Exotic Pet Birds

A New Way to Clip Your Pet Bird’s Wings

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 01:08:52 +0000

Exotic birds are one of the most popular exotic pets. Many people have birds and love them but they have questions. A common one is, “Should I clip my exotic birds wings?” The answer to this is a resounding, “Yes!”

For years the only way to clip a bird’s wings was to clip the feathers in half starting at the tip and going along another layer of feathers called the covert feathers. This was accepted and many vets still clip wings this way. However, this often irritates your bird. Birds are fussy creatures and will attempt to groom the clipped shaft to make it softer and less irritating. You can tell because the shaft will have a star-burst shape, almost as if it exploded.

The new way to clip bird wing feathers is completely different. Your vet will gently extend the wing and identify individual feathers. Then he or she will take a pair of rounded tip scissors, most likely bird or cat claw scissors, and cut the feather at the base. This removes the entire feather and your bird will no longer spend hours preening clipped wings. By clipping wings in this manner, your vet will remove fewer feathers and it is a prettier wing clip than the old clip. This type of wing clip also reduces the chance of accidentally clipping a blood feather.

There are many advantages to this new wing clip. When its time for your bird’s next clip, ask for this new way. I’m sure you and your bird will be much happier.

Proper Nutrition is key for your exotic bird

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 01:08:03 +0000

Keeping an exotic bird healthy in captivity is not always an easy thing to do, but knowing your bird’s needs is the first step to having a happy and healthy bird. The most important thing involved in keeping your exotic bird healthy is feeding it a proper diet.
First of all, you need to know what not to ever give your exotic bird, chocolate, apple seeds, avocadoes and sugar are top of the do not feed ever list. Avoid sunflower seeds whenever possible, they are very fatty and some birds are pre disposed to fatty liver syndrome.
A good pellet formula that is size appropriate should be offered daily. If you have a picky eater you can light mist the pellets with apple juice and they will devour them. Some seed can be given, but it should never be the majority of the bird’s diet. Fresh water is a vital part of your bird’s diet; make sure it is always available.
Now what is healthy for your exotic bird? Fresh fruits and vegetables are always welcomed by your bird and very healthy. Some favorites are corn on the cob, carrot sticks, grapes, strawberries, cucumbers, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, and any variety of squash. Peppers are another big favorite, bell peppers, chili peppers, jalapeno peppers most birds love them all.
Dried foods like unsweetened cereals are always a great healthy snack as are wheat crackers and dried fruits like raisins, prunes or banana chips. Your exotic bird can also share some of your foods. They love pasta, both cooked and uncooked and beans same way, both cooked and uncooked.

Exotic Birds – Macaws

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 01:07:19 +0000

Macaws are very unique species of birds. They can range in all different sizes, shapes, and colors. These birds reside in different forest of different regions. They are usually located in the rainforest or murky woods and savannahs. These birds are very rare in nature and have very distinct lifestyles.

Macaws can range in many colors, from bright colors to dark colors. They can also have various beak sizes and beak colors making them very unique. Their beaks can be very dull to very sharp and from long to short in length.

These birds originated in Mexico, The Americas, and the Caribbean. Some species of macaws can also be located over the entire region of the world. Macaws are normally located within warm weather.

Macaws are very intelligent birds. Some species of these birds even have the ability to talk and speak very clearly. Macaws can make very loud or subtle noises with their vocals which lets them communicate with other birds of the same species.

Macaws have a very distinct diet. They usually feed on fruits, berries, and also insects. Some species of macaw often chew on rocks and pebbles to keep their beaks sharp and for calcium. This diet also helps to keep their stunning appearance even more ravishing.

Several of the species of macaw are endangered. Some of these species are also kept as home pets, but they do require a great deal of care. Macaws are sometimes kept in captivity to balance out their number of species. Some species of macaws can live very long lives, while others often have brief lives.

