Military macaw

The average parrot spends the majority of his time in his cage while his humans are at work or away from home. To keep our birds mentally stimulated and physically healthy we must provide an environment that offers entertainment and promotes activity.This means toys, toys and more toys.

The toys we put in our bird’s cages have multiple functions. They are there not only to entertain, but to teach new activities and to satisfy innate urges, such as chewing. I can always get a sense of the mental health of a particular bird based on the level of abuse it appears his toys have endured.  A bird that does not have the means to occupy it’s time will improvise – perhaps with plucking or screaming.

Just as important as providing toys is the need to see that the ones you offer are safe. Toys should be thoroughly inspected before they are placed in the cage. Be certain that there are not pointed parts that might injure your bird during active play. Make sure the toys are size-appropriate for your species of bird. Toys that are meant for smaller birds sometimes get hung up on the talons of larger birds, and toys meant for macaws might have crevices that are just wide enough to trap a budgie leg or head.

When you aren’t able to personally inspect toys before you purchase them (such as in the case of online orders) be sure to choose toys from a reputable source. Most of the online toy sites I order from really personalize their service and will talk to you about your concerns and make recommendations. Some places will even custom make toys for birds with specific needs. .

Once you have found the perfect toys (and toy provider), your vigilence should not end there. Toys that are most loved are subjected to some serious wear and tear and you will have to be continually watchful for signs of potential dangers as they are broken down from use. Not only are broken toy parts a choking hazard, but as parts on hanging toys are destroyed and fall away from the central chain or rope, it leaves open the danger of hanging or entanglement. When a toy looks like it has outlived its usefulness, it’s time to remove it from the cage before it becomes life threatening.

Camelot macaw

I frown upon toys made of fabric more and more with each passing year. There are more deaths and injuries resulting in amputations coming from the use of these toys than any others. The problem is that cloth frays as it is manipulated and leaves long hanging threads in which toes, feet, wings and necks can become entangled. Unfortunately, most parrots love to play with fabric.

A Facebook fan recently posted about a friend’s tragic experience when a conure hung itself on excess fray from a cloth toy. She urged us to make everyone aware of the dangers. To that, I want to reiterate that anything that falls in a long strip is a hanging threat, whether it be fibers, rawhide or chains. We can’t be around to protect our birds 24/7, nor can we deny them things to play with because we fear a potential for harm. What we can do is always be on top of the condition of the toys that are present in the cage and remove them before they pose a danger.

Mitred conure

As a human being, I have witnessed, and experienced, how seriously a lack of confidence can hold a person back in life. The belief that one is not up to a challenge or living in fear of possible failure can be debilhitating, and the result can be a life of missed opportunities.

Any intelligent being that has the ability to weigh up a decision also has the capacity for doubt. Doubt can be useful in keeping oneself safe -  when the odds aren’t in your favor, sometimes a risk is not worth taking. However, doubt is sometimes directed inwardly, where it is not the circumstances that make one uneasy, but the questioning of one’s own ability to make a sound decision or to successfully complete a task. Lack of self confidence is a fear of oneself, and often it is in our own best interest to push ourselves to confront the things that make us uncomfortable, or even afraid, so that we might live a more fulfilling life..

Blue and gold macaw

Many captive birds live very structured lives. We feed them and provide them with forms of entertainment. We decide the convenient times for out of cage play. We put them to bed when we are ready to settle down for the evening. There is little decision making in their lives. They have few experiences where they are naturally inclined to learn through trial and error. Without life lessons, they will continue to be wary and avoid stepping outside the box. Experience breeds growth and without it, there is fear of the unknown.

I believe that many of the phobias our birds experience are rooted in a lack of confidence that has resulted in fear.Your bird’s level of self confidence will impact all of the most important areas of his life from his interactions with humans, to his use of the toys that your provide, to his willingness to eat the foods that are good for him.

Blue and gold macaw

There are three critical parts to creating an environment that will build a bird’s confidence:

• 1) Allow your bird plenty of experiences in life. The most confident birds invariably are the ones that are the most experienced: a bird well socialized to humans, a bird that is not over-protected and sheltered from life, a bird whose life that is not made simple because we perceive them as simple creatures. Try not to think in terms of making life “easy” for your birds. Instead, look to making it interesting. The more experiences a bird has that have a positive outcome, the less wary it will be when approaching new things.
• 2) Allow your bird opportunities to learn. Many of the toys available today rely on the need to develop a skill.  Foraging toys require that a bird mentally calculate a series of moves that will allow them access to the food inside. Puzzle toys, or toys with moving parts, will teach a bird that: “if I do this, that will happen.” It is important to note that they will play with, even labor over, these toys even without a food motivator. This fact will tell you how important mental engagement is to a bird. They will work for food, but they will also work to learn. Confidence grows as a bird overcomes each hurdle and completes each task.
• 3) Teach your bird to play independently. Your bird should be happy at play when it’s inside it’s cage or on a playstand without your involvement. You should encourage independent play even when you are at home and available to your bird. This will increase the understanding that independent play is expected and that your presence in the house does not automatically mean that your bird will be spending time with you. It will learn how to productively occupy it’s own time. When a bird lacks the confidence to engage in activities separately from its owner, it will become increasingly dependent on your in all areas.

