Your1st bird

This information applies to all birds and is not meant to be breed specific. It is intended to provide the first time bird owner with general information on the proper care of birds in general and is by no means complete. Specific information on your breed can be found in brochures provided by you pet store or from your breeder.

Frantic Bird: This is so important for a new bird owner that it needs to be on the top of the list. I call this "frantic bird" because of the way the bird acts. If in the cage, the bird will literally throw itself at you and would ooze out of the bars if it could. If outside the cage, the bird will fly to you and become a big pest. If it is a weaned baby cockatiel, it may start making "baby noises" which are very annoying while moving its’ head backwards and forwards. The baby noise is hard to describe, but is somewhat like a hiss and a croaking frog mixed together.

This could indicate a serious situation AND SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED. Stop what you are doing and investigate.
It is highly possible that you are about to have a dead bird.

You may only have a few minutes to act.

Like a small child, the bird is looking for you to do something. It is in great distress. A sick bird does not do this. A bird in great distress does.

Possible causes are fumes from Teflon, paint, stain or other household chemicals the bird shouldn’t have been exposed to in the first place. (See environment)

Another cause could be that the bird is starving, even when there is food in its’ dish. (See "diet")

Exposure to a predator can also cause a "frantic bird".

"Frantic bird" should not be confused with the normal vocalizations of a parrot. Parrots scream - pure and simple. It is their way of communicating with their flock. Just as human parents learn to tell the differences in the cries of a child, you will be able to learn differences in the vocalizations of your bird.

Housing

There is no such thing as a cage that is too large for a bird. The rule is to provide the largest cage you can afford and have room for. This is especially true if the bird will not have a lot of "out of cage" time.

Birds such as finches and canaries will spend very little time (if any at all) out of the cage should be provided with enough room to fly around the cage. Larger birds should have enough room to at least flap their wings freely. Failure to provide enough room will result in obese birds and lack of muscle tone. In larger birds, it may also cause feather plucking . These are all conditions that are hard to correct once they begin.

If more than one bird is housed in too small a cage, the birds may become aggressive toward each other.

If a new cage proves to be too costly, consider the sources for used cages (i.e. Craig's List )

Bar spacing is very important. Small birds should have no more that ½ inch bar spacing. This would include finches, canaries and parakeets. This size bar spacing can also be used for lovebirds, cockatiels and conures.

A 5/8^th inch spacing would be appropriate for cockatiels, lovebirds and conures also. The larger the bird, the larger the spacing that can be used. The bird should not be able to put its’ head through the bar spacing.

Environment

Keep in mind that birds hate change. When you first get your new bird home, it not unusual for your bird to become moody, nippy or refuse to eat. This behavior should pass in a couple of days. As your bird adjusts to the new "flock", it is important that you make your bird feel safe. Talk to the bird in soothing tones from time to time. Open the cage when the bird feels reassured and allow the bird to come out on it's own. Birds adjust at individual rates. Some adapt in minutes, others take days.

Learning the "body language" of your bird will help prevent fear, screaming and bites. Most birds have times when it is best to interact with humans. Many birds become cage territorial and will bite or flee if you put your hand inside the cage. Using gloves when handling a bird is no a good idea. The bird may perceive the glove as a predator's paw. Birds instinctively know that they are food for many animals.

The environment of a bird is almost as important as the diet. Temperature fluctuations are stressful to birds. The cage should never be placed near a heat vent, or air conditioner. Do not confuse "air flow" with "draft". Room temperature air flowing around a bird is not a "draft". In fact, you will find many uncaged birds will perch near a fan when they want to "play in the wind".

If the cage is near a window, part of the window facing side should be covered so the bird can escape the heat of the sun if it gets too warm. The window should be sealed to prevent drafts in the cold seasons.

Cage placement is also important, especially with hookbills. The cage should be placed in a high traffic area (near the human "flock"). A family room is usually ideal. The kitchen is not a good choice, as birds can be very sensitive to smoke and toxins that can exist in a kitchen.

Covering a cage at night is not necessary and is discouraged in a room where there will continue to be activity after the cage is covered. The bird will at least be curious about the activity and may be frightened by noises outside the cover. In any case, the bird will not sleep.

Great care has to be taken to keep the air free of fumes that are toxic to birds. An overheated Teflon coated pan will kill a bird in minutes. Self cleaning ovens should not be used until a bird is removed from the area and placed in a ventilated area.

Birds are sensitive to fumes from paint, glues and some cleaning/ deodorizing products as well as scented candles.

Many houseplants are toxic to birds and these should be removed from the area.

A listing can be found on the web at: Peteducation.com

No matter how trusted, cats and dogs must never be left alone with a bird.

The 10 top bird killers can be found at: Exotic Pet Vet

Lighting:

Ideally, the bird should be exposed to unfiltered sunlight. Since this is not always possible, there are several "full spectrum" lamps available. The birds need this light to create and metabolize vitamins properly. The light can be placed on a timer to make sure the bird is getting at least 10 hours of light daily.

Some birds, especially cockatiels, should be provided with a night light.

Toys:

Birds destroy toys, pure and simple. However, they are a necessary part of a bird’s environment. The toy size should fit the bird. A "toy" can be anything the bird wants to play with. It can be a molted feather, a ball of newspaper or a popsicle stick. Toys should be rotated on a regular basis to prevent boredom. Hanging plastic rings (Penn Plax Cat. # BA-525) are a favorite of parakeets, while cockatiels like leather lacing. Lovebirds chew a lot, so plastic toys like whiffle ball toys, will be destroyed in short order and found in their water dish. Acrylic toys last much longer. All parrots, especially lovebirds, must be provided with a wooden chew toy.

Birds make it their mission to round off every corner of every square piece of wood in your home. Wood toys in the cage are much cheaper.

Diet:

Birds are picky eaters. Some will starve themselves to death before eating something they don’t like.

It is important to stick with the food that the bird is eating when you get it. Any change should be made gradually.

Don’t "cheap out" on seed mixes. The better seed mixes have less "filler seed" and many are fortified with vitamins.

If the bird is on a pellet diet, seed can be used as a treat but should not be an exclusive food. Many birds will no longer eat pellets once they have an exclusive seed diet.

Birds will not eat every seed or pellet in a dish. Seed should be changed/refilled daily.

Parakeets, especially, leave the hulls of their seeds in the dish giving the appearance of a full dish. Finches and canaries will only eat off the top of the bowl, leaving the hulls.

Finches, doves and canaries require grit to help process their food.

Spray millet is like candy to birds and should be fed as a treat and sparingly.

All birds should get bird appropriate veggies, fruit and greens.

All birds should have a cuttle bone. Several birds should also have an additional source of calcium, such as oyster shell.

Supplements:

A maintenance vitamin for food or water should be provided for the bird.

There are also supplements that boost immune systems, provide additional nutrition while molting, promote feather health and aid in breeding.

Grooming:

Most birds should not be forced to bathe, but should be provided with an open dish of water.

Nails should be trimmed from time to time. Care should be taken when trimming nails. Like a dog, the nail has a vein in it. If the nail is trimmed too short, the bird will start to bleed. "Blood stop" should always be on hand when trimming nails.

A bleeding bird is an emergency and requires immediate action. Once the blood is stopped, it should be watched to make certain the bird does start to bleed again.

In a pinch, cornstarch or pepper can be used to stop the blood but watched carefully, as it’s easier for the bird to knock off the clot and begin bleeding again.

Wing clipping is a personal choice, with clipped wings being preferred. Proper clipping allows the bird at least some flight, so it .will "float" to the floor instead of dropping like a rock. An experienced groomer is usually more than happy to show you how to do this yourself.

Never assume your bird can't fly. Keep them away for open doors and windows. If you take them outside, make certain they are in a flight harness or in a SECURE cage with doors clipped shut. Always carry a cage outdoors from the bottom, not by the handle on the top of the cage. Remember, most cages are designed to come apart for shipping purposes.

If you decide to allow your bird to be fully flighted, it should be "window trained" so it doesn't break it's neck flying into a window at full speed. This will kill the bird instantly.

Signs of illness:

Birds hide illness very well. To determine if your bird is sick, the bird should be observed from a distance.

You should observe how your bid acts when it is well. Birds normally fluff up when sleeping during the evening and their afternoon nap. Simply fluffing up while not sleeping could be a sign of illness.

Other signs of illness are loose watery droppings, noticeable weakness, lethargy and lack of appetite.

What to do: The bird should be kept warm. A heating pad placed under HALF the cage or a heat lamp will provide warmth. The bird needs to be able to move away from the heat source if it becomes too warm.

For more complete symptoms, visit: Avianweb.com

A more complete list first aid for birds can be found at: North American Cockatiel Society

Information from the Internet:

There is a lot of mis-information on the internet. You should choose a trusted site for your information and stay away from the "personal" sites of people who have little experience.

Trusted sources should include: Avianweb.com & Bird Channel.com

There are also several breeders that have information on their websites. You can find some of these breeders at: BirdBreeders.com