About the African Grey Parrot

admin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 01:06:57 +0000

African Grey Parrots are known as being the best talkers in the entire parrot kingdom. They are able to mimic human speech to the point that you may assume it is a human talking. Another unique feature of this bird is they are also able to mimic other sounds such as dripping faucets to construction equipment. The will also learn and mimic all of those words and phrases that shouldn’t be repeated. They are not particularly noisy birds, although they can keep on talking for a while. You will know if they become alarmed as they will produce a series of sharp, shrill shrieks.

The African Grey Parrot is extremely intelligent and requires a stimulating environment in order to prosper. It is easy for this bird to become bored which can lead to behavioral problems such as feather mutilation. These birds are also very clumsy which can be combated by properly trimming their wings. If they are trimmed to short though, vet attention may be needed in case of an accident.

An owner with time restraints should not keep an African Grey Parrot as a pet as they require stimulation which often times means not keeping them cage bound. Because they become nervous when there are changes in their environment or if they get frustrated, an owner will want to pay attention to feather plucking problems. Owners will also notice a change in behavior once the bird becomes sexually mature as they will be much more protective of their cage and may shy away from new things.

Exotic Birds

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:04:50 +0000

Exotic birds can range in many different species. These birds can differ in size and colors. They are also different by the uniqueness in their lifestyle and stunning nature. Exotic birds are very rare in the world and can range in many different regions of the globe.

Some of the Birds Among the Unique

The Blue and Gold Macaw: The blue and gold macaw is one of the medium sized birds in the bird family. Their wings and body are covered in two-tone, blue and gold. Their beaks are short, dull, but sharp at the tip, and strong
African Grey Parrot: This bird is all over gray colored with shades of white, and a bright red tail. These bird are very smart and does sometimes have the ability to learn to talk.
The Canary: These birds are one of the smaller species of birds. They are bright colored and very petite. They interact with one another with their marvelous bird songs.
Great White Heron: These birds are medium to large size and are only the color white. They are usually common all over the world, located in many regions.
Ground Finch Bird: The ground finch bird is one of the smaller birds in the bird family. Their breast are white, while their body and wings are shades of brown and black.
Lovebird: The lovebird is very unique, with its small appearance with green and yellow colored feathers and its bright red beak.

These aren’t the only species of exotic birds in the world. These are only a fraction to the exotic birds that reside on this planet, ranging in different color and size. These birds bring out their uniqueness in nature with their different styles and depth.

How to care for your new Parrot

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 01:05:14 +0000

People imagine that a parrot at home can be a source of entertainment. This is true since you work with and care for the bird. Before you get a new parrot, remember that this like any pet can be time consuming. Many think that because birds are caged they require less work. That is not true if anything they require more.

The first step in proper parrot care is to find the right cage . This will for all intents and purposes the cage you choose will be your pets home. A too small cage will cause the bird to feel cramped. A baby parrot can hurt themselves in a cage that is too large. After choosing a proper cage and make sure you clean the cage often to keep your pet in a healthy environment.

Another big part of parrot care is to make sure that the bird has a low amount of stress. This means to allow the bird a good space in which to see everyone. Keep his caged stocked with plenty of food, water and toys also.

Parrots by nature are social birds. Only one parrot in your home means you must give, that parrot much attention. Interacting with the bird will help keep your pet happy and keep the birds stress levels low. If you cannot spend a significant amount of time with your bird you may want to consider two parrots.

A proper diet is essential to a healthy diet. Bird pellets are the most nutritious diets available. Supplement this with fresh vegetables and fruits but avoid citrus fruit.

Things to know before buying a exotic Parrot

admin — Sun, 23 May 2010 07:11:28 +0000

Parrots are great animals. In fact, as a pet, parrots can be pretty entertaining especially with children who just love their mimicry. But like other kinds of pets, parrots are not all sweetness and light. They can also be a bother especially when you are not really much into pets.

Here are some things that you have to take into consideration before buying a parrot for a pet. Read on and think long and hard about each item. Remember that parrots are not exactly cheap. Once you buy them, you won’t have any choice but to take care of them.

