EXOTIC PETS :: BIRDS

Birds & Exotic Avian

Adopting a Bird from a Shelter

As with any companion animal, potential bird adopters should be ready to invest money for regular veterinary care, a nutritious and varied diet, appropriately-sized cages and toys. Birds are social creatures. Birds in the parrot family particularly depend upon human contact for their happiness and well-being. Owners must be prepared to spend time playing with and talking to their feathered friends. Once the decision is made to adopt, a variety of bird species with distinct characteristics and needs are available. Tiny canaries delight with their vibrant colors and beautiful songs. Fast-moving finches can entertain observers for hours. Looking for a more interactive bird? Budgies and cockatiels enjoy being handled and often mimic words and household noises. And if you can commit substantial time and space to a loud, demanding, intelligent bird, one of the larger members of the parrot family may be right for you. These brainy birds need mental stimulation, companionship and extensive exercise time out of their cages daily. Keep in mind that medium-to-large parrots can live 25-50+ years.

How do you know if a bird is the right pet for you? And how do you decide what type of bird will best suit your household? The following scenarios should help potential owners make a decision that's right for them and a new avian friend:

• 'I don't like a lot of mess.'
  Choose small birds, such as parakeets, canaries, finches or lovebirds.
• 'I don't like loud screaming birds.'
  Although there are individual exceptions, avoid conures, parrots and cockatoos.
• 'I don't have much space.'
  Choose any bird, as long as you allow for a large enough cage and time out of it almost every day.
• 'I am afraid of being bitten by my bird.'
  If this is a concern, find out how large your bird will be when fully grown. As babies, medium and large-sized birds are very sweet and have little beak strength. But when they mature, they can become somewhat aggressive, their beaks more powerful and their behavior somewhat erratic. Instead, choose a smaller bird, such as a cockatiel, who is less able to cause harm when it bites.
• 'I want my bird to talk.'
  African gray parrots and Amazon parrots are considered the best talkers, but there is no guarantee that your bird will talk. Birds who speak the most are those who are spoken to most often.
• 'I am concerned about how my new bird will get along with other pets and young children.'
  Adequate space and close adult supervision will promote harmony among birds, children and other pets. You will need a room in which you can close off your bird for his or her protection when you are not present, even if you are just in another room. If you have a very large bird, such as a macaw, you may need to protect your children and other pets from the bird if he has been provoked inadvertently.
• 'I want my bird to bond with me, so maybe I'll buy an unweaned bird.'
  Newborn, unweaned birds, like human infants, need to be fed by hand, which requires a great deal of care. Also, they are more likely to develop problems that weaned birds (birds able to eat by themselves) don't experience. So if you have no prior experience hand-feeding birds, make sure the bird you select is weaned. As for the bonding issue, birds that are young but already weaned bond very well with caring and affectionate owners.

Breeding Budgerigars

Budgerigars have been successfully bred in captivity since they were first domesticated in 1840. They are the easiest members of the parrot family to breed and a large number of color mutations and variations have arisen from captive breeding of these birds. Budgerigars can be bred in separate cages but may also be bred out in an aviary as they are highly sociable birds and breed in colonies in the wild.

Sexing

The two sexes are easily identified by the colour of the cere, which is the fleshy area above the beak, containing the nostrils. Adult females have a brown cere which deepens in color when the female is in good breeding condition. Females also become destructive when they are in breeding condition and will tear up tray liners and gnaw at perches. In contrast adult males have a blue or purple cere. It is difficult to tell the sex of young budgerigars from the colour of their ceres and it is recommended that birds under 10 months old are not used for breeding.

Timing

Spring is the best time of the year to breed budgerigars. Although it is possible to breed these birds at other times of year, it is recommended that nest boxes are only introduced during the spring, as the birds will be in peak breeding condition and the best results from breeding attempts are seen at this time of year.

Nesting

Budgerigars are commonly bred in boxes which open at one end, and a variety of designs are available. The interior of the nestbox should be lined with a wooden or plastic nestpan, which consists of a flat piece of wood with a depression hollowed out at one end for the eggs to be laid in. No additional nesting materials need to be supplied.

Egg Laying

Budgerigars typically lay a clutch of 4 to 6 eggs, although the clutch size can range from 1to 8. The eggs are laid on alternate days and the incubation period is 18 days.

