For The Birds-Part Deux

The reason that this site is "For The Birds" is that two birds reside in my household. Our maroon-bellied conure, Sandy, is six and a half years old. Ducky, a budgie, is our latest edition to the family. He was seven weeks old when he came home on July 4, 2006.

We didn't know anything about birds when we brought Sandy home. We learned quickly. Birds are unlike any other household pet. They are highly intelligent. Sandy, emotionally and intellectually, is close in age to a two yr. old human. Some of the bigger birds are comparable to five yr. olds.

Don't bring a bird home, unless you are willing to commit to it for its lifetime. Birds bond with one person for life. If you get tired of it, you can't dump it on some one else or sell it. The bird sees you as the alpha bird in its flock or its mate. They don't understand why you no longer want them. Being intelligent, they can become mentally ill, as a result of rejection. Some birds pluck their feathers out when stressed. Prozac was created for birds, originally. To abandon a bird is as cruel as abandoning a small child.

A bird can become a wonderful companion and friend. Sandy was great company when I was laid off. They do take an inordinate amount of time and care. Again, if you don't have the time and patience, don't buy a bird!

You can't discipline a bird to modify behavior. Biting is the prime example. All birds bite. Ever hear of the pecking order? An alpha bird is the one you will see at the very top of the tree. They get there by being the biggest and toughest bird. They do this by intimidating other birds. Pecking is one way they do it. If your bird bites you and you are aggressive in return, you are giving them what they expect. It will increase the biting behavior. It is hard to do, but you have to ignore the bite. That isn't easy, it hurts! As soon as the bird bites, put them back in the cage, and walk away from them. By shunning them, you will modify the behavior.

I hope I am not sounding too negative. If you know what you are doing, birds are so much fun! Not only do parrots talk, but they understand what they are saying. Our Sandy has a repetoire of about 20 words. She can say: Bounce (while bobbing her head), I love you, Step Up, Hello, etc. Birds share their food with each other in the wild and we keep our birds by the table at dinner time. One evening, we were eating something that we could not share with Sandy. She started shouting, "Hello" to get out attention. I told my husband to ignore her as we were eating something that we could not share with her (Birds can't eat avocados, chocolate or anything with caffeine it.) Well, the "hellos" started getting louder and more emphatic! Finally, she cocked her head at us, and said, "Love you!" The little manipulator earned a carrot!

Another time she was happily snuggled up to my neck under my hair when I had to leave. She refused to step up on to my finger so I could put her back in the cage. Sandy belongs to my son and is very tightly bonded to him. In desperation, I asked him to take her off me. He stuck his finger up to her and commanded "Step Up." Sandy looked around, whistled, and ignored him. Again, he commanded, "Step Up." Again, she ignored him. Finally, with his sternest look and deepest voice, he demanded, "Step Up!" To which, she looked at him and replied, "CUDDLE!"

A friend had an even funnier experience. She was a photographer for the Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo, NY. She invited me to the faire. She knew I loved birds and that there was a bird sanctuary there. This sanctuary is a haven for abandoned birds and a great place. I walked around enjoying seeing the different species while she photographed them. At one point, she stopped to take a photo of two macaws who were perched together. Over her shoulder, she heard, "I like pictures!" Not believing her ears, she turned to see the most beautiful Cockatoo behind her. A person standing next to her, reassured her by saying that yes, she had heard it too!

All birds are different. Our recent arrival, Ducky, the budgie, is the opposite of Sandy in personality. He is happy in his cage and prefers to stay it, while Sandy wants out as often as possible. He loves being petted, and scratched though, but prefers it in the comfort of his cage. I take him out often, but he is always happy when he goes back.

The point of this blog is to bring attention to the issues surrounding bird ownership. I am not a vet and there are plenty of internet sites with information that you can access if you are thinking of adding a bird to your family. Most avian vets are happy to discuss bird ownership and what it entails as well. All I ask is that you don't purchase a bird on impulse. Buying a bird is a committment.