Brian L. Speer

Article / Updated 03-22-2023

Tornado, earthquake, hurricane, fire, flood — if you were faced with any of these and had to leave your home, would you know how to help your bird? Disaster-planning experts advise you to take your pets with you when told to evacuate, but that plan isn’t as easy as it sounds. Sandwiched between the idea of taking your pets with you and the reality of accomplishing a safe evacuation is a lot of thought and planning. To help you prepare for all sorts of unplanned events, this article walks you through the process of being ready for the worst — and hoping for the best. The good news: When it comes to disasters and pets, consideration for preparedness has changed a great deal in recent years — all for the better. Once left to their own survival instincts in times of calamity, animals today are the focus of a lot of planning, with organizations in place to complement those caring for human victims. In fact, a model program started by the California Veterinary Medical Association positions a veterinarian in each county to help coordinate animal relief efforts. Other states are starting to see the light, too, with veterinarians, shelter groups, and specially trained disaster teams from the Sacramento, California–based United Animal Nations Emergency Animal Response Service prepared to do for animals what the Red Cross does for people — on an international basis! These positive developments are the result of a growing realization that animals need help, too, and that some people choose to put their lives in danger rather than abandon their pets. Despite all of this progress, your bird’s chances of surviving any kind of crisis still depend mostly on you. Don’t put off preparing for the unexpected. No one likes to think about the possibility of catastrophe, but your pets are counting on you. Consider the possibilities Disaster preparedness starts with a simple question: What if? Ask yourself that question, and then consider not only the kind of crisis you’re most likely to face, but also special challenges such as your being away from home when disaster strikes. People need to rely on each other during emergencies, and this fact is just as true when it comes to your pets. Get to know your neighbors and talk about how you might help each other out. Find out from local shelters and veterinary organizations what their emergency response plans are. Veterinary connections can be tricky for bird owners. Because you need someone experienced in avian care, your veterinarian may not be located anywhere near you. Brian’s clients, in fact, come to him from all over Northern California, and some drive for hours to bring their birds to him. In a disaster, you may not have the luxury of relying on a veterinarian who’s nearby. Make sure you’re familiar with nearby veterinary hospitals, especially those offering round-the-clock and emergency care. Keep a current list of local veterinarians willing and able to provide care or board your birds in an emergency situation. Know who’s agreeable to consulting with your regular veterinarian by telephone or online, if needed, to coordinate and possibly enhance the level of care your birds receive. Make note, too, of shops with a special interest in or focus on birds, particularly those that board birds. A crisis isn’t always a community-wide event. When considering your options, think about what would happen if you were suddenly injured or hospitalized from a car accident, say, or a heart attack or stroke. Make a contact list All you really need is a sheet of paper or two, slipped into a plastic page protector you can pick up at any office-supply store. Handwrite the info or print it out from your home computer. (If you keep the master list on your computer, you can update it easily and print out a current version every so often. Beats cross-outs and erasures!) Your wisest move is to have a list of emergency contacts to cover everything for you and your family, including your pet bird(s). List the name, location, and phone number of your regular veterinarian, and then the same information for nearby backup hospitals and emergency clinics. Same goes for local humane societies and animal-control shelters, animal groups, and bird shops. Include friends and neighbors, as well as your local office of emergency services. The final step: Put the list where you know you can find it (attach it to the refrigerator with a magnet, for instance). Better yet, make a few copies — one for the house, one for the car, one for work, and so on. You can also keep this information on your phone, but having a hard copy is wise in case your battery dies. Make sure your bird carries ID Many birds survive disasters, but too many will never see their families again unless there’s a way to determine their identity and family connections. Although you may be lucky enough to avoid being separated from your bird, you need to be ready for that possibility. One way to contribute to a continued connection is to ensure your bird has identification. Your bird may have a leg band already. If so, be sure to note the identifying letters and numbers. Whether your bird is banded or not, we highly recommend you have your bird microchipped. This simple procedure provides permanent identification for your beloved companion. Make and trade bird-care files Prepare a couple of files with up-to-date veterinary records, your bird’s microchip or leg band numbers, your veterinarian’s phone number and address, feeding and medication instructions, recent pictures of your bird, and written descriptions noting any unique markings or other physical details. Talk to other animal-loving friends, ask them to do the same for their pets, and then trade files. The more people who know about your bird and how to care for him, the better. Collect food and supplies At the top of the list of disaster gear is a travel cage or carrier for any bird whose regular lodgings aren’t portable — anything bigger than a finch or budgie, in most cases. You probably already make use of a travel cage or carrier for trips to your veterinarian or for any other travel outside the home. The key, in a time of crisis, is to make sure you know where the cage is and how you can get to it easily — an emergency isn’t the time to look for a ladder or dig through junk in the basement or attic. Before an emergency strikes, make sure you can get your bird to enter the cage without a great deal of effort on your part or trauma to your bird. Also keep a few days’ supply of food on hand, along with bottled water. Our recommendation for a pelleted diet lends itself well to feeding your bird on the run. Pack some of your bird’s favorite dried fruits, nuts, and seeds, too. Don’t forget to rotate disaster supplies on a regular basis, so they’re always fresh. Include any medication your bird takes regularly. Get an extra supply of maintenance medication and put it in rotation — use it after your current medication runs out, and put the refill in the disaster kit. That way, your “disaster” medicine is always current. And finally: Toys! Your bird will need to take out her stress on something, and better it be toys than you or