just to amuse themselves. Since they are intelligent birds, they need to be stimulated or they will simply get bored.

They are capable to replicate a large number of noises and such is the reason that they are so pricey. African Grey and most parrot species are temperamental and demanding birds at times. Once you possess an African Grey you can assume to have a life- long relationship together with your parrot if it happens to be taken care of.

Due to their high demand, breeders normally breed them. Young ones along with the aged need to take precautions around parrots as they have very sharp talons and beaks.

Parrots require a lot of dedication and perseverance, but most of all love. Bear in mind you are responsible for your parrots needs, and the most essential thing he requires other than food, is fresh water daily as he not only drinks of his water but also bathes in it. Clean out the food and water containers on a regular basis, as these are perfect places for bacteria to grow. Like I said this is a long time relationship therefore his cage which is his home is of up most relevance.

It goes without saying, the bigger the bird, the bigger the cage. When buying a baby parrot, take a look at the size of its parents to know how big the bird will grow in order to know what size the cage needs to be when the bird is fully grown. You may purchase a smaller cage at the start when the parrot is a baby never the less you will need to swap it quicker than you think. For more information you can visit the Blog Site.

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Buying A Baby African Grey Parrot

An African Grey can be a source of infinite joy for its owner if it is properly cared for. Unfortunately, if you're a first time bird owner, it's best not to buy a baby African Grey parrot that is too young as these birds require a lot of care and attention. If you're not familiar with the behavior of these particular parrots, you will have a tough time handling the babies.

Usually, African Grey babies are cared for by their parents well beyond the time they start flying. The babies are not usually sold to new owners before this point of time, which is about 12 weeks. However, if your baby African Grey was born at home, you've got some serious information to brush up on before attempting to rear them all by yourself.

Characteristics

Baby African Greys are not grey when they're born. They're pink when they hatch. They develop their trademark grey color, black beaks and red tails only when they start growing feathers. Usually when you buy a baby parrot from a pet shop, it's safe to assume that it's at least 12 weeks old. That's about the perfect time to wean baby African Greys from their mothers.

Some special needs are:

- Day old chicks are really tiny, weigh less than 18 grams and need extreme care in handling due to their fragility - They need special formula for feeding and the knowledge of how to feed them, asl they need care and a warm place to inhabit - They're very cute when they're born. However, they tend to look weird for the first three weeks - They need to be trained from an early age, at least from when they are 12 weeks old

Things to know

Buying a baby African Grey is an important decision that one cannot afford to take lightly. It's a commitment that can sometimes last a lifetime. Since these parrots have a very long life span, you need to consider the fact that they will be around much longer than you. It's almost like choosing a pet for life.

It pays to build a good rapport with the breeder so that you can ring them with your concerns at any time.

Since these parrots bond intensely with their owner, it's not easy to give them away either. They can develop cognitive and speech skills that can match 5 year old human children at times. So you can understand how difficult it would be to give them away. In fact they tend to hurt themselves or become overly stressed if they're separated from their owners.

If you've done your homework and decided that a baby African Grey parrot is what you want, you can be sure of a fun filled lifetime bird owning experience.

Parrot Illness Symptoms   4 Questions to Ask a Budgie Breeder   How Do Birds Stay Warm In The Winter   Tips on Buying the Right African Grey Parrot Cage   Finches Information: How to Feed Your Finches Correctly