Diet

Calcium is very important for the production of egg shells and Cuttlefish bone and grit are both important calcium sources for laying hen birds. Soft foods or soaked seed are also useful supplements during the breeding period.

Care of the young

Budgerigar chicks are born blind and without feathers. They are totally dependant upon their parents for food whilst they are in the nest, and remain in the nest box for up to 24days. The chicks will begin to learn to feed themselves once they leave the nest. They are fully independent, and able to be removed from their parents at around 32 days old.

Choosing A Pet Budgie - Age Characteristics

Ownership of pet birds varies throughout the world but, undoubtedly, the most popular species are the budgerigar (budgie) and the canary.

Budgerigars make cheerful and charming companions and are easy to look after. They are by no means expensive to feed or maintain. They enjoy family life and they can live fairly long. Seven years is about average, but there have been cases of budgerigars living 20 years or more.

As with any other pet, it is important to take some time and choose a healthy bird that has been well bred. Obviously you should look to a good source when acquiring your new pet, such as a reputable breeder or a good pet shop. If you are in any doubt about where to buy your bird or what sort to choose, your veterinarian should be able to advise you, and also tell you about reputable breeders in your area. A healthy bird should be lively and alert, have a good plumage, with all its tail feathers intact and a clean vent region.

If you want your bird to talk, you should choose a young cock or hen between 6 and 9 weeks old. Young budgerigars in particular are easy to identify, as they have certain identifiable characteristics. A young budgerigar does not have clearly defined throat spots, has striations across the front of his mask (face) and has flecking on the bib of the mask. Young cocks have a bold, purplish cere and hens have a blue-white cere. They do not have a white ring around the eyes at this age, so the eyes appear large and black. At around 12 weeks of age, the baby feathers are moulted to make way for the adult plumage. The cock bird's cere changes to a shiny deep blue and the hen's to a definite brown. Both sexes develop a white outer ring around the eyes. Once a budgerigar has grown adult feathers, it is impossible to tell its age unless it is wearing a closed, dated leg-ring fitted by the breeder.

Cuttlebone - What is it?

Cuttlebone is the calcareous internal shell of a cuttlefish. A cuttlefish is a cephalopod, related to squids and octopi. They have eight arms and two tentacles. They eject a black ink-like fluid when in danger. In fact, the outer, hard shell is often stained with this black ink. They are found in oceans all over the world.

Importance To Diet

Cuttlefish is an important dietary item in many countries. Most come from Asia, especially Taiwan and the Philippines. Some Philippine cuttlebones are more than 16 inches long. Cuttlebone is the only bone in the cuttlefish, and it is discarded when the fish are cleaned in preparation for eating. These bones are washed and sun bleached for export. Cuttlebone is not only used as a dietary supplement for bird keepers. I sell some of the larger pieces to jewelers, who use it for casting gold and silver jewelry. Apparently, they carve a pattern into it and pour in the molten metal. Grinding it into a fine powder to use as an abrasive polishing compound is another use for it.

What good is cuttlebone to a bird?

Well, it is not for sharpening the beak. It's amazing how many pet owners think this is its purpose. Cuttlebone is provided to birds as a source of calcium and other necessary minerals. It is especially important to breeding hens.

Components Of Cuttlebone

The major component of cuttlebone is calcium carbonate (85 percent). This is also the major component in eggshells. The next major component is organic material (8.9 percent), mainly carbohydrate material. The nitrogen content of 8,300 mg/kg indicates that approximately 20 percent of the organic material is proteinaceous. The 1.4 percent acid-insoluble material is silicate (sand). The remaining elements are all trace elements. No specified toxic heavy metals were detected.

Do Birds Need Cuttlebone?

The question remains, does my bird need cuttlebone? The answer is yes. Your bird, especially an egg-laying hen, needs calcium. Cuttlebone provides a natural, inexpensive source of calcium carbonate as well as other trace minerals. Most manmade mineral blocks are made from plaster of Paris. They also contain whatever the manufacturer decided to add, whether it be food coloring or seed. On the other hand, cuttlebone is a natural product, containing no toxins or contaminants.

All birds need calcium, and cuttlebone is as good a source as any. Most of the parrots will willingly chew up a cuttlebone. Others, such as mynahs, toucans, etc., will not eat cuttlebone as it naturally occurs. In feeding these softbill species, it is just a matter of scraping cuttlebone into their soft-food mix.