her own body. Keep a first-aid kit fully stocked Every bird-lover needs basic first-aid supplies packed into a neat, portable kit. Make sure the kit includes scissors, cloth towels, and paper towels. Don’t forget styptic powder for cauterizing bleeding nails or beak tips, if needed. If your kit doesn’t have a first-aid booklet, tuck one inside. Consider keeping two kits — one for home, and one for the car. It’s also a good idea to take a pet first-aid course so you’ll feel confident in the event of an emergency. One of the problems with first-aid kits is that you’re always picking at them in everyday life — a little ointment here, some gauze there, and where did the scissors go? Be sure to promptly replace any supplies you use. Otherwise, when you really need your kit, the cupboard may be bare. Plan, plan, plan, and practice With your research done and your supplies assembled, the next logical step is a real plan for what to do “in case.” Design strategies for what to do if you’re home, or if you’re at work, and make sure everyone in the family knows about them — children included! Rehearsals are a great idea. If you’ve been through something once or twice, the act has a better chance of becoming second nature — get the travel cage, get the bird, get the supplies, get everything in the car, and let’s go! A dry run can also point out any problems with your plan, which you can then remedy. Keep your bird secure — and separate Disasters can bring out the best in people and pets — but they can also bring out the worst. Your bird is bound to be scared, stressed, and disoriented, and he’s likely to feed off your uncertainty as well. Keep your bird secure in his travel cage, and keep handling to a minimum. Be alert to your bird’s body language — even sweet-natured pets may strike out in fear. Try to maintain as regular a schedule as possible, feeding at normal times if you can. To help your bird maintain his good health, keep him away from other pets if at all possible, especially other birds who may be carrying heaven-knows-what diseases. Keep a “lost bird” kit ready The onset or aftermath of a disaster isn’t the best time to get flyers printed up, so make up some generic ones and keep them with your emergency supplies. In the biggest type size you can manage, center the words LOST BIRD, along with a clear picture of your feathered friend. Beneath that, include a description of your bird, including identifying marks or colors, and a space to add the phone number where you can be reached, as well as backup contacts, friends, relatives, neighbors, or your veterinarian. Print up a hundred copies and keep them in a safe, dry, and accessible place. A staple gun enables you to post your notices; keep one loaded and tucked in with a supply of thumbtacks and electrical tape. If your bird becomes lost, post flyers in your neighborhood and beyond, as well as distributing them at veterinary hospitals and shelters. Relying on the kindness of strangers is nice, but offering a reward may inspire some folks to be just a little bit kinder. Be prepared to help others You may survive a disaster nearly untouched, but others in your community may not be so fortunate. Contact your local humane society and veterinary organization now to train as a volunteer so you can help out in an emergency. Disaster-relief workers do everything from distributing food to stranded animals to helping reunite pets with their families — and helping find new homes for those who need them. Not only is volunteering a good thing to do, but it’s also the right thing for anyone who cares about animals and people.

Article / Updated 03-25-2021

Quieter, neater, and, of course, smaller than their larger relations, the parrots grouped together here include what may be the world’s most popular pet bird, the budgerigar, and others with loads of fans, too, such as the cockatiel. And don’t forget the parrotlets and the lineolated parakeets, both popular and rising in popularity. These little guys are known for being among the smallest members of the parrot family. Don’t let their size fool you: Some of these small parrots have plenty of personality, and some can be more than enough to intimidate people. That said, parrotlets and linnies often make affectionate companions, and offer surprising talking ability. Most are reasonably priced, as well. Parakeets When Americans think “parakeet,” they’re usually picturing what the rest of the world calls a budgerigar, or budgie. A budgie is a parakeet, but to believe that it’s the only parakeet sadly ignores some of the more magnificent pet birds available. Most popular among these birds are the Asiatic parakeets — ringnecks, Alexandrians, derbians (also known as the Lord Derby parakeet), plum-heads, and mustached parakeets. As a group, they’re known for flashy, vibrant color and long, elegant tails. Once considered hands-off aviary birds, Asiatic parakeets are gaining ground as more up-close-and-personal pets. When captive raised and well socialized, some of these birds have great potential as affectionate companions and even great talkers — one of the better talkers Brian has ever met is a blue Indian ringneck parakeet named Sid. These species are gorgeous in an aviary, however, and seem to be happy there, too. Some Asiatic parakeets — either in the home or the aviary —have a pleasant and soothing call, while others have a reputation for being moderately noisy. Parakeets have a wide price range. Smaller, more common varieties may cost as little as $20 to $50. Prices climb according to color or species rarity, to as much as $800 or $1,000. Life spans for well-cared-for birds run from 20 to 40 years. Kim’s African ringneck parakeet, Larry, lived to be 29 years old. The Asiatics aren’t the only parakeets around. One popular parakeet native to South America is the Quaker, also called the Monk. Quakers are so adept at establishing themselves in the wild in places where they don’t belong, however, that some states and countries don’t allow them to be kept as pets. If your part of the world doesn’t have a regulation against ownership, though, these parakeets can be good companions. (Check with your local agriculture department for restrictions.) States that prohibit or restrict keeping Quaker parakeets include California, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Wyoming. Quakers are handsome green-and-silver birds with decent talking potential and affectionate natures, when raised and handled properly. Prices are reasonable for these charmers, from $300 to $700, with an average of $475. Quaker parakeets earned their name because of the way babies “quake” when being fed in the nest. The Brotogeris gang are also parakeets of South American origin. These little guys love riding in pockets, are pretty quiet, and aren’t very messy. Primarily green in color with small, contrasting markings, Brotogeris are big guys in little bodies — some even like to pick fights with much bigger birds! The canary-winged parakeet — green with bright yellow under the wings — and gray-cheeked are two of the more commonly available Brotogeris parakeets in the United States. A little more expensive than some other