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Pets Books
Birds Books
Brian L. Speer
Kim Campbell Thornton
Gina Spadafori
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Published:
January 7, 2021

Birds For Dummies

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Overview

Your one-stop guide to caring for your avian companion

Pet birds are intelligent, affectionate, and rewarding companions. No matter what 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 and knowing what a healthy bird looks like and how he behaves.

This friendly guide describes the birds that make the best pets, explains how to select the bird that's best for you, offers tips on bonding with your feathered friend, and provides expert advice on feeding and environmental enrichment that will keep these intelligent pets engaged.

  • Benefit from a full-color guide to pet birds
  • Choose the right bird based on your budget and lifestyle
  • Create a bird-friendly environment that minimizes noise and mess
  • Bond with your winged pet

If you’re ready for your love of birds to take flight, this book has everything you need.

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About The Author

Brian L. Speer, DVM, is the owner and director of the Medical Center for Birds in Oakley, California, and an active member in and former president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians. Kim Campbell Thornton has been writing about animals since 1985 and is a recipient of multiple awards from the Cat Writers Association, Dog Writers Association of America, and American Society of Journalists and Authors. Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of Dogs For Dummies and Cats For Dummies.

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CHEAT SHEET

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. © A3pfamily / Shutterstock.comWhat to Buy for Your New BirdBuying a bird and setting him up in a new, happy home can be a big investment, but you don’t need to purchase much of the gear some retailers suggest.
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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. © A3pfamily / Shutterstock.comWhat to Buy for Your New BirdBuying a bird and setting him up in a new, happy home can be a big investment, but you don’t need to purchase much of the gear some retailers suggest.
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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.
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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.
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One of the less pleasant aspects of sharing your life with a bird is dealing with the droppings. When the droppings land on the paper at the bottom of the cage, that's fine, but nobody likes cleaning droppings off the floor (especially if carpeted) or off your shirt if you've been holding your bird when he lets one fly.
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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.
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Putting yourself on a schedule is a great way to make sure your bird's basic needs are covered. While your avian veterinarian may have specific recommendations for your bird, here's a general outline of a good routine: Daily (or even more frequently): Clean food and water dishes and refill them; change cage papers.
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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.
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Too often, bird-owners fail to notice early clues of illness because their pets are particularly skilled at hiding these signs. You need to know what's normal for your bird so that you can spot changes that mean illness — and call your veterinarian. A healthy bird Behaves normally, perching without problems, moving with coordination, using the full body without favoring one side or the other.
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"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.
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Birds are hardy creatures in many ways, survivors both in the evolution game — where they boast residency in nearly every ecological niche — and in the challenging role of sharing their lives with humans. Although life in the rain forest or jungle harbors plenty of risks, so, too, does the modern human dwelling.
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Buying a bird and setting it up in a new, happy home can be a big investment, but you don't need to purchase much of the gear some retailers suggest. Some of the products out there are more than unnecessary — they're dangerous. No matter how much essential (and nonessential) stuff you buy for your bird, there's one thing not to cut corners on: Start with a healthy, well-socialized bird from a reputable breeder or bird shop, and have an avian veterinarian examine it (and include a baseline laboratory workup).
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