An Analysis of a Sample of Cuttlebone

• Acid insolubles 1.4%
• Moisture content 2.3%
• Organic content 8.9%
• Calcium 85% Calcium Carbonate
• Magnesium 0.42 % Magnesium Carbonate
• Potassium 63 mg/kg
• Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen 8,300 mg/kg
• Total Phosphate 20 mg/kg
• Heavy Metals (mg/kg = parts per million)
• Zinc 167
• Iron 101
• Cobalt 19
• Copper 11
• Manganese 8

Feather Picking in Birds

One of the most frustrating conditions of caged birds is feather picking. Feather disorders rank as some of the most difficult and challenging conditions to diagnose. Bird owners frequently scrutinize their pets, and feather problems are usually readily detected. Other clinical conditions of caged birds are much less obvious and are, therefore, less frequently detected.

When a bird begins to pick, pull out, or mutilate its feathers, its physical appearance is greatly decreased. A bird owner's frustration results from a lack of understanding of what motivates the bird to behave in this destructive manner and what can be done to stop the behavior.

Function of Feathers

Feathers have a variety of functions: flight, temperature regulation, protection against environmental and climatic extremes, and courtship displays. Without feathers, wild birds could not survive. Therefore, careful and regular attention to the feathers and their condition is vital.

The process by which a bird grooms itself is called "preening". It will use its beak to condition and waterproof its feathers and meticulously remove the sheaths through which new feathers emerge. Birds use their feet and claws to perform this latter function on feathers located on the head. It is not uncommon for birds to rub against various objects in their immediate environment in order to perform this function. Mutual preening is common among cage mates. Normal preening is normal behavior and must be distinguished from feather-picking and feather mutilation.

What is Feather Picking?

Feather picking is an obsessive, destructive behavior pattern of birds during which all or part of their feathers are methodically pulled out or in some way damaged. This behavior often prevents normal feather growth. Molting is the normal physiologic process by which old, worn out feathers are lost and replaced by new ones, The frequency of this event varies between species and individuals, as well as with climatic and geographic conditions. In warm areas, most caged birds drop a small number of feathers intermittently throughout the year and have one to two heavy molts each year. The process of molting must be distinguished from feather picking.

Feather picking is not difficult to diagnose. Affected birds look very much the same. Regardless of the pattern of feather loss, the skin below the neck is bare and exposed. The feathers of the head are generally normal and untouched. This is, of course, because the bird cannot reach its head feathers. The one notable exception to this is the bird whose feathers are picked by a cage mate. In these cases, the head feathers of the "victim" are not spared.

Causes of Feather Picking

There are both medical and non-medical causes for feather picking. The major medical causes include changes in hormone levels, external and internal parasites, malnutrition, internal disease, and bacterial or fungal infections of the skin and/or feather follicles. Contrary to popular opinion, external parasites (mites in particular) are extremely rare among caged birds. Non-medical causes are psychological and/or stress related.

Feather picking is generally a problem of birds in captivity. Wild birds do not pick their feathers because they are too preoccupied with their own survival and with reproduction. Captive birds (pet birds and those in zoos) endure stress not experienced by their wild counterparts. Captivity, malnutrition, solitary living, absence of a mate with which to fulfill courtship rituals and mating needs cause significant stress. The presence of a dog or a cat or even a noisy house can cause stress in a pet bird.

Like people, birds are creatures of habit, and changes (large or small) in their environment or in their established routine can often create stress for the individual. This stress often results in obsessive, introverted behavior, manifested by feather picking.

Most caged birds seem prone to feather picking. The groups of birds most notorious for engaging in this vice include African gray and Timneh parrots, cockatoos, macaws, conures, gray-cheeked parakeets, and cockatiels. Interestingly, we rarely see feather-picking budgies or Amazon parrots.

A self-mutilation syndrome is often seen in Amazon parrots and occasionally in other species (African gray parrots, macaws). This may represent the way in which some of these birds cope with or manifest stress. Others believe that the condition is an infectious disease, possibly of viral origin. It is not uncommon for afflicted birds to mutilate their skin (toes, wing webs, groin and armpit areas). This constant and continual trauma results in infection and failure of the wounded areas to heal. These birds must be prevented from engaging in this self-trauma through use of collars, bandages, etc. They also must be treated aggressively with systemic antibiotics (injections are preferable).