parakeets, well-socialized individuals can start at $400 and go up from there. The Brotogeris species are difficult to breed and rear successfully, making them less common than in years past. Budgerigar When budgies were discovered by Europeans in Australia in the mid-1800s, they created quite a stir back home in Europe. They had everything going for them — bright color, an affectionate nature, and a real facility for talking. These same traits make this awesome little bird the world’s most popular today. You just can’t top a nice budgie — they have it all! In some ways, the popularity and availability of budgies has led many people to dismiss them, more so in recent years. Too common, too cheap, too ordinary, these lovely pets are too often considered just a “starter” bird, especially for children. And that idea opens the doors to mass breeding to fill public demand for low-cost sources of budgerigars, which further reinforces any perception of the budgie as a “throwaway pet.” What a waste! Budgies (shown) are remarkable pets, for children, adults, beginners, and experienced bird lovers alike. Budgies come in many colors and patterns and two basic body types. The American style of budgie is slender and long, whereas the English budgie is husky, with an almost bulldog look. Their personalities are the same, though, so color or body type is strictly a matter of personal preference. These versatile birds are suitable for any living situation. Prices range from under $20 for what are typically mass-produced birds to around $100 for more unusual colors in hand-raised birds. You can probably find a hand-raised American type for around $40, and we say that’s a good deal. Although eight years is the common forecast on life span, a well-cared-for budgie can make it well into the teens and beyond. To make sure you have the best experience with a budgie as a pet, skip the under-$20 mass-produced specimens (which are often a bit of a gamble because of uncertain health, background, and pet potential) and search out a hand-raised baby. A hand-raised little budgie who is really well socialized, already eating a good diet, and shows interest in interacting with you can carry you a long way! Parent-raised birds can be fine as hands-off cage or aviary pets, but we think you can enjoy the greatest rewards from your relationship if you choose a bird you can become friends with. A talking budgie has the charm to make a statue break out in a smile. If you listen carefully, you may figure out why we think these little guys are equipped to give the better-known big-parrot talkers a run for their money! Their lispy little high-pitched voices are adorable! Some are incredibly good talkers, learning 300 or more words or phrases. A budgie named Puck, from Petaluma, California, holds the record for largest avian vocabulary, according to Guinness World Records, which documented his knowledge of 1,728 words. We think that tiny hand-raised budgie you can carry around in your shirt pocket is worth his weight in gold! Lovebirds Peach-faced, black-masked, and Fischer’s lovebirds are small, sweet companions who come in a rainbow array of colors, thanks to human genetic meddling. Natural-born snugglers, lovebirds adore holing up in a pocket or other warm, hidden place. They aren’t great talkers, but some can learn a few words and phrases if you have the time and patience to work with them. For a pet, a single lovebird is best; otherwise, your pair will only have eyes for each other, not for you. Forget that old myth about them dying of loneliness — it just isn’t true. One healthy, well-socialized lovebird will be your contented pal. Lovebirds are also popular as aviary birds and for breeding purposes, and many hobbyists are working hard to increase the available varieties of these lovely birds. Fine for almost any living situation, lovebirds have life spans of 8 to 14 years, and well-cared-for birds over 20 years old are out there. Costs run from $50 for the normal peach-faced variety to $200 for newer color variations or less-common lovebird species. Parrotlets and lineolated parakeets The tiny parrotlet (shown) can fit in your hand, but anyone who owns one can tell you they have as much attitude as any macaw, more proof that good—no, make that great—things can certainly come in small packages. A newer arrival to this group is the lineolated parakeet. These vibrant green, yellow, or blue wonders have great potential for companionship and make wonderful friends to hang out with. Parrotlets and linnies generally have minimal talking ability, but they’re great fun to handle and to watch. Both can be fabulous to train and can do impressive things! In so many ways, they demonstrate how they’re just big parrots inhabiting a little parrot body! Reasonably priced, starting at $150 and going up to $500 or so, parrotlets can and should enjoy a life span of up to 20 years. Linnies are priced at about $300 for a pair and typically have a ten-year lifespan. Cockatiels The cockatiel is likely the most popular single pet bird species, at least among the parrot family. With crests reminiscent of the larger cockatoo, these birds were, for a while, known as “cockatoo parrots” until the modern coinage of cockatiel, from the Portuguese word cacatilho (meaning “little cockatoo”). Cockatiels (shown) justly deserve their legions of fans. Handsome and affectionate, the cockatiel is a perfect fit for any living situation, and a relatively easy breeder for anyone who wants to give that hobby a try. Many people have enjoyed the adventure of breeding cockatiels over the years, producing lovely varieties of colors and patterns, from the naturally occurring gray to the pale yellow lutino, the pied (blotches of two or more colors), cinnamon, pearl, and albino. Prices can start at $50 for some of the mass-produced birds, and rise as high as $275, with the cost of most pet cockatiels somewhere in the middle. Hand-raised babies and the rarer colors and patterns are at the higher end of the scale. Life spans for most cockatiels are often quoted to run 10 to 14 years, but again, a bird who starts healthy and is well cared for can live well into the twenties and beyond. In Brian’s practice, birds in their late twenties and early thirties are not uncommon. As with budgies, you can find plenty of mass-produced cockatiels with price tags that may seem irresistible. If you’re looking for a healthy, long-term companion, however, the hand-raised bird is a much better bet, even if the price is higher. As interesting as the many variations of cockatiels can be, some health problems have slipped into the mix. Some varieties, such as the white-faced and cinnamon, may develop problems on certain formulated diets. Talk to a veterinarian who is qualified and experienced in avian medicine to determine how to best keep these birds in optimal health and how to detect or avoid early problems. Males are usually better at vocalizing, with whistling a specialty. Cockatiels are generally not the best talkers, but males can pick up a few words or phrases. Don’t let the lack of verbosity dissuade you, though: The gentle cockatiel is about as fine an avian companion as you can imagine.

