A Parrot's Perch

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Have stuff laying around that you no longer need, but would be useful to others? We are hosting a garage sale in May! We would appreciate any donations (doesn't have to be parrot related) that you may have to give to the garage sale. To drop something off, please contact our Rescue Coordinator or post on our Facebook page.

Bird Care

Is a Parrot for You?

While many people believe that parrots make great pets, it is strongly recommended that you do a lot of research before buying or adopting one. We suggest visiting YouTube videos featuring the species you are interested in. Watch videos that include the screams, screeches, and calls of all the birds you are interested in. While some species are more quiet than others, every bird has the potential to be loud. More variables to consider is lifespan, which can be greater than yours, getting bit, messiness, and cost of food, toys, vet bills, and cage.

Because of all the different variables that go into owning a parrot, they are considered one of the hardest pets to own and are not considered domesticated. Keeping this in mind, if you own a parrot, you are guarenteed to be bit at some point. Typically, it will be your fault. Good Bird Inc. is run by Barbara Heidenreich, a world renowned parrot behavorist. We highly suggest reading the information provided on the website.

If you think there is a particular species you are interested in, make sure you fully research that species. Here is a website with comprehensive species profiles to help you: Parrot Species

Here is another website that might help you answer the question, "Is a parrot right for me?". Pet Parrots 101

A Parrot's Diet

All the resident parrots of the rescue eat Totally Organic Pellets which is our primary diet that we use, or Roudybush Pellets. Here is a link to a great website that offers several different premium foods: Windy City Parrot. If you would like to research about parrot nutrition in general, ParrotNutrition.com is a great website.

In addition, each foster home supplements with fresh fruits and fresh vegtables with several cooked foods. Be careful what you feed your bird, though. Some foods are better than others and some are even toxic. Also, make sure to always wash fresh produce as they can contain harmful pesticides. Below is a table of food for parrots ranked by nutritional value. Source: QuakerParrots.com

Training and Behavior

Behavior issues are a common issue among all parrot owners. Lara Joseph's Website is a fantastic place to research parrot training and behavior. Barbara Heidenreich is also a great resource. She explains the great potential of positive reinforcement training, which we stand by, and detailed explinations of some training exercises.

Health Care

Taking your parrot to a vet at least once a year for a wellness check-up is very important. These check-ups help maintain a good relationship with your vet, make sure your bird is in good health, and helps catch any signs of illness early. In fact, parrots will often hide any symptoms of being sick until the illness has dangerously advanced. This is a natural instinct that protects the birds in the wild since they are prey animals. However, there are some general signs of illness that a parrot might exhibit:

• Discharge from eyes, nose, or vent
• CHange in color, odor, or consistency of droppings
• Change in behavior or attitude
• Sleeping too much, lethargic
• Change in quantity or quality of feathers, plucking
• Panting or labored breathing
• Continuous fluffing of feathers, cannot regulate body temperature
• Change in eating habits

If your parrot does show any of these signs, contact your veterinarian. For a list of common illnesses and health concerns, visit ParrotTalk.com

Grooming

Keeping your parrot groomed is important in keeping them healthy. Bathing your bird at least once a week is essential for healthy, vibrant feathers and for keeping the dust in some species to a minimum. Make sure to bathe your bird early in the day so they have time to dry and to only use plain water or water mixed with aloe vera. Plain aloe vera is a great ingrediant to mix in with the water to nourish the bird's skin and brighten his or her feathers. Some birds prefer to be misted with water above their head and some prefer to bathe in a shallow bowl with warm water.

Trimming your parrot's nails is essential because they do not naturally file down in captivity like they do in the wild. If you do not feel comfortable restraining your bird with a towel and clipping their nails, your vet usually offers grooming for a reasonable price. If you do decide to do it yourself, make sure to have a clotting agent such as styptic powder or cornflower on hand to stop any bleeding.

Clipping a parrot's wings is controversial, but we recommend at least a partial clip for many reasons. It is not at all painful to your bird and can be done by a vet or yourself. Your bird is still able to fly when his or her wings are clipped, but he or she cannot gain altitude. This helps him or her stay away from dangerous places, such as moving fans, and high places that you cannot reach him or her, such as the top of cabinets. It also helps prevent the bird flying very quickly into a window or wall in the house if he or she becomes startled. And of course, if your bird does get loose outside, he or she will not be able to go as far or as high, allowing you to hopefully find your bird easier.

Your bird's beak is always growing, but every day activities should be enough to keep worn down. An overgrown beak could indidcate a health problem, so if you are concerned you should contact your vet. Do not attempt to trim the beak yourself. The beak contains a blood supply and nerve endings, making it quite sensitive and attempting to trim a bird's beak can injure the bird or worse.

Safety

There are many household dangers that could harm your parrot. You should not have your bird in or near the kitchen while you are cooking. Open flames, hot food, and boiling water are all hazards. Teflon and other non-stick cookware that is PFTE treated emit toxic fumes to birds when being used. Self-cleaning ovens when they are first bought need to be broken-in before they are used around the bird due to toxic fumes also. Pesticide sprays, flea collars, house plants, fertilizer, ciggarettes, air fresheners, scented oils or candles, cleaning and disinfecting products, mothballs, human saliva, lead, zinc, and copper are all harmful to birds as well.

It is important to take precautions outside as well. Taking your parrot outside can be a great experience for both you and your bird. We suggest buying the Avian Flight Suit or Aviator Harness for your parrot in order to safely take them outside. A travel cage is also an option. We do not recommend taking your bird outside if it is below 60 or above 80 degrees outside. If it is sunny or hot, it helps to spray your bird with water every so often to help keep them cool.

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