Treating and Preventing Feather Picking

From the above discussion, it should be obvious that there are no quick and/or easy solutions for psychological or stress-induced feather picking. Collars fashioned from discarded x-ray film or certain acrylics can be fitted and applied to the bird. These materials create an artificial barrier between the bird's beak and its feathers. Collars treat the symptoms (the feather picking and mutilation) but do not eliminate the underlying cause(s). In fact, collars themselves can be very stressful to caged birds and should only be applied when it is necessary to arrest self-mutilation and prevent hemorrhage, or as a last resort when all else fails.

Furthermore, collars create problems of their own. Besides causing great stress to the bird, they also prevent normal feather maintenance (preening). If medical causes for feather picking have been ruled out, and boredom (solitary confinement) is regarded as the major cause of feather picking, then you as the bird owner must be prepared to make changes. Increasing the amount of time you spend with your bird will greatly reduce feather-picking tendencies.

Sometimes changing the location of the bird's cage and/or perch is helpful. The suitability of the new location will depend upon the temperament of the bird and the relative unsuitability of the previous location. For example, a feather picking African gray parrot (normally shy and suspicious) might be better off in a more private and secluded area of the house than in a heavily trafficked and noisy location. By contrast, an umbrella cockatoo (docile, affectionate, gregarious) that lives in relative isolation and that has begun to feather pick might be better off in a public area of the house. If a feather picker lives in a very small cage or has limited living space, it might be beneficial to provide a larger cage or a more spacious living environment.

Some feather pickers may not be getting adequate rest. Providing these birds with a quiet and secluded locale and covering the cage at night may be helpful. The latter is most important because it provides a certain period each day or night during which absolute privacy and freedom from a "fish bowl" existence is assured.

Bathing or misting a feather picker on a daily or otherwise regular basis may be beneficial since wetting the feathers encourages normal preening behavior. One hopes that the bird will spend more time conditioning the plumage and less time chewing on the feathers or pulling them out.

Boredom and resultant feather picking may be combated by providing a wide variety of foods. Emphasis should be placed on foods that require some time and effort to eat (non-shelled walnuts and other nuts, string beans, snow peas, macaroni and cheese) and those representing a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and textures. This recreational feedings keeps the bird stimulated and interested in the food. Increasing the amount of time required to eat decreases the amount of free time that the bird spends feather picking. The same factors should be considered when providing the bird with toys. The largest variety and assortment of toys should be offered. The toys (chains, bells, rawhide and hardwood pieces, mirrors, hard rubber toys) should be durable and appropriate for the size and type of bird.

Toys should stimulate and hold the bird's interest as much as possible. It is important to provide natural objects that a bird can investigate, chew up, and rip apart. Branches from non-toxic trees, with leaves (eucalyptus) and large pine cones, can be offered to satisfy these destructive tendencies. These objects should be clean and free of insecticide and herbicide residues. It is equally important to provide objects that allow the bird to exerciseÑlarge ropes to climb on, large paper bags, and cardboard boxes with holes. Appliances (radio, tape recorder, television, etc) that stimulate the bird's other senses should also be considered and provided whenever possible. A feather picker whose attention is diverted will spend less time pursuing its vice.

Feather Picking and Sexuality

Much feather picking of caged birds results from sexual isolation and frustration. It is easy for most bird owners to subconsciously ignore the sexuality of their pet bird because, in most cases, the true gender of their bird may not be known.

Caged birds do not have external genitalia or other physical characteristics that would, at a glance, indicate their sexual identity. They do, however, have gonads (testes or a single ovary) located inside their bodies. These organs produce the very same sex hormones (testosterone, estrogens) that our own gonads produce. These sex hormones are extremely potent and can change a bird's behavior. In the wild, these behavioral changes would result in the selection of a mate and the pursuit of courtship and mating behaviors. Unfortunately, in the home, solitary pet birds are rarely free to engage in these pursuits. The frustration that often follows can result in feather picking. Some investigators believe that hormone-influenced (sexual) feather picking is the result of a bird's attempt to create a "brood patch". This completely featherless area of the breast allows very efficient transfer of heat from the bird's body to the egg(s) it is incubating. In captivity and non-breeding situations, the feather picking and pulling is, of course, nonproductive and becomes an obsessive vice, even when hormone levels fade out. Some of these birds exhibit a favorable response to progesterone drugs in the early stages.