Article / Updated 03-25-2021

Finches — and canaries are finches, too — have been popular for centuries, with good reason. They’re attractive, active, and fill our world with sound, including the sweet songs canaries are known for. Well-suited to life in a cage or aviary, these canaries and other finches (shown) are perfect for people who don’t want a lot of physical interaction with their pet birds. If you keep the cage or aviary clean and make sure your pets are healthy and well fed, they’re quite content to keep you on the periphery, sharing their lives with you from afar. These small charmers can also be interesting to breed, without the time-consuming hand-feeding that parrots may require. Finches Relatively inexpensive with a couple of very hardy species in the group, finches make a good first bird, a child’s pet, or charming aviary residents for both experienced or beginner bird keepers. Best bets: society or zebra finches, which are very common and relatively inexpensive (usually starting at around $20). Although small in stature, these little birds do need comfortable housing and a stress-free existence in your home. If you provide a finch with enough enrichment in her enclosure to allow her to choose if she can be seen or not, she’ll feel great comfort and security. Sadly, stress is one of the leading contributors to some of the health problems Brian sees in finches. Beyond society and zebra finches is a world of exotic and lovely finches, such as the multicolored Gouldians or the Fischer’s, with their long tail plumes. The more unusual finches are much more expensive than the society or zebra finches — they cost up to $250 — and they’re also more difficult to keep. Easily chilled and quickly stressed, many of the more unusual finches are best left in the hands of experienced bird lovers. Society and zebra finches are the best bet for anyone looking to bring the zest of these little guys into their lives. They’re both easy to keep. A pair or handful of zebras or societies can comfortably keep themselves amused while you’re at work. The finch’s life span is around 3 to 6 years for a “typical” pet, but a healthy bird from a reputable source, cared for properly, can hit the 20-year mark. Finches can thrive in almost any living situation, from studio apartment to outdoor aviary. Canaries The Sinatras of the pet bird world, canaries have enjoyed a long run of popularity — and a fair amount of fame, too. Consider the classic Warner Brothers cartoon character, Tweety Bird, who has done plenty to promote his real-life counterparts. (We won’t quibble with the fact that Tweety doesn’t seem to sing much at all, since his uncharacteristic gift of conversational skills makes up for the deficit.) Canaries have been bred for centuries and, as a result, come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and feather patterns. The yellow border fancy is perhaps the one who looks the most like Tweety, a clear, vibrant burst of sunshine in any room. Borders are available in other colors, too, including white, blue, and green. Canaries also come in a dramatic red-orange and a cinnamon color. Fancy feathers were the aim of other breeders, who’ve produced frilled versions with elegant feather puffs or fringes over the eyes. Red canaries need a little human help to maintain their breathtakingly vibrant color. People who exhibit their birds add special ingredients — color foods — to their red canaries’ diets to help them become just the right hue. A more natural way to bring out the red is to feed foods high in beta-carotene, such as freshly grated carrots, chopped broccoli, or pieces of cooked sweet potato, when the bird is molting — the time when new feathers are coming in. When it comes to what canaries are best known for — song — the green roller takes the prize. The roller is humble in appearance, perhaps, but eagerly sought out for the complexity and length of his song. (And we do mean “his,” because in canaries, the girls leave the singing to the boys.) Canaries can start at prices not much higher than the common finches ($60 to $75 for females and $80 to $100 for males, because of their singing ability), but if you’re really looking for great singing or distinctive colors or feather patterns, you can easily shell out $300 to $400 or more in some cases. Ordinary life span for most canaries is roughly 8 to 16 years, but 20- and 30- year-olds who enjoy good care turn up fairly regularly. The canary is another fine bird for any living situation, from small apartment to outdoor aviary.

Article / Updated 03-25-2021

Love at first sight? Slow down a little! When it comes to buying a bird, you need to be a savvy consumer, with your head more in control than your heart, and your wallet firmly in your pocket — or better yet, left at home — until you have good answers to some crucial questions. Restrain your urge to buy until you’re sure what kind of bird is the right match for you. If you go to a bird shop or breeder without a solid understanding of the differences between species, you may well end up falling in love with a pretty bird who doesn’t really agree with your personality and lifestyle. Where do you get your birds? The world is full of people selling pets who are better suited for another line of work. To them, a bird (or a puppy or a kitten) is nothing more than a product to make as cheaply as possible and sell as profitably as possible. Aside from the philosophical question of whether a living creature should be treated like an object — we certainly don’t think so — birds who are produced in a strictly bottom-line manner may not make good companions. Healthy bird babies come from healthy parents, are raised in healthy environments on healthy foods, and are lovingly socialized by human “godparents.” They’re not the stressed-out “production units” you may find with a mass producer. For a bird to have a chance as a good companion, he needs to have an idea of what a human being looks, sounds, and smells like, a chance to bond to a species that doesn’t look very much like his own. Because we’ve seen the sick and unsocialized babies who are the direct result of poor-quality breeding and marketing practices, we think your best bet is dealing with an experienced local breeder or a shop that buys from one. (Brian, for example, sells his macaw babies through reputable bird shops because he doesn’t want people dropping in at his home.) Ideally, you want to deal directly with a seller who either breeds her own birds or buys from locals she has confidence in. Most shops are happy to share the sources of their birds; an ethical and principled operation is proud of the quality of the birds it has for sale. Other shops prefer not to reveal the names of their breeding sources — sometimes at the request of the breeders — but can assure you that they’re local, can provide references from other buyers and from veterinarians, and stand behind the quality of the birds they sell. An individual or shop that cannot or will not tell you the source of its pets — or that makes some vague reference to a large production facility — is probably not your best bet for a healthy bird with good potential as a companion. “We get our birds from lots of local breeders and from a few large producers” may not be a sign of good quality control; the health of the babies is often only as good as the health of the poorest-quality supplier, because of the highly infectious nature of some types of disease. In general, the fewer the number of breeders supplying a store, the better. Depending on where you live and the type of bird you’re hoping to buy, a reputable aviculturist may not live in the same state as you are. In some areas — California, Florida, and Texas among them — breeding and selling companion birds is a big industry, with lots of participants, both large and small, professional and hobbyist. Trying to find a breeder in the Midwest, though, may be as difficult as finding beach toys during wintertime — they’re around, but not that common. A reputable