1. Parrots are noisy

Mimicries may seem cute for a while but after several weeks of non-stop noise, it would eventually become a bother. If you are the kind of person who values your peace and quiet at home, parrots are not the pets for you. Their songs are not the same as the musical sounds that some birds make. The larger the parrot bird that you have, the louder the sound that they will produce.

Do you know that they can even scream so loud, you’d be running for cover? Your neighbors will even hear it. A normal parrot will probably scream at least two times a day. A screaming match will probably last for about five to fifteen minutes.

2. Parrots love to play with things

Remember that parrots cannot tell the difference between a wooden toy that they are allowed to play with and a priceless wooden furniture that your great great grandparents bequeath you. They can chew at it and you won’t be able to do anything about it.

And sometimes, they won’t even be content with furniture. They can also chew computer and electric cords, books, papers and virtually everything that they can get their claws on. Wallpapers, clothes can also be clawed on. So, be very careful.

3. Parrots can bite

They may seem docile creatures but they are actually not. Parrots can bite and they can claw. Even small birds can do this like the parakeet. And this is not just the ordinary bite that will not result to a big wound. They can actually draw blood and rip the skin.

Some who bite really hard can even break the small bones. This is not to say that parrots are mean creatures. They are just scared of people they do not yet know. Their defense mechanism is of course to bite.

How to train your Exotic Pet Parrot

admin — Sat, 22 May 2010 07:21:53 +0000

Parrots are wonderful pets. You will quickly find that these birds extremely smart and their ability to learn make them fun to train. Keep in mind that any animal that shows signs of high intelligence can easily get bored, so your job is to train your pet parrot and spend the time it takes to make your bird into a wonderful pet. It takes time and patience to train a parrot, but with the proper training, your parrot will provide you with many years of friendship.

You can train your parrot when you follow a few steps. Whenever “school is in” for your parrot, it is always best to remove your parrot from his or her cage and train in a small quiet space. Your parrot is more likely to remain attentive and retain information when it is in a new environment. The next thing you will want to do, eliminate all distractions in your home. If your parrot becomes distracted during training, it will not learn well. That means that you need to turn off the radio, television and perhaps even the telephone. Also, remember that parrots are a lot like children. They have short attention spans, so short training sessions are recommended.

In addition, try to plan your parrot’s training time around their schedule, not yours. After mealtime is always, a good time for training because your parrot will be content and will pay attention. Your parrot will also appreciate plenty of praise. Even if you find that you were not very successful, do not let your parrot see your stress levels rise. This makes it an unpleasant experience for your bird and you will have a harder time getting your parrot interested in learning in the future.

When you are ready to teach your parrot a new trick, your pet parrot will respond well to treats and praise. Remember that all animals respond better to praise than punishment. Try to avoid punishing your parrot, even if he or she is acting naughty. Ignoring this behavior is your best bet when training your pet parrot. Parrots do not understand punishment or negative reinforcement. In fact, if you respond to your parrot’s bad behavior, your pet may actually see this as positive attention. Keep in mind that while your parrot will love food treats as rewards, try to accentuate the positive and encourage good behavior with lots of praise and play time. Otherwise, your parrot may only perform the tricks you want them to when some kind of food reward is available.

Repetition is the key to successfully training your pet parrot. Repeating these basic steps repeatedly until your pet “gets” the trick is the best way to train your parrot to perform. This works well for basic commands and advanced tricks. If you have just gotten your pet parrot, start out with very simple tricks, such as teaching your parrot to sit on your finger on command. Find a word for each trick and use it every time you train. Most of all, never force your parrot to train. If you find your parrot is tired or uninterested, then stop and try again another time.

As your parrot learns more command and tricks, you can begin moving your training session closer and closer to the bird’s cage. As they get better at their new skill, they will feel comfortable performing in his or her cage and in the hustle and bustle of your household. Birds learn quickly in most cases, and sometimes just by listening when not in training, which may cause embarrassment to you if they learn something inappropriate.

