The basic care and environment that you provide for your pet bird play an important role in its total health. There are many good books on the market, today, to assist you in this area. I especially like Dr. Joel Murphy's book entitled, How to Care for Your Pet Bird.

All in all, choosing your feathered pet is just the beginning. From there you are faced with many additional considerations, including:

 Bathing: Nothing other than clean, clear water should be used for bathing your bird. Avoid having mite sprays and any oily substances come into contact with your pet's feathers! Many birds will bathe in their own water bowls; however, some prefer the sink, bathtub or shower. If your bird does not regularly bathe itself, try offering it one of these other settings, or try misting it with a spray bottle. Taking your bird into the shower with you offers a bit of security to a timid bather and provides a great means to clean up that irrepressible feather head!


 Wing Clipping: Yes, your bird's wings should be kept clipped. This prevents injury and escape and can also help to tame down an overly-aggressive bird. All that is needed for the procedure is a pair of sharp scissors, and once the clipping process is learned, it is not difficult to regularly maintain; however, if you, yourself, are not skilled at wing clipping, I recommend having your avian veterinarian or other bird care professional do this for you.

Different birds require different clipping styles: birds like cockatiels and Meyer's parrots tend to be very bulky (like little flying rocks) and, therefore, require a less severe clipping than lighter-weight birds like conures and parakeets. For Shishka, our cockatiel, we clip only the first three primary flying feathers, and then we parachute cut the next three to four. This hinders her ability to maintain flight but still allows enough lift to keep her from falling hard should she stumble or jump off of something.


 Toenail Clipping: Again, the process is easy to learn and requires only a pair of sharp fingernail or toenail clippers, but if you are not comfortable or familiar with the process, consult your veterinarian or pet care professional.

Basically, a proper toenail clipping is one that removes only the sharp points of the nails, just enough to keep your bird from getting its feet caught in things like clothing, carpeting and furniture but not enough to hinder its ability to climb and hold on to things. With light-colored toenails, it is safe to clip right up to the point where the nail starts to darken (that is where the blood line begins); however, in most cases, you will not need to clip that much. Darker-colored toenails are a bit more difficult to judge because you cannot see the blood line through the nail.


 Regular Veterinary Checkups: I can't stress enough how important regular visits to a certified avian veterinarian are. With birds, especially, an ounce of prevention is most definitely worth a ton of cure. Once a bird shows actual signs of illness, it is often times too late to help it. For more information on avian veterinarians, soar on over to my Birdie Health/Medical Page.

 Temperature: The best rule of thumb here: if you're comfortable, your bird is probably comfortable, also (unless of course, you are one of those people who likes extremes in hot or cold). Avoid exposing your bird to drafts, and keep in mind that sudden changes in temperature can be a potential threat to a sick bird.


 Humidity: Most pet birds are very adaptable to wide ranges of humidity levels. Birds native to subtropical climates may benefit from increased humidity. This can be simulated by placing your bird in the bathroom while the shower is running or by using an atomizer to mist your bird's feathers with purified water. Portable room humidifiers are also widely available for purchase at reasonable prices. If using a room humidifier, do not place it in direct proximity to your bird's cage. This can create a draft situation.


 Light and Air: Fresh air and full spectrum lighting are definitely beneficial to your feathered friend. Avoid air pollutants such as cigarette smoke, insecticides, mite boxes/sprays and other toxic fumes (Did you know that the fumes emitted from overheated teflon can kill your pet bird?). Also, keep in mind that the lighting exposure should be direct, not filtered through a window, but it should not be in the form of direct sunlight, as birds can easily burn and overheat from direct sun exposure. Supervised excursions outdoors provide good opportunities for your bird to enjoy the benefits of nature's best.

Technology now provides us with simulated full spectrum light sources in the form of special fluorescent bulbs. Some of these full-spectrum bulbs are quite good; however, they should be used only as a supplement to the real thing. Look for brand names like VitaLite (probably the best, but they may not be around much longer), GroLux Full Spectrum, Spectra Max, Color Max and Coral Life. There are always new full-spectrum bulbs being developed.

 Cage: Yes, it is within your bird's best interest to be kept in a good, safe cage whenever it is left alone and unsupervised. When allowed to roam, unsupervised, things like live electrical cords, toxic plants, toilet bowls, ceiling fans, small children, cats, dogs and kitchen appliances become tempting and hazardous playmates to your curious little pet. Since bird's are active, intelligent animals that need their psychological needs addressed, your bird's cage should be located near family activity in the home. Supervised freedom from the cage is usually welcomed by your feathered pet and is highly encouraged.

If your bird is to be confined to its cage most of the time, the largest enclosure possible is recommended. At the very least, your bird's home should be wide enough to accommodate out-stretched wings and high enough to allow for the entire length of your bird, including its tail; however the size of the bird does not always dictate the appropriate size of the cage. Due to their high energy levels and lack of "out-of-cage" time, many of your smaller birds, like finches and canaries, can actually require a more spacious cage than some of the larger hookbills.

Your bird's cage must be strong enough to resist destruction and/or dismantling by your pet; it must be made of non-toxic materials and designed with safety and ease of cleaning in mind, and it must possess bar spacing appropriate to the size of your bird: bars should be spaced so as to prevent your pet from squeezing its head through them! Many of the powder-coated, steel cages on the market are good choices.


 Perches: Natural wood branches are the best perching material you can provide for your bird. These branches must come from pesticide-free, non-toxic trees. Manzanita, Rainbow Wood, Northern Hardwoods, Citrus, Eucalyptus and Australian Pine are all excellent choices!