bird store deals only with good breeders, whether they’re in the same city or hundreds of miles away. How many birds do you sell per year? With this question, the idea is to ensure that a seller is able to pay attention to birds as individuals. Although a reputable shop may sell 200 to 300 birds or sometimes more per year, all healthy and well-socialized, any retail outlet that moves markedly more than that number ought to set off alarms in your head. Socialization and health are everything in this game, and in our experience, large-scale operations aren’t able or willing to pay as much attention to these factors as quality care requires. And how can a breeder, with hundreds or thousands of breeding pairs housed in colonies without any concern about who’s mating with whom, possibly be in tune with a bird’s predisposition to congenital problems or current state of health? Get 'em hatched, pack 'em up, and ship 'out by the thousands isn’t the way to produce a healthy new family member, in our opinion. Even though you’re taking a risk with a mass-produced bird — and possibly supporting some questionable businesses — you also have to remember that smaller isn’t necessarily better when it comes to bird breeding. A careless, sloppy, or uninformed breeder can mess up one clutch of baby birds just as surely as a mass producer can ruin thousands. Some small-scale hobbyists are excellent; others aren’t. Some large breeding operations are excellent; others aren’t. Health and socialization are key! A clutch is bird-speak for what you find in a nest — eggs laid at the same time from a particular breeding pair, incubated and hatched at one time. What are the terms of the sales contract and post-purchase warranty? A bird who may appear perfectly healthy at the time of sale may, in fact, be harboring an infectious disease or birth defect that can limit the quality of her life, if not eventually kill her. Such a situation can be heartbreaking, of course, but it can also be financially devastating. Some parrots carry price tags into the thousands — and tens of thousands — of dollars, not to mention the significant expense of cages and other must-have equipment for a bird you may not have long and can’t afford to replace. Make sure the sales contract spells out what happens if something goes wrong — if the bird gets sick or dies, for example. Nothing can make up for the sadness of losing a bird, but a contract spelling out terms of replacement or compensation with a good post-purchase warranty can at least offset some of the financial burden and provide a measure of protection to both buyer and seller. Expect a seller who has the bird’s welfare in mind to strongly recommend or require you to have the bird examined by a qualified veterinarian of your choice within a certain time frame — 48 to 72 hours is a common recommendation. The veterinary exam ensures to your own satisfaction that your new bird is healthy. The seller should lay out the ground rules if the bird is not healthy — full refund, store credit, or other alternative that is acceptable to you. What are your references? Ask the seller for names of recent buyers (within the last year or so). Call a couple of previous buyers and ask what they thought of their dealings with the shop or breeder, as well as what kind of companions their birds have turned out to be. A good sign: Aviculturists or shops that stay in touch with buyers and are always available to help out with behavior or husbandry recommendations. Satisfied customers continue to patronize a bird shop for boarding, grooming, and supplies. A veterinary reference is important, too. Ask store owners or breeders for the name of the veterinarian who treats their birds. If the business can’t provide one, don’t buy. A seller who treats her own birds or who doesn’t believe in or practice preventive veterinary care isn’t the kind of person from whom you can safely buy. Who knows what illnesses are brewing in birds with such precarious beginnings? The seller certainly doesn’t, and you’re smart to skip the opportunity to find out. How old is this bird? Most novice bird owners are better off with a young bird, one without the “baggage” of past relationships. But because of their real or perceived value, problem parrots are often sold time and time again, with each owner hoping to recoup at least part of the purchase price while dumping an unmanageable bird on someone else. Although finding older birds who make wonderful pets is within the realm of possibility, the only sure way to know a bird’s history is to buy a weaned baby (one capable of eating without assistance) from a reputable source. A reliable seller knows the age of the bird; ideally, a hatch date appears on the paperwork that comes with the bird. If a bird was raised by parents, not by human hands — perfectly acceptable if he has been socialized — an exact hatch date may not be known, but the seller should be able to give you an estimate that’s pretty close. Good breeding practices include good recordkeeping: When you see evidence that the paperwork has been taken care of properly, most often so has the bird! In some species, you can determine approximate age by markings or eye color — both of which change as a bird matures. For instance, male African ringneck parakeets develop a black ring around the neck when they’re 18 to 36 months old. Keep in mind that young is good, but unweaned babies often are not. Few new bird owners have the expertise to hand-feed, wean, and socialize an unweaned baby, like the one shown. Don’t buy into old-fashioned thinking suggesting that your bird is destined to bond better if you buy him unweaned, and don’t fall for a lower price for an unweaned baby. Too many novices who buy unweaned babies end up with dead birds. Cockatiels and budgies are weaned by 6 to 8 weeks of age; larger parrots range from 14 weeks up to 6 months. Some nonprofit organizations work not only to rescue birds with problems but also to educate prospective adopters so they have a better chance of making the newly forming relationship work. By requiring classes for adopters, these organizations help to ensure educated bird owners are prepared to deal with any health or behavior problems in their new pets. Does this bird have any medical problems, past or current? This question may require some tact — you don’t want to accuse someone of trying to sell you a sick bird. Still, you have a right to know — and a need to know — the bird’s medical history. If the bird you fancy is currently being treated for an illness, don’t buy her until a veterinarian has certified the bird’s return to good health. Not all problems are easily remedied, so don’t take a chance. If the bird recovers and you still want her, fine. You want to feel confident that the seller has a history of using a veterinarian. Overreliance on home remedies and guesswork is a red flag. A tactful way to find out whether the bird’s illness has been properly addressed is to ask for a copy of the medical records so your own veterinarian can review them. If there are no medical records because the seller hasn’t used a veterinarian for care, beware! Does this bird have any behavioral problems? Many birds end up in new homes because their owners can’t deal with behavior problems. In general, a novice bird keeper is better off avoiding birds with behavior problems, but if you feel capable of taking on the challenge, be sure you understand what you’re likely to face. Feather picking is pretty obvious, because the afflicted bird may look more like a plucked chicken than a parrot in full, colorful plumage. Don’t fall for that old line, “He’s just molting.” He may not be. Other potential problems may not be so straightforward. Some birds don’t like men; others don’t like women. Some are afraid of people with glasses or have no basic training in good behaviors, such as stepping onto a hand or perch. Others scream constantly for attention — usually because that’s what their previous owners have inadvertently taught them. Go into any such a situation with your eyes open and be determined to work on the problem in full knowledge that some sad situations can’t be fixed. Others require a great deal of time and patience. Some birds get passed around more than a football, growing more unhappy and insecure with each change of family (wouldn’t you?). If you aren’t willing to put some time and effort into a problem bird, don’t consider taking one on. Parrots are highly intelligent — it’s one of the reasons they’re so popular. But it’s also one of the reasons “recycled” birds are such an iffy proposition. When a bird has had a rough life, he often bears psychological scars that can make him a challenging companion indeed. How have you socialized this bird? If the answer to this question is “Huh?,” consider looking elsewhere when shopping for anything except birds who aren’t meant to be handled, such as members of the finch family, canaries included. Birds don’t have to be hand-fed to be socialized — that’s a myth we’d like to correct. Parent-raised birds have wonderful pet potential, as long as they’re handled, played with, and talked to by humans while they’re growing. You don’t expect every kitten or puppy to be bottle-fed from birth, do you? Of course not! Mother dogs and cats do a wonderful job of raising their own offspring, and as long as the babies are handled and exposed to humans, they have no problem transferring their affection from their mothers and littermates to members of their new, human family. The same is true of birds: It’s perfectly fine to let a bird’s parents do the raising, as long as the babies are socialized by humans. If the bird you’re thinking of buying has been hand-raised, that’s fine, too, provided you realize that the overall handling, not the hand-feeding, makes the difference. A dependable breeder or bird shop can explain how the birds have been socialized, how they’ve been handled, and how much time they’ve spent with people. You don’t want to hear, “She’s a nice bird, and if you can get her out of the cage, she’s yours.” Because of the economic realities of hand-feeding less-expensive birds — the profit margin just isn’t there — many budgies and some cockatiels aren’t socialized at all. From an economic perspective, nurturing an Eclectus parrot or hyacinth macaw (both with price tags in the hundreds to thousands of dollars) makes more sense than to lavish that much attention on a parakeet who may fetch as little as $10. If you find a socialized budgie or cockatiel, you’re in luck! But if you end up with a bird who’s largely wild, you can work toward building trust and a good relationship. What have you been feeding this bird? If the seller says, “Seed,” run! All-seed diets are not healthy for birds and shorten their lives in the long run. You have to wonder what else could be wrong with a bird whose seller doesn’t know this basic fact. Some bird folks make their own diets from a nutritious blend of “people food” and seeds. Others feed one of the balanced pelleted diets, supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. Our recommendation is to support a seller who already has the bird on one of these commercial diets and to stick with it when you take your bird home. Research shows that pelleted diets keep birds healthy. They make caring for a pet bird easier, too, because you won’t have to figure out your bird’s nutrition needs every day and fix meals from scratch. The makers of commercial pellets have already done that job. Pellets aren’t the whole story — you need to supplement commercial foods with a healthy dose of fruits, vegetables, and other foods. Don’t worry, though: Avian nutrition isn’t that complicated. May I visit and get to know the bird before buying? We include this question because it’s a good idea to spend some quiet time observing any bird you’re considering before bringing out your wallet. You need to look at a bird as an individual, not just go by what you think is normal for each species. A Pionus parrot may, indeed, have more in common with another Pionus parrot than with an African grey, but that doesn’t mean personality differences don’t exist among individual birds. One of Brian’s favorite stories is from the first clutch of blue-and-gold macaws he raised — Uno, Dos, and Tres. Dos literally hatched with an attitude problem, and she still pretty much has one, 38 years later. Fortunately, she lives with a person who’s a good fit for her personality, but getting her through her “childhood” was a challenge from the first crack in her egg! Although they had the same parents, she and her nestmates were very different. Look beyond the beautiful plumage and try to pick up clues from the bird you plan to share your life with. Observe quietly, and see how the bird responds. Is he interested in your attention? Afraid? Indifferent? If you let him perch on your hand, does he seem to relax? Can you get a sense of the individual bird? Do you like him? Do you think he likes you?

Step by Step / Updated 03-25-2021

When it comes to birds, too many people get in over their heads, choosing a pet who’s too large, too loud, too expensive, and ultimately, too much to handle. If your list of must-have birds includes only the largest and most colorful parrots, expand your horizons and consider some other birds with great pet potential before you buy. The world of birds is large, with more than 300 species of parrots alone — although, of course, not all of them are commonly available as pets. Some of these species are perfect for the first-time owner, in different ways. Some are good because they don’t need — or want — to be handled, and some for the opposite reason — because they’re feathered love sponges. In this article, we present an admittedly subjective list of birds — some well-known, some not — that are reasonably priced, reasonably sized, and just plain reasonable to live with. Deal with a reputable breeder or bird store when shopping for any pet; otherwise, all those wonderful traits we attribute to birds may be nonexistent in the animals you encounter. Some pet retailers see birds as goods to be bred, shipped, and sold as quickly and efficiently as possible. Rapid stock turnover may be a great plan for merchandising widgets, but it’s not ideal for pets. Deal with people who sell healthy, well-socialized birds, and you can count on the best start possible. You may have noticed that we don’t include any of the large parrot species such as macaws and cockatoos in our suggestions for beginners. Until you really have a good sense of what it means to share your life with a bird, it may be best to hold off committing to ownership of one of these large, loud, strong, long-lived species.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-23-2021

Pet birds are intelligent, affectionate, and rewarding companions. No matter what species of bird you choose, you need to set up a happy home for him with the right stuff. You also need to keep your bird healthy by performing routine care.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

