Lee Dobbins asked:


One common misconception about pet birds is that they live for hundreds of years and need to be willed to someone in order to ensure their care after you’re gone. While birds do live for quite a long time in the wild, their lifespan in captivity is actually much shorter. Below are some common pet birds and their average life span in captivity given that they receive superior care and a proper diet.

Macaw – 50 years

Cockatoo – 40 years

African Grey – 25 years

Amazon Parrot – 50 years

Conure – 15 years

Parakeet – 15 years

Parrotlet – 15 years

Lovebird – 10 years

Canary – 15 years

Finch – 5 years

Certainly with a lifespan of 50 years, a bird could outlive you however there are many hidden dangers lurking around that can cut your birds life short. Birds are very fragile and need to be cared for properly in order for them to live a long life.

Here are some things you can do to help keep your bird safe and healthy:

One major danger for birds as fumes from chemical products. Aerosol sprays, Teflon pans and even such things as furniture polish can kill your bird. Keep anything that has a strong odor away from your bird and make sure you use it in a well ventilated area. I suggest you get rid of all your Teflon pants however if you insist on keeping them make sure your bird is nowhere near the kitchen when you’re cooking with them and also be sure not to heat them up without food in them as this will cause the Teflon to emit more odor.

Pet birds love to chew on things and will in fact chew on anything they can find whether it’s good for them or not. It’s important not to let them chew on anything that is welded as they can get lead poisoning from the slaughter in the joints. They also will love your household plants and will nibble on them so you need to be sure that any plants you have are not poisonous to birds.

Birds love to eat fresh fruits and vegetables but you need to take care not to leave the fruits and vegetables out too long or they can start to rot. Just like you wouldn’t feed a piece of pineapple that was sitting on the counter for three hours to your family, you shouldn’t be this to your bird either. Something should never be offered to birds as food such as coffee chocolate and avocado as these are toxic to our feathered friends.

The holidays pose a special threat to birds as they may want to fly into your tree and chew on it. You need to be very careful with this, however as many trees are sprayed with stuff that is toxic to birds. In addition, the ornaments, tinsel and electric lights might seem attractive to your pet bird but, of course ,could be very dangerous for him to chew on.

Birds that are allowed to fly around the house can be fun but you need to think of safety first if your bird does not have clipped wings and has free reign to fly wherever he wants. Obviously, you want to make sure your windows are closed so that he cannot get out. In addition, you probably want to pull down the shades or close the curtains when your birds flying around as you don’t want him to fly into the closed window and hurt himself. If you cannot do this, then put some decals on the glass so that your bird will know not to fly into it. The same goes for Mariners or any reflective surface. This is very important as your bird can actually break his neck by flying into them.

Another thing to be careful of is standing water such as water in the sink or toilet you don’t want your bird to get in over his head and drown!

Please refrain from cooking while your bird is flying around as you don’t want him to win on the stove and burn himself.

Finally, make sure that you do not answer the door while your birds perched on your shoulder. Even a bird with clipped wings could get away in an updraft and their many dangers outdoors such as cats and cars that can harm your bird.

Feeding your bird a nutritious diet and keeping him safe may not ensure that he outlives you but it will go a long way to making sure that he has a long healthy and happy life!



Annette

Peter Shaw asked:


In the world today there are hundreds of pet parrot species. Many of which can be brilliant companions. For the sake of confusion I will include anything parrot like into the category of parrots, e.g. Parakeets. The most popular parrots are often budgies and cockatiels, but if you are looking for something different, there are many more to choose from.

Being the most popular pet bird, a budgie is a great pet for children or people who don’t have the time and money to care for a larger bird. They are cheap to buy and they require only a small/medium sized cage. Budgies can learn to talk although this is rather difficult, but they can be trained to do small tasks. Many owners like to keep them in an aviary or in a larger cage with many more budgies. They live for about 10 years.

Cockatiels are slightly larger and may require slightly more care and attention. It is said that they belong either to the crested parrot family or the cockatoo family. They require a medium sized cage and are quite cheap to buy. They live for about 20 years so a long term commitment is required.

Cockatoos are much larger birds and are very difficult to handle if you aren’t experienced. They must be trained carefully because an out-of-control cockatoo is a recipe for disaster, for instance their large beaks could cause serious damage to the hands or even the face of a human. They require a large cage and lots of attention because they are intelligent birds; as well as a large buying cost. Possibly the most important thing to consider when buying a cockatoo is lifespan as many cockatoos can live well over 80 years.

Macaws are very popular in the large parrot category as they are intelligent, colourful and fun to play with. They require huge amounts of attention to keep them entertained as well as to prevent feather-plucking which is often very hard to cure. Smaller macaws, like the Hahn’s Macaw, are often bought as pets because they aren’t as high-maintenance as some of the bigger macaws, but beware as all macaws will need a large amount of commitment and care throughout their life, as they live 30-70 years depending on the species.

Conures are very popular as medium sized parrots. They again require a large cage and lots of attention and commitment. They are often seen to be like small macaw species, but conures tend to be cheaper, louder and possibly need slightly less attention. Conures usually live to about 25 years.

African Greys are probably the most popular large parrot species. They again require just as much attention and care as the other large parrots. They cost in between the large macaws and the small macaws and conures. They like many of the other large parrots bond strongly to their carer. African Greys also are known for their excellent ability to mimic nearly everything they hear without training. They often live to about 50 years.

Amazons are also reasonably popular. They are fun and social birds but need huge amounts of attention throughout their long lifespan, about 70 years. It is very important to think well before buying one as they live very long lives. There are 27 species of Amazon parrots that come from South America and the Caribbean. Again, a huge cage is essential for these birds.

Lovebirds are small and very popular pets that, surprisingly for their size, need lots of attention, for this reason, it is generally paired with another lovebird to give it the attention and love it needs. They can however be cared for on their own however they need lots of care. They are originally from African and live usually under 20 years.

There are some other parrot species, although they are usually less popular: Quaker parrots, other parakeets, Parrotlets, Senegal Parrot, Eclectus Parrot and more. It is very important to think about the lifespan and attention needed when deciding on a parrot species. Why not read some books about parrot species and care or look over the internet for some more information about each species. If you have already decided on a parrot species, why not look up Names 4 Pets for some pet naming ideas. Good luck on getting a parrot!

 



Steve