Providing an appropriate mate is an obvious, but not always practical, solution. Reducing sexual stimulation (removing mirrors and toys, placing birds of opposite sex that are caged separately out of sound range from one another) may be helpful. In multiple-bird households, feather picking may result when a bird is housed near other birds. Under these circumstances, moving this individual out of sight and beyond hearing from the others may reduce the level of stress experienced by the bird and the severity of its feather picking.

Popular Remedies May Not Work

There are certain popular remedies for feather picking. Foul-tasting sprays applied to the feathers (Bitter Apple, Listerine, etc), grinding/notching of the lower beak to make destruction of the feathers more difficult, and use of tranquilizers have all been recommended over the years to treat the chronic feather picker. Unfortunately, none of these is truly effective. They merely treat the symptom (feather picking) but do not treat the causes. Under certain circumstances, however, some of these remedies may provide some help or relief.

One suggestion that should be given serious consideration is not clipping the wings of birds that mutilate their feathers, especially the flight feathers. By clipping these feathers, it gives the obsessive bird a reason to start picking at its feathers.

If you elect not to clip your bird's wings, you must be willing to accept the liabilities of a bird that can fly. Make the decision carefully. In cases of chronic feather picking, close scrutiny of the bird and its interactions with its environment can help establish a program of behavior modification. A qualified avian behaviorist should be enlisted if this remedy is to be pursued. Behavior modification may be of tremendous value in reducing stress, treating stress-induced problems of caged birds, and treating obnoxious behavior problems.

Some cases of severe chronic feather picking may not respond to any kind of treatment. Damage to or destruction of the feather follicles from repeated trauma to the skin may result in permanent feather loss or growth of abnormal feathers. These pet birds also tend to be unmanageable and very difficult to handle. Placing these birds in a breeding or aviculture situation may be the most practical alternative. Unfortunately, this is never an easy decision for a devoted bird owner.

General Facts On Bird Nutrition

It is a common misconception that birds can live on seeds alone. An exclusive diet of seeds is deficient in many vitamins, minerals, and amino acids necessary for the health of your bird. Without these nutrients in the diet, malnutrition, increased susceptibility to disease, and premature death can result.

It is true that most pet birds like seeds and, if provided an unlimited supply, they happily devour them. Wild birds rarely enjoy this opportunity, and they generally supplement their diets with worms, maggots, insects, fruit, and other available delicacies.

A balanced diet for pet birds, like that for people, contains a large variety of foods. Offer each kind to your pet bird in small quantities in order to ensure that one preferred food is not over-consumed. Fruits, vegetables, cereals, bread, as well as beans, eggs, and cooked meatÑeach in moderate quantitiesÑmake up a well-balanced diet. Precise mixtures vary with the species of bird being fed. As a general rule, just about anything good for you is also good for your bird. The important exceptions are avocado and chocolate, which are both very toxic to birds.

If preparing meals for your bird doesn't fit your schedule or personal lifestyle, there are several pelleted commercial complete bird diets available. These diets can be supplemented with treats from any of the above recommended foods. If your bird is currently on a seed diet, the transition to a pelleted diet should be made gradually. Birds have a strong preference for their usual diet and may refuse to eat unfamiliar pellets. A diet of three-parts seeds to one-part pellets can be offered for one week; half seeds and half pellets the second week; one-part seeds to three-parts pellets the third week and pellets thereafter. If at any step your bird refuses this diet, back up to previous week's ratio of seed to pellets and then resume the transition the next week. If your bird refuses pellets for more than two months, your veterinarian may be able to offer a more sophisticated feeding method.

The availability of clean fresh water just as important as a healthy diet. Water is essential for the function of all necessary biological systems. Clean water must be free of bacterial, viral, and algal growths that can compromise your bird's health.

Food and water dishes should be washed daily and securely anchored in the cage out of the more frequent paths of droppings.

Any sudden decrease in appetite or change in dropping color or consistency could be the first sign of illness. If this is noticed, your veterinarian should be called and the bird should be examined.

Training Your Pet Bird

The first step in training any bird is to gain their confidence. Training any animal, especially birds takes patience and practice. Allow a couple of days for settling down, then approach the cage quietly repeating a two-word phrase such as "pretty boy". When your approach is happily accepted, you can start the finger training. Extend the index finger alongside a perch, raising it under the bird's breast until it hops on. Move your hand slowly around the cage transferring your pet from perch to perch, whispering encouraging noises.