You've had your bird a while now. You've perfected his cage and environment to make sure that happy. And you've trained him to make him accept your role as boss. Now, you can start to work on his individual behaviors you can't stand. Don't lose patience. Sometimes, behavior adjustments take a little time. And sometimes, what bothers you just can't be fixed. Sorry, but it's the truth. Doesn't mean you should stop learning and trying, though. Feather-picking This is the one problem that has bird-lovers, behaviorists, and veterinarians alike pulling their hair out in frustration, a bird's willful destruction of his own plumage. The first thing you need to know is that feather-picking is a symptom of something else that's wrong with your bird. The only hope you have of "curing" feather-picking is finding out and treating what's behind the behavior. Feather-picking relates to a staggering variety of problems; any one or any combination of the following scenarios can be at the bottom of your bird's plucking: Health problems: Medical conditions that cause feather-picking include allergies, infections, abnormal growths (cysts) in the feather follicle, internal health problems, vitamin deficiencies, and hormone-associated problems. And that's the short list! Low humidity: Many birds come from extremely humid environments, and our houses can't hope to duplicate the conditions of a rain forest (we'd be miserable). The dry air of most houses can be a factor in feather-picking and can also set the stage for some secondary medical problems. Boredom and pent-up energy: Birds are active and intelligent, and many don't enjoy sitting around in a cage all day. Without things to play with and stuff to destroy, and without being able to get out of the cage and exercise, birds may direct all their energy toward self-mutilation. Psychological problems: A bad wing trim — too short, with no allowance for an "easy landing" — can upset a bird so badly that she starts tearing at herself. True phobias and other obsessive-compulsive disorders do exist in parrots and can result in feather-damaging behavior. Attention-seeking: He starts tugging at feathers and you freak, imagining your beautiful bird looking like a broiler-chicken. Every time he touches his feathers — even for normal preening behavior — you rush over. See how this works? "Aha!" thinks your bird. "All I have to do to get attention is pull a feather!" So what can be done with the feather-picker? Call your veterinarian, as soon as the problem appears. You need to rule out — and possibly fix — the medical problems before you can proceed. In general, the longer your bird has been picking, the greater the probability that an unresolvable habit has formed. When the problem starts, start looking for a solution. After your bird receives a clean bill of physical health, make environmental adjustments to see whether you can ward off the picking. Prepare for this project to be a long one and make changes in small increments. A daily misting with a spray bottle and the addition of a room humidifier may be the solution. Consider different toys, a smaller cage or a larger one, a new cage location, keeping a radio playing during the day, covering the cage to ensure your bird 12 solid hours of sleep, and more interaction and play with you. The strategies that don't work include all manner of over-the-counter sprays and pesticide treatments for mites that probably don't exist on your bird. In general, you're wasting your money to try these concoctions, and you may be risking your bird's life. Be patient, work with your veterinarian, and be prepared to love your bird no matter what he looks like. Biting Any parrot can deliver a powerful munch with his sharp, strong beak, and nobody likes to be bitten. Birds bite for any number of reasons, including Fear Territorial protection Redirected aggression: They can't bite what they want to, so they bite who's at hand. Dominance: Your bird may just be showing you who's boss. Swallow your anger and remind yourself that striking back makes matters worse. Your bird just needs to understand who's the boss and what's expected of him. And even the sweetest bird can have an off day. Learn to read your bird's body language and give him space when he needs it. One simple correction for biting is the earthquake. When your bird is on your hand, watch for signs that he's going to bite — timing is everything — and wobble and drop your hand slightly (think minor earthquake). This is more distraction than punishment, but it gets the point across. Screaming A certain amount of noise goes with having a parrot. And some species are worse than others — some bird-lovers jokingly say that if you don't like someone, give him a nanday conure, a world-class screamer if there ever was one. Even relatively quiet birds pipe up at dawn and dusk — the time in nature when they'd be using their voices to "touch base" with the rest of their flock. Birds also scream for some of the reasons they feather-pick: They're bored, they're stressed, and they want attention. Avoid positive or negative reinforcement of screaming; don't rush to pick up your bird every time he pipes up, and don't go over to yell at him. You can "adjust" sunrise and sunset by covering your bird's cage, but be fair — you can't keep your bird in the dark all the time. Use the cover for those times when you just have to sleep in or when you think your head will explode if you hear one more scream. Covering your bird is not a permanent solution to screaming, however. And no, you can't have your bird devocalized surgically — the alteration doesn't work with their anatomy. Success in the screaming category comes from behavior modification, not from the surgeon's scalpel.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

The day you bring your bird home is the day the world changes for you both. For you, this is the grand moment when all your research and admiration of birds suddenly becomes quite real. For your new bird, this momentous day can be downright scary. The breeder's home may have been the only world he has ever known. Even if your bird came from a pet shop and is used to a constant parade of strangers, your home is something new, and so are you. If you purchased a budgie or cockatiel, his interactions with humans have been restricted to being netted out of a group of his buddies to be shipped to a pet store to wait to be netted again when purchased. Can you help these birds become confident pets? Or maybe you've taken on a real challenge, a bird that has been sold and sold again, passed from owner to owner and perhaps mistreated along the way. This character views the world with cynicism and fear, and he figures you're bound to be another disappointment. Can you really change his outlook? The trick in all cases is patience, consistency, and knowledge. Getting your bird settled in comfortably and establishing your relationship is a two-part process: You have to ensure that your bird's physical environment is satisfactory, and then start working on his attitude toward you. Setting up the cage The cage is your bird's castle, the place where he will spend much (or all, in the case of finches or budgies) of his time. A cage protects your bird and shields your stuff from your bird, who is perfectly capable (if he's a parrot) of reducing prize antiques to toothpicks with his powerful beak. Choose a location where your bird can be adjacent to family activities, but not in the center of them. Your bird will feel most comfortable if his cage is against a wall, so he can watch the goings-on without having to worry about anyone sneaking up on his backside. For the same reason, place the cage where your bird won't be surprised — for example, away from large furniture that may block his view of the room and the comings and goings of family and friends. Birds don't like to be startled any more than we do! Position the cage far enough away from a window so the sun doesn't fall on your bird and overheat him. Putting the cage near a window so your bird can see out isn't a bad idea, though. It'll keep your pet entertained. Although the kitchen may seem like an ideal place for your bird's cage, think again. The potential for your bird to breathe deadly fumes, such as those from burning nonstick cookware is too high to take a chance. Situate your bird's cage someplace else where the people in your home hang out. Don't get too enthusiastic about toys right away — two or three are fine, but more may be overwhelming. Use a variety of natural and store-bought perches, and position them so they aren't directly over food and water dishes. You don't want to encourage your bird to poop into his dishes. Line the cage bottom with newspaper or another safe product, and you're ready to introduce your bird to his new home. Traveling home Bigger parrots require a couple of accommodations, one for traveling and one to call home. That's not the case with little birds; one properly sized cage is plenty. The temptation to buy