Rosebreasted cockatoo

As your bird matures, the combination of its experiences will determine its demeanor. The more you broaden your bird’s boundaries of discovery, the more adaptable it will become. You will find yourself with a bird that is comfortable, confident and eager to explore what the world has to offer.

Camelot macaws

I keep in contact with people from a number of bird rescues. I am friends with some on Facebook and I make sure to keep them in my feed so that I have a daily reminder of all the homeless birds out there. I see many more coming into these facilities than I see going out.

As I scout around the internet, I am alarmed by questions such as: “I just got a sun conure. What do I feed him?” REALLY?? You brought a bird into your home without a clue what he eats?? That seems unfathomable to me.  Know that my gripe is not with the uneducated owner, but with the person selling the bird who allowed the uneducated owner to leave the premises without any knowledge of what they were doing.

I understand how this happens at pet stores. Pet stores are in the retail business, not the animal welfare business. It simply so happens that the products they are selling are alive and intelligent, and have needs. It’s about money. I doubt a shoe salesman gives a second thought as to the well-being of the sandals he sold earlier in the week. “I sure do hope she is coordinating them with her handbag!”

Military macaw

I make it a point to pull and read pet store pamphlets on bird ownership, should they supply them. In them, is information on general care and maintenance – similar to the manual for my blender. While some of them mention that if needs are not met, problem behaviors might erupt, they fail to mention WHY these behaviors exist or what to do when they happen. I don’t expect much more than this from a pet store. They are running a business, selling stuff. It’s is a deterrent to sales to warn the buyer that the product might become undesirable. Don’t buy your pets from pet stores.

I hear, however, the same questions about general care coming from people who have purchased birds from a breeder. This infuriates me. How can you let a bird that you have raised from the egg go home with someone who does not understand their dietary needs and emotional complexities.You are sending this bird off to a miserably inadequate life or an untimely death, in some cases. SHAME ON YOU.

I would make a lousy breeder, in terms of any financial success. I would be denying purchases to people left and right, if I was able to part with my babies at all. If anyone well qualified did come to me for a bird, I would probably refer a person like that to a rescue because it’s the right thing to do. I would find myself out of business quickly.

Rosebreasted cockatoo

In purchasing a rescue bird, there is a qualification process where an applicant might find themselves referred to a bird that was not their first choice. A responsible rescuer might find that the potential new owners lifestyle, home environment or an inability to give a certain level of care might not be the best for a particular bird.

For instance, someone with young children and other pets might not make the best home for a bird that is easily stressed. Nor would a rescuer place a bird with ongoing medical needs into a home where finances didn’t allow for vet care. In all cases, the responsible rescuer will not let any bird out of sight without the necessary education in bird care. Some of the bigger rescues offer classes in bird care to the public and it is a requirement that you attend one before you rehome any of their birds.

Hyacinth macaw

Is it unreasonable to expect the same from a breeder? I know most breeders can’t deliver education in a classroom setting, but there is, in every case, the opportunity for one on one training, even if it’s done over the phone. The average person does not know where to go for information on something as precise and specific as bird care. No human being should EVER be permitted to walk away with a pet bird without the following:

• A complete species specific guide about the bird they have chosen, such as typical personality traits, levels of activity, style of play, known health propensities, and inclination toward behavioral problems.
• A list of the physical needs of the bird, such as proper caging, accessories, toys, and warnings about toxins and other household dangers.
• A complete description of species specific dietary needs. When to feed, how much to feed and a complete list of safe, unsafe and unpreferred foods.
• An awareness of the extreme intelligence of birds and the responsibility to nurture that intellect with appropriate toys and interaction. It should be made clear what behavioral problems might stem from any neglect in this area.
• A description about the wild counterparts of their chosen species that includes information about their diet, habits, breeding cycles, how the flocks interact socially with an explanation of how these behaviors correlate to captive birds.They should be encouraged to continue exploring their species as new information is always surfacing.
• A guide to recognizing sign of illness in a bird.
• A list of preferred local avian vets, boarders and groomers.
• A list of internet links to reputable forums where a buyer can go for help and support with behavioral, dietary or other issues.

Budgies

This wouldn’t be too difficult for breeders to do. Most breeders specialize in just a few species of birds which would only require adapting information to each of the species. I, personally, would have buyers read this information in my presence and have them sign something stating that they read and understood the information. Pet store could and should do the same.  Don’t you agree?