It seems that first time bird owners are at a loss as to the type of bird to choose. When coming into The Bird Shoppe, people are captivated by the color, animation and size of our Macaws. These beautiful parrots dance, gyrate and entertain the entire family......they also wait for the unsuspecting novice to try and hold them, then the fun begins!....at least for the Macaw. The beautiful entertainer has now become a dominant bully, taking advantage of the unsuspecting admirer.

Through the years, it has become my recommendation that smaller birds such as Cockatiels, Budgies and Conures are the  best choice for new bird owners. They are pretty easy to care for, super easy to tame and adapt very well to their new family.

Cockatiels

Cockatiels are usually very friendly and social. They orginate from Central Australia. The males have a propensity for talking more than females and they don't seem to be as demanding. Most importantly, the bites of the Cockatiel won't remove a finger! The only real drawback is with the females- they sometimes become chronic egg layers. This is a consideration when choosing a pet. Cockatiels can live up to 30 years.

Budgerigars or Budgies

From the grasslands of Southern and Central Australia come the Budgerigars. The normal color is a bright beautiful green. Any other color is considered to be a mutation. "Budgies" come in two varieties - American and English. American Budgies are what we know as Parakeets. The English Budgie is much larger and are usually bred for size and conformation.  I have observed that English Budgies are sometimes a tad bit calmer and are able to be taught to talk a littler more easily.  It is also my observation that English Budgies tend to be more expensive.  Other than size and cost, the difference between English and American  Budgies are indiscernible.  Budgies in general like a lot of toys, human interaction and have a tendancy to bond deeply with other birds to the exclusion of their human, so keeping just one as a pet is recommended.  Telling the gender is pretty simple - the cere is the area directly above the beak - in the male it is usually a blue shade and the females have a tan or brown area, with white or lutino (yellow). It is a bit harder to tell on females. In this species, chronic egg laying can also be an issue. Budgies generally live for 12 to 15 years.

Conures

From South and Central America come the delightful Conure. Larger and stockier than the Cockatiel or Budgie, these generally noisy, colorful and energetic bundles seem to be the right choice for first bird owners. There are over 50 different species of Conures...some are quite noisy, i.e. Suns and Nandays - these two might not be the choice for you if you live in an apartment or condo. But the Black Capped, Cinnamon, Green Cheeks and Peach Fronts would be much more acceptible in terms of noise. Conures can live up to 30 years.

Feeding and Housing - Cockatiels, Budgies and Conures

All three types of parrots each basically the same diet - seeds, fruits and veggies, pellets and some human food.  Cockatiels are not known for liking fruits, but they love their veggies. All require cages with dimensions of at least 24X24 inches.  The bar spacing will differ due to head size. Remember that birds fly side to side not up and down. Shy away from the tall cylindrical cages and go for one that is shorter and wider.

Hope this information helps in your selection of a pet. As always, feel free to contact us at The Bird Shoppe for all your parroting questions and needs. Stay cool out there!

anne

Softbills feed mostly on fruits...it is important to remember that the diet should NOT be based on seeds. In captivity, Lories should eat a dry mix of low iron foods, mixed dried fruits,  plus a variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers,  a small amount of protein and the Lory liquid nectar. Organic is always best when feeding any companion parrot. Fruits and veggies can be served shredded, sliced or diced into small cubes.

Fruits/Veggies
Fresh or frozen figs
Apples
Pomegranates
Papaya
Pears
Grapes
Canteloupe
Pineapple
Kiwi
Banana
Oranges
Sweet corn
Corn on the cob
Carrots
Tomatoes

Flowers
Pansies
Nastrurtriums
Roses
Hibiscus
Marigolds
Dandelions

Protein
Grated Mild Cheese
Hard Boiled Eggs

Lori Nectar
Quiko Lory Food or Pretty Bird Lory Select w/ Fructose and Liquid Nectar

*Even though these birds are fruit eaters, careful attention to the sugar content of Nectar is important. Also, if you are serving Liquid Nectar, powdered nectar should be eliminated. You can interchange the two but don't serve both during the same feeding.

**Liquid Nectar must be replaced several times a day. Spoiled nectar is the one main cause of illness in the companion Lory.

***ALL FRUITS, VEGGIES, FLOWERS AND BRANCHES MUST BE PESTICIDE FREE**

****Balance and common sense play an important part in Lory nutrition

Foods to be used in Moderation
Spinach
Chard
BoK Choy (contains Oxolates)
Fruits too high in sugar
Pasta
Cooked Beans
Cooked grains
Too many seeds

Foods NEVER to be used
Peanuts (may contain Aflatoxin- a fungal toxin)
Caffeine
Chocolate
Pits of fruits (contains a natural Cyanogenic)
Raw Beans  (sprouted or cooked are fine, RAW contain trypsin inhibitor, interferes with protein metabolism)
Eggplant
Raw Potatoes
Alcohol
Avocado (contains the toxin Persin)

**Special Note: The difference between a Lory and a Lorikeet is the size and shape of the tail. Lorikeets have a shorter tail that is blunt or squared off.

This is going to be pretty short and to the point...mostly because I am two weeks into April already and also because the subject matter is relatively cut and dried....

We have been receiving numerous calls from bird owners complaining that their pet is screaming, picking and has aggression towards the family....

Simply, this is BREEDING SEASON and even though our pets have no mates, have been wonderful up to this point and generally a joy to behold...there are basic instincts in each of our birds that surface on a regular basis or sproradically like the wind.