a bird, buy a cage, stuff the former into the latter, and race for home may be inviting, but let it pass. Large or small, your bird will be more comfortable in a small box or carrier, with a towel draped over it to darken the space and relax him. (Make sure to leave a couple of air holes.) Put a towel in the bottom of the box or carrier to provide the bird with secure footing and stop him from sliding around, even if a perch is available. Place the carrier where it won't move around or fall. You can put it on the passenger-side floorboard or put the seat belt through the handle to secure it in the seat. Don't put the carrier in the trunk — exhaust fumes can kill your new pet. And don't put your small bird in a small carrying box on the dashboard while you are driving home — that would be a bad experience for both you and the bird. Settling in When you get home, put your bird in the cage and let him be. He needs time to adjust to his surroundings. No matter how cute he is, how much you want to show him off, or how much the kids want to have him perch on their fingers, let your bird be. Give him three days of peace to adjust. You'll have the rest of your lives together, so laying off for a mere 72 hours really isn't asking a lot. This doesn't mean you can't talk to your bird; in fact, you should communicate with your new family member — gently, and with the utmost respect for how frightened he may be. Sing to him. Read the newspaper to him. Make eye contact and tell him he's beautiful and you love him. But as for physical contact, hands off for now. You have to change the cage liner, clean and refill food and water receptacles, and add and remove fresh foods, but do so slowly, calmly, and deliberately. Don't be insulted if he chooses to move as far away from you as possible; your day will come.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Gravity being what it is, even a creature made for flying spends a lot of time on his feet. And considering the need to keep wings trimmed for safety, pet birds spend even more time on their feet than their wild relatives do. Which makes what's under those feet — perches — very important. Perches give our birds something to stand on, something to chew on, something to rub and groom their beaks on, a vantage point from which to survey their domain, and a secure home base to rest on. Three things to remember when it comes to perches: safety, variety, and destructibility. Safety because . . . well, that's kind of obvious. Variety because a wide array of shapes, sizes, and material can go far in keeping your bird's feet healthy as well as helping him stay busy, fit, and free of boredom. Destructibility? Perches, in particular, are appropriate targets for demolition. The need to rip the snot out of something is of paramount importance, and besides, it's only natural! An ideal perch is not too smooth, not too hard, not too soft. Excessively smooth perches may be hard to maintain balance on — and in a wing-clipped bird, that lack of traction may result in a bad fall. Perches that are too hard are difficult to chew up and have fun with, and perches that are too soft get destroyed too fast. Here's what's out there in the perch world: Wood: Plain pine perches come standard with nearly every cage, and there's nothing wrong with them per se, except . . . you can do better for your bird. One way is to harvest your own wood for perches, and another is to vary the sizes and shapes of the perches you buy. Some ready-made dowels are available in different diameters along the length of the perch, and these at least add some variation on the boring old theme. Rope: Great foot feel! Rope perches give your bird something decent to hold on to and also provide some boredom relief because rope perches are good playthings. The neat thing about rope perches is that you can just throw them in the washing machine or dishwasher when they get dirty. The downside to rope is the possibility of your pet catching a toe in a worn and frayed part of the perch. Also, your bird may chew and swallow strands of the rope, which can cause problems as well. You have to watch closely and discard the perch when the rope gets stringy. Rope perches can be really expensive if you buy them ready-made for use with birds. You don't have to, though. Check out untreated cotton rope at a boating-supply outlet and make your own perches. By exercising your creativity, you can save money, have fun, and "do right" by your bird! One kind of rope perch rates warrants endorsement: the stiff rope coil. These perches combine the best elements of rope, a swing, and a bungee cord, all of which provide exercise for your bird. Absolutely fantastic for overweight birds! Mineral: Almost every bird should have one mineral perch, also called a concrete or cement perch. The rough texture feels good underfoot, and the surface is great for helping to keep nails blunt and beaks clean and well groomed (birds like to wipe their beaks against the rough surface). Make sure the size of perch you select is large enough to allow normal weight-bearing and provide some abrasion of the nail tips at the same time. A concrete perch that is too small will not necessarily help blunt nails, unless it meets the tips of those nails. Some birds with particularly strong wills and jaws may decide to chew up, destroy, and eat the concrete, though, and those characters should not have this particular perch. Don't confuse a mineral or concrete perch with those covered with sandpaper. If you have a sandpaper-covered perch (some cages do come with them), toss it and replace it with a mineral one. Sandpaper coverings on perches can cause more problems than they're worth, giving some birds foot problems, on top of providing no real benefit for the health of the nails or feet of the birds. Would you want to stand on sandpaper in your bare feet? Neither does your bird. Plastics: Two kinds here, acrylic and PVC, both popular because of their sturdiness and relative ease of cleaning. Of the two, acrylic is a better choice because it's virtually indestructible. Remember, though, that having a perch to chew up is important to most parrots. If you use plastics, add other chewable perch options to your bird's environment. PVC too often and too easily ends up in pieces in a bird's stomach and can cause some medical problems, as well as slippery footing and boredom. Plastic perches are often too slippery to be comfortable (particularly for heavy-bodied and wing-clipped birds), although some manufacturers compensate for this problem by abrading the surface of the perch. You can do the same with a little sandpaper if you want to offer a plastic perch.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

"Step up," or just plain "Up," is the most important command you teach your bird. When you ask your bird to perform this motion, he should step up onto whatever you're offering, be it your finger (for smaller birds), your fist or arm (for larger birds), or a wood dowel or perch. The step-up command establishes you as the leader and is the basis for all other training. If your new pet was hand-fed and well socialized, he may already know the step-up command, but even if he doesn't, expect him to pick it up quickly. Teach it to him by following these steps: 1. Place your hand (if he's friendly) or a T-perch or a dowel (if he's not) gently against his breast, just above the legs, and say "Step up" in a firm but friendly tone. A T-perch is just what it sounds like: a perch shaped like the letter T. Some trainers don't like using a T-perch or dowel, and recommend putting a towel over your hand instead. The pressure triggers an instinctive reaction, and the bird usually steps right onto the perch or hand. 2. Follow with lots of praise and even a seed treat or two. Make "Step up" a normal part of everyday life with your bird; you can use the command many times a day. The request and response are not only convenient in all kinds of situations, but they also constantly reinforce your gentle leadership.