- 12 Mistakes People Make
with Their Birds
- by Kai Jordan
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I don’t know any one who
started out wanting anything less than a loving home for their
bird. However, because they didn’t know all they needed
to know about caring for their bird, mistakes were made, and
their bird suffered as a result.
Even with all the information
available to us, we still don’t know all there is to know
about having birds as pets. It’s a continuous discovery
and mistakes will be made. If you find yourself making some of
the mistakes discussed below, forgive yourself. Do the research,
learn what you need to know
and change it.
1. Staying in a bad relationship.
The idea of bringing a cute,
cuddly baby bird, or a beautiful, older bird that talks into
your home, is a temptation that is hard to resist. However, not
all of us are able to care for birds in the way they need to
be cared for. When reality sets in and you realize living with
this bird isn’t going to work out as you thought it would,
you come face to face with a dilemma. |
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What do you do now?
First of all, don’t beat
yourself up. You made a mistake. It happens. Do your research.
Better late than never. Determine if you are up to the task.
If you realize this isn’t going to work out for you, then
it certainly won’t work out for the bird. Dedicate yourself
to finding your bird a new home.
Don’t keep the bird just
because you feel guilty or because you feel a sense of responsibility.
It’s like staying in a bad marriage. No one ever benefits.
You’ll be giving this bird a new opportunity for happiness
by finding him a place to thrive.
2. It’s “Just A
Bird”
When we believe something is
“merely” or “only”, we tend to treat it with
less respect and consideration. “Just” implies a lower
level of importance. This perspective towards birds ends up as
a rationalization for neglect and abuse. Example: 1. So what
if my bird is in her cage most of the time. After all she’s
just a bird. 2. Care about his feelings? He doesn’t have
feelings, he’s just a bird.
Birds have emotions. They may
not be as complex as ours, but they feel fear, grief, love, joy
and probably a whole lot more in between. Birds aren’t “just”.
They are wondrous beings with intelligence and feelings. They
need to be treated that way and given the best life experience
we can give them.
3. Cage too small
I often wonder what some cage
manufacturers are thinking when they design cages. Some of them
don’t seem to know much about birds. Either the main perch
and feeding areas are too high creating a lot of wasted space
or they make the feeding crocks so large they also take up too
much of the interior space. Birds don’t eat & drink
very much per day and yet the crocks are big enough for a pound
of food.
Look for cages that make sense
from the bird’s point of view. It has to be roomy enough
so they can move around, climb the bars, and have perches and
toys at different levels. A cage may look big enough when it’s
empty, but start putting perches, toys, ladders and swings inside
and all of sudden the cage that seemed big enough, now doesn’t
have room for the bird.
Cage size also depends on the
activity level of the bird. If a bird enjoys hanging from a toy
and flapping it’s wings, this has to be taken in consideration
when determining size. When you see minimum cage requirements
for your species of bird, go to the next size.
A cage 3 feet wide is more appropriate
for a medium size bird like an African Grey than a 2 foot cage
and the cage size needs to increase from there for larger birds.
Would you feel comfortable with a house the size of your bathroom?
4. Not enough exercise
Birds need to move. They need
to climb, swing, hang and flap their wings. Just sitting on a
play stand chewing toys is usually not enough. If your bird’s
wings are clipped you can introduce your bird to the flying game
for exercise. When your bird is on your hand gently secure her
feet with your thumb, and slowly lower your hand so she moves
her wings to maintain balance. At the same time say fly or whatever
word you like. She’ll learn to associate the word with the
flapping of her wings and will soon do it on her own when you
say the word. Pretty soon your bird will look forward to her
flying or flapping exercise sessions and she’ll be happier
and healthier as a result.
When I got my African Grey,
Cairo, at age four, she didn’t know how to fly. So, I taught
her. I started out with the flapping game and then spent months
running with her through the house while she flapped her wings
while tightly clutching my hand. The neighbors thought I was
a bit nuts, but Cairo loved it and would yell “fly, fly”
as she was happily flapping away. She now knows how to fly and
is much more confident.
5. Not Enough Explanation
Birds need to understand what
is going on in their environment and we do them a disservice
if we don’t explain our actions and expectations. Don’t
worry whether they understand or not. Just try it and they’ll
surprise you with the results.
All my birds identify noise
with the word noise. Instead of freaking out over a loud noise
they’ll all say noise and not be bothered by it. My CAG
is learning to distinguish between noises. Motorcycles made her
anxious, but now that she is learning that it is called motorcycle
noise she isn’t concerned about it as she once was. When
she hears a motorcycle she just says noise and doesn’t worry
about it.
When you go away over night
tell your bird how long you’re going away for. Example:
You’re going away for “2 Nite Nites” (substitute
whatever word you use at night). Tell them you’ll miss them
and they’ll be fine.
6. Moving too Fast
It’s not always easy to
remember to slow down when we’re around our birds. Sudden
movements, especially fast hand movement usually frightens them.
If we’re under stress, feeling frustrated because we feel
we don’t have enough time to accomplish what we need to
accomplish, we radiate that energy and can instantly raise the
anxiety level of our birds. We need to slow down. Keep our hands
still instead of waving them in our bird’s face. Have someone
wave their hands in your face. Do you like it?
7. Not Taking The Time To
Observe
One of the greatest pleasures
and most important aspects of sharing our lives with birds is
watching them. We can learn so much about what they like, what
bothers them and what is safe for them by watching them play,
interact with other birds and other people. Taking the time to
observe can eliminate future problems.
8. Not stimulating their
sense of adventure
Birds are naturally curious.
They need to be given challenges that stimulate curiosity. Puzzle
toys and foraging toys are an important addition to any bird
room.
9. Hitting
The fastest way to destroy a
bird’s trust is by hitting. NEVER hit your bird.
10. A frustrated bird is
not happy
Birds do not understand teasing.
It’s cruel. Also be careful of toys that tend to frustrate
rather than entertain your bird. Some puzzle toys can entertain
your bird for hours, but if she isn’t able to feel any accomplishment
or success as a result of her efforts, she can become frustrated.
All birds are different so once again, observe.
11. Pushing Your Bird
Pushing your bird to do things
he doesn’t want to do probably won’t accomplish a positive
outcome. If your bird isn’t in the mood to come out of his
cage, or if he doesn’t want to step up or come near this
new person you’ve brought to meet him, let him be.
Educate & train your bird
to enjoy doing those things that are necessary for a cooperative
relationship. Give him good reasons to want to come out of his
cage. If instead, you think pressuring is easier and takes less
time than educating your bird, don’t be surprised when he
responds with his beak.
12. Crowding your bird
Birds like space. Putting their
cages too close together or putting birds together in small cages
can sometimes be a disaster waiting to happen. Allow your bird
to have their own personal space and only put them with other
birds when you are absolutely sure they are comfortable sharing
space with that bird. Continue to watch the situation. They could
change their minds.
Only you can determine how many
birds are too many. But, before you fall in love with another
bird you can’t live without, do a serious, honest appraisal
of your present situation. Are you giving the necessary time
to the bird or birds you already have? Will you be able to afford
the extra expense? Why do you really want another bird? |