Training a parrot takes a lot of time and patience. You must love your bird and have a lot of time and dedication to make this partnership worthwhile. With patient training and love, you end up with a fantastic and well-behaved pet that will be with you for a very long time to come.

Proper care for your Exotic Bird

admin — Sat, 15 May 2010 07:18:21 +0000

Exotic Birds are a lot different from dogs and cats as pets. Unlike dogs and cats, Exotic Birds do not need special grooming treatments. Grooming a Exotic Birds should maintain clipped nails and wings and a beak in perfect shape. But this is not something easy to do. A Exotic Bird owner should be trained by a professional avian veterinarian to make sure that they know what they are doing. If not, never attempt on grooming your Exotic Birds because it might cause serious injuries.

BEAK

Be cautious certain types of conditions like an upper or lower beak growing off to the side is one. This can be defect acquired during birth or an injury from an accident. Cleaning and caring the beak might prove to be difficult in such a condition. Some illnesses might also cause problems in growing your Exotic Bird’s beak such as mite or fungal infections.

NAILS

The first thing to know in cutting your Exotic Birds toenails is to identify the desired length that the nails should be cut. For this procedure, you will need an effective bird holder or a method of safe restraint, a cutting device and a styptic powder. Never attempt to cut the nails if you are unsure and not properly trained to do it. In case you are, you will only get used to the right length as time progresses. The cutting device should be appropriate to the size of your Exotic Bird. For smaller ones, human nail trimmers will do but for larger ones, a pet nail trimmers or the guillotine-style nail trimmer is most appropriate. If in any case you cause your Exotic Bird’s toenail to bleed, be ready with the styptic powder but be cautious because this is very painful when applied to an open wound so you have to restrict your parrot from moving wildly effectively.

Nails are important to be cut because this can cause injury to your Exotic Bird. Long toenails might get caught in rugs, carpets, toys and cages and can be the cause of a broken toe.

WINGS

A properly clipped Exotic Bird’s wings can prevent a serious injury to your pet bird. In an attempt to fly during play sessions, Exotic Birds can avoid falling to the ground hard with correct clipped wings. Not only that they will also not be prone to serious wing, leg and head injury because of crashing into doors, mirrors, windows and ceiling fans.

True, full-winged Exotic Birds are very nice to look at and add to the beauty of the bird, but keep in mind that your bird is a pet and not left out in the wild where they can boast off their wings while looking for food, flying to safety, protecting their young and shelter or finding companionship. You would not want your Exotic Bird to wander and fly off just like that would you! So be sure to trim the wings of your pet and trim it correctly. Never attempt to trim the wings for the purpose of style and wild appearance because this might cause your bird to fall hard on the ground and go circles in the air. Aim for wings that will help your bird flutter harmlessly to the ground.

How to teach your exotic bird some fun tricks.

admin — Thu, 20 May 2010 01:10:18 +0000

The first things to have in mind when you are embarking on teaching your pet bird tricks are some basic training techniques and themes common to training any animal. You want to start with things that come naturally to your exotic bird and will be simple to reward and reinforce, so for an example many birds like to flap and stretch their wings. When they exhibit this behavior you label it and reward it with either food or praise or anything your bird likes. You are waiting for the behavior to be performed and then positively marking it with your voice or a treat. With repetition your bird will make the association between these three things and learn to do it when he/she hears the word you have labeled the desired behavior or trick. This simple approach can be used for all sorts of individual behaviors that your bird does in his/her daily life like jumping on and off his perch or picking things up in his mouth and carrying them around.
Once you and your bird have a good working relationship together and he knows a variety of commands for tricks you can start getting creative and stringing behaviors together so they become one seamless trick. An example of this would be teaching the pickup and the drop together in to a little bowl or some cute object like a basketball hoop. Birds are very clever and love the positive interaction training can bring to their lives so with patience and gentleness always at the forefront of your technique you will be amazed at the repertoire of tricks your bird can acