If you are really fond of birds you may become enamored by the large blue and gold Macaw pictured with this article. Or the sight of a snowy, white Cockatoo with its regal crest and babyish manners may call to you. Perhaps the uplifting song of a golden canary or the chattering of a beautifully colored parakeet is more your taste. Whatever you have your heart set on think first of your own environment, the time you have to devote to a pet bird and your checkbook. Consider not only the initial cost of the bird but its lifelong care; feed, toys, veterinarian bills. Birds, especially big ones, can be expensive.
Spending Time with a Pet Bird
Big or small most birds like a little, or a lot of attention. If you work an eight hour job with some down time on weekends and evenings you will probably have adequate free time to socialize and enjoy a pet bird. If, however, your job requires long hours, or travel, or your weekends are committed to other projects spare yourself the agony of guilt and admire birds from afar. Large birds, like the Macaw, the Cockatoo and the African Grey get very attached to their owners and they love interaction. Playtime for the big fellows will take an hour or so every day, more if you can spare it. They love toys and will learn tricks. African Greys especially like conversation time. Most Greys have phenomenal speech capabilities; the more interaction the larger their vocabulary.
Birds in an Apartment
Think about where you live before you set out to purchase a pet bird. If you are an apartment dweller the larger birds will not make good neighbors. Even some of the smaller ones, like the Quaker Parrot, have a healthy scream which can be heard for a good distance. In the wild birds congregate in flocks. Early in the morning and in the evening they call out to make sure the flock, or 'family', is gathered before beginning the day or settling for the night. Birds raised in captivity retain that sense of togetherness and will call their flock at those times. Cockatoos especially are family oriented and don't like to be left alone. To get their point across they scream. Cockatiels can even be too loud for thin walls.
Feeding Your Pet Bird
When you decide what kind of bird you want and where you are going to purchase it you need to ask what kind of diet it has been fed. There are seed diets and pellet diets. If the bird was weaned to a pellet diet then it will not take too well to seeds and the reverse is true. Most veterinarians feel the pellet diet is the best because the birds have less free choice and doesn't just choose to eat what it likes. Your bird's feed bowl must be emptied every day and replenished with fresh feed. Birds on a seed diet hull the seeds and put the trash back in the feed cup. It may look like they still have seed but in reality it is empty husks. With the pellet diet you can see what they have eaten but give them fresh feed anyway. They have clawed through the dish, or eliminated fecal matter in the feed and it is no longer clean. Daily fresh water is a must. Always wash and dry the water bowl to eliminate bacteria.
A Word About Bird Cages
Your pet bird will need a cage. It should be large enough to accommodate the wing span with room to spare. There should be at least two perches, one higher than the other. One should be in front of the feed area and the other higher up for sleeping. Most birds enjoy toys. Ask your local pet dealer which are recommended for your bird.
More Information
For information on types of birds and how they relate as pets go to The Pet Bird Page.
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