All perching material should be easy to clean and replace, and it must be appropriately sized for your bird. Consider this when selecting perch size: your bird's feet should be able to wrap partially around the branch without having its front and rear toes meet. If its feet sit flat upon the branch and are not able to wrap around it, the branch is too big; if its feet wrap entirely around the branch so that the front and rear toes overlap, the branch is too small. If possible, use a branch with varying girth. This provides your bird with a variety of choices and exercises its feet at the same time. For most Psittacines (hookbills), one well-placed perch is usually sufficient. These birds tend to seek out high places, so even if you provide more than one perch, only the highest one will be used. For Passerines (finches, canaries, etc.), you will want at least two perching branches, one at each end of the cage, as these birds love to flit around, flying and jumping to and fro!! Perches should be stragetically placed to prevent bird droppings from contaminating food and water sources and to prevent your bird's tail from coming into contact with food, water and the floor of the cage. Do not use sandpaper-covered perches!!!


 Food and Water Bowls: Wide shallow bowls are preferred over deep cups because they can display a variety of foods more attractively, which may encourage your bird to eat new items. Healthy psitticines with normal ambulatory skills can easily approach their bowls regardless of placement, so it is not necessary to place the food and water bowls directly near a perch . Select bowls made out of durable materials. Hookbills often chew on their bowls out of boredom.


 Security: Your bird may benefit from having a retreat inside of its cage to provide some sense of privacy. Paper bags, cardboard boxes, towels and nest boxes are all possible considerations for this purpose. There are also a few commercial items on the market which you may wish to check out. Look for items like Niche's "Happy Hut" or "Bird Cozy."


 Plants: Most birds love them!! Think about it: in their natural surroundings, most of our feathered friends spend a great portion of their time surrounded by foliage and forestry. When buying plants for your bird, consider the following:

Avoid plants that have been sprayed with toxic chemicals and pesticides, especially the systemic ones. Systemics go straight into the plants' tissue and stay there for long periods of time. If your local nursery can't tell you whether or not any of these chemicals have been used on their inventory, consider buying organic plants or try propagating your own.

Educate yourself on safe versus toxic plants. Some of the more common safe plants are pothos (but avoid its cousin, the philodendron), parlor palms, prayer plants and Boston fern. Avoid philodendron, dieffenbachia, ivies, plants grown from bulbs and any plant that claims to have insect repellent properties, such as marigolds. There is a lot of published literature on the issue of toxic plants. If in doubt, check it out...PRIOR TO OFFERING ANYTHING POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TO YOUR PET!!


 Cage Liners: Newspaper, paper towels or other plain paper lining is definitely preferred over substrates like wood chips, chopped corn cobs, kitty litter or sand. Use of the latter types of substrates interferes with the observation of your bird's droppings; thereby, hindering your ability to detect potential signs of illness. In addition, your bird may tend to pick at these small, granular-types of substrates, and this could lead to bacterial infections and crop impactions. Avoid bird contact with cedar, redwood or pressure-treated pine chips.


 Cleaning: A daily cleaning of the cage floor and bowls is strongly recommended to prevent bacterial infestations and food contamination. Clean cage liners also make it easier to detect inconsistencies in your bird's droppings, which can give you earlier warning to potential signs of illness. In addition, I recommend a complete, thorough cleaning of the entire cage at least twice a week, using a mild solution of hot water, detergent and bleach.

 Talon Toys: These are small toys that your bird can hold in its feet or beak and carry all around the cage. These toys help develop coordination and provide good exercise to your bird's feet. Little wooden spice spoons, clothespins, marbles, rings and small plastic balls are all enjoyed by our birds.


 Chew Toys: These toys provide a much needed energy and aggression release for your pet bird. Most birds love to chew, and many birds do have a destructive bend. Chew toys provide an acceptable object for them to chew up and tear apart. Good chew toys are available in a variety of different shapes, sizes and materials, including rawhide, leather, natural rope, fabric, wood, pinecones and mineral blocks. Our birds also enjoy cardboard toilet paper rolls, paper bags, natural willow baskets (no varnish!) and wads of white paper, and we like the fact that none of these "toys" puts a damper on our wallets =).


 Cuddle Toys: Most birds have a desire to cuddle up against something soft and warm. Cuddle toys are objects your bird can nap and rest with.

One of our conures, Clyde, loves to crawl into shirts and fall asleep, so I cut a sleeve off of one of my old t-shirts and hung it right next to one of his perches. When Clyde goes to sleep in his cage, he takes this sleeve and covers himself up with it. It's so cute to see!!

Penny, one of our other conures, had a little stuffed teddy bear that she cuddled with for the first few months of her life. Later, though, her boyfriend, Cleo, took over for the bear =)! If using stuffed toys, please make sure they have no small, removable parts your bird can swallow and choke on.

Your local bird shops should also stock at least one type of cuddle toy. They are usually made of fake fur or some kind of soft fabric. A good one on the market, today, is Niche's "Birdy Buddy".


 Preening Toys: Birds love to preen! It can be such an enjoyable and relaxing activity for them that some birds will preen just out of boredom. This habitual behavior can lead to over-preening and feather shredding. Preening toys provide additional outlets for your bird's preening activities, and they help your bird learn how to preen properly. One of the best preening toys I've found is the "Polly Dolly". Other choices include fabric toys, soft cotton rope toys and feather toys. Word of warning: if giving your bird feather toys to play with, do not use feathers you find in the wild. These foreign feathers can harbor all kinds of nightmarish diseases. Either buy the feather toys from a reputable company or make them yourself out of your own bird's feathers.

This has been a Top Bird Production!

Should you have any questions, comments, concerns or problems with any part of this site, or if you would like to include a picture of your bird in the Nestling Album, please email me:

CowboyF8@yahoo.com

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