After a day or two's practice, you will be able to withdraw your hand from the cage with the bird perched on your finger. Try stroking down the beak with the index finger of the other hand. It is all good connfidence-winning training.

Continue repeating the two-word phrase as often as possible and soon your patience will be rewarded. Your pet will have said those first words. Add another phrase and repeat this until prefect and so on, thus building up an extensive vocabulary.

Budgerigars in particular can, with patience, be taught to repeat the first words in about six weeks and build up a vocabulary of over 100 words. But remember, any bird which has not talked during the first nine months of life is unlikely to do soÑ although this may not be impossible.

Your Pet Bird - An Introduction

Advances in the domestic breeding and rearing of birds has led to an improved availability of healthy, tame, young birds. This increased availability has dramatically increased the popularity of birds as pets.

Unlike dogs, birds require much less care. A bird,or several birds for that matter, can be left alone all day, while a dog needs to be walked regularly. For many working couples, it is impractical to keep a pet dog.

In many apartments and residential communities, there are regulations that prohibit dog and cat ownership. In a small apartment or in the city, a dog may never be happy. When a dog is unhappy or cannot adjust to a living situation, destructive behavior and/or barking may occur. This is not only unfair to the neighborsÑit is also unfair to the dog.

Many people that cannot own dogs or cats would still love to have an affectionate pet. Like dogs and cats, birds are affectionate and bond extremely well with their immediate family.

For many people, the company of a beautiful, unique, affectionate, and possibly talking pet can make keeping birds an attractive alternative to other pets.

Selection

The personalities, housing and dietary needs of the different types of birds must be considered by the prospective bird owner.

To select a healthy bird, look for:

• Bright, smooth feathers
• Full breast muscles
• Clear, alert eyes
• Playful activity

Shivering, ruffled feathers, shut eyes, and inactivity often mean a health problem. All new pet birds should be checked by your veterinarian, if possible, before the sale is final.

Housing and Environment

The type and size of the cage should be carefully matched for each bird. If a cage is too small or the bars too widely spaced, the bird's wings may be injured or the pet may escape. The cage must be made of non-toxic materials that can withstand the abuse of heavy chewing. It also must be secured so that it is not easily knocked over.

Within the cage, food and water cups must be anchored. Dishes also should be kept clean and free of any droppings.

Perches of the proper size, material, and position are essential. Using a variety of perch diameters keeps the feet and legs in good condition. Sand paper perch covers can cause sores and are best avoided.

Newspapers (black and white, not colored), paper towels, or brown paper are the preferred bedding materials. These materials are inexpensive and allow droppings to be easily observed for problems. To minimize the bird's exposure to bacteria and fungi, the bedding should be changed daily.

The cage and all of its contents should be cleaned regularly with mild soap, followed by a thorough rinsing. Stronger disinfectants approved by your veterinarian may be used periodically.

Healthy birds can adapt to any comfortable room temperature. However, sudden, dramatic changes in temperature can cause chilling.

Many common household items can be poisonous to birds. Some of these items include fumes from overheated Teflon cookware, tobacco smoke, paints that contain lead, chemical cleaners, insecticides, many aerosol products, and certain house plants.

Nutrition

To ensure that a bird stays healthy, it must be fed a proper diet. A balanced diet contains ingredients from all of the major food groups. Quantities of different foods should be adjusted so that the bird samples everything and doesn't fill up on just one preferred food. A seed-only diet is deficient in many nutrients and leads to malnutrition, poor feathers, increased susceptibility to illness, and a shortened life. Processed foods (in pellet form), fruits, vegetables, cereals, breads, and proteins like beans, eggs, or meats should be offered to provide a well-balanced diet. Birds are one type of pet where we encourage the feeding of people food. Clean, fresh water always must be available. Nutritional and vitamin supplements can be used under the guidance of your veterinarian. Birds, like people, frequently have strong preferences for certain foods. Even if they are stubborn, we should not give up on getting them to eat what is best for them.

Veterinary Care

Birds hide illness quite well. Often, owners don't even realize that a bird is sick until it is almost too late. By the time a bird shows symptoms, it may have been sick for a long time. Owners should be aware of any subtle change in the bird's behavior. Slight decreases in appetite or activity may signal an illness requiring medical care. It is always best to catch problems early. As with most pets, birds benefit by having a yearly checkup.