If your generally sweet and loving pet has turned into a miserable, grumpy beast, it is probably due to breeding hormones...How do you help him/her along with these raging hormones? Here are some tips that might shorten this behavior or at least calm some of the symptoms:

• TEN TO TWELVE HOURS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS IS A MUST
• REMOVE ALL TOYS THAT MIGHT BE MORE THAN "JUST A TOY" (IF YOU GET MY DRIFT)
• SERVE ALL SOFT FOOD AT ROOM TEMPERATURE...DO NOT HEAT
• REMOVE PAPER, PAPER TOWELS ETC. FROM BOTTOM OF CAGE

BE PATIENT...THIS TOO WILL PASS

REASONS

In Spring, the days get longer so hormones are alerted to breeding time....by keeping to the winter schedule of ten to twelve hours of darkness, you calm the hormones.

By allowing your bird to cozy up to a toy in a mating fashion, again you are allowing hormones to take over.

When soft foods are served warm, you pet thinks it is time to feed the young and another hormone is brought to life.

Allowing the shredding of paper will also promote some feather picking..."Feathering your nest" is what is transpiring here...a mixture of feathers and paper makes for a wonderful, cozy nest.

Hope this helps....don't take any aggressive behaviour as personal...your bird is trying to be sweet again, but the hormones are raging.

anne

I read this beautiful writing several times and decided to share it with all of you... I have no idea of the author or where it began but I do know it touches my heart each and every time I read it...I have added a bit of my own words and feelings...Enjoy.

Just this side of Heaven is a place called RAINBOW BRIDGE....When an animal passes away who has been especially close to a human on earth, the pet goes to the RAINBOW BRIDGE.

There are meadows, hills and beautiful trees for all of our special friends so they can run and play and fly til their hearts content. There is plenty of food, water, sunshine and toys. Our little buddies are warm, safe and comfortable.

All of the animals who were ill and old are restored to vigor and health...Thos who were in pain, maimed or hurt are made whole and pain free again. They are just as we remember them in our dreams and memories. Our animals are happy and content and want for nothing...nothing except for one small thing...they each miss someone who was very, very special to them..someone who they had to leave behind.

As they all are running and playing...flying free in the sun...one will suddenly stop and gaze into the distance...Their bright eyes are intent and their eager body begins to quiver...Are those tears in their eyes? Suddenly, they begin to run from the group, flying over the green grass as fast as they can. They have spotted YOU, their special person.  You cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again...

Happy kisses and loving hugs are shared as you once again look into those trusting eyes of your pet...so long gone from your life but never gone from your heart...and as you hold tightly on to each other, you peacefully cross the RAINBOW BRIDGE... together.....

anne

It seems that in the spring of the year....beginning now...we are asked at least once or twice a week about the different woods and plants considered safe for exotic birds. There seems to be some differences of professional opinions on this subject, so I chose the ones that definitely fall into safe and unsafe.

CLEANING WOOD

Before making my list....the cleaning and debugging of safe branches is another must....again, there are several different views on the proper way to disinfect....Usually, 1 capful of Bleach to 1 gallon of water is the method most used...the wood must be rinsed thoroughly and allowed to dry completely....drying in the sun is optimum. The other method is using an antibacterial soap and hot water...rinsing well and allowing to dry thoroughly.

It is wise to not use wood found around highly traveled areas such as streets and highways due to possible contamination from exhaust and other pollutants.

Another area to be concerned about is insecticides and week killers.....NO....NO and NO...! Also be aware that if your grass is treated with weed killer and insecticide it can be absorbed into the root system of trees and into the wood...

UNSAFE WOOD

ANY PRESSURE TREATED WOOD...most light pine lumber in stores is not coated, BUT ask anyway.

LILY OF THE VALLEY, APRIOT, AUSTRALIAN FLAME TREE, AUSTRALIAN UMBRELLA TREE, AZALEA, AVOCADO, BLACK LOCUST, BOX ELDER, BOXWOOD, CEDAR, TRUMPET VINE, CHERRY, CHINABERRY, DIEFENBACHIA, BUCKEYE, ELDERBERRY, EUONYMUS, KALANCHO, FLAME TREE, FIRETHORN, PYRACANTHA, FOXGLOVE, CROWN OF THORNS, HEMLOCK, HOLLY, HONEY LOCUST, HORSE CHESTNUT, HYDRANGEA, JUNIPER, JASMINE, LANTANA, MANGO (fruit ok....wood is not), MEXICAN BREADFRUIT, MOCK ORANGE, MYRTLE, NECTARINE, NUTMEG, OAK, MISTLETOE, PEACH, PEAR, PLUM, PRIVET, RAINTREE, RED MAPLE, REDWOOD, RHODODENDRON, RHUBARB, JERUSALEM CHERRY, TOBACCO, TOMATO, WALNUT, WEEPING FIG, WHITE CEDAR, WISTERIA, YEW-TAXUS.

SAFE WOOD

ALMOND, ASH, ASPEN, BAMBOO, BARBERRY, BIRCH, BEECH, BOTTLEBRUSH, BUTTERFLY BUSH, CAMELLIA, CITRUS, CORN PLANTS, COTTONWOOD, CRABAPPLE, DATE, DOGWOOD, DOUGLASFIR, DRACAENA, ELM, EUCALYPTUS, FIG, GINGKO, GRAPVINES, GRAPE PALM,  GUAVA, HACKBERRY, HAWTHORN, HIBISCUS, JADE PLANT, LILAC, MAGNOLIA, MANZANITA, MULBERRY, PALM, PAPAYA, PECAN, POPLAR, PUSSY WILLOW, RIBBONWOOD, ROSE, RUBBERPLANT, RUSSIAN OLIVE, SASSAFRAS, SPIRAEA, SWEET GUM, SYCAMORE, WEEPING WILLOW, WIEGELA, YUCCA.

NOTE: These are not all inclusive lists, there are many more safe and unsafe woods, but these are the most common. Be cautious and don't be afraid to ask if you are unsure.

Stay warm and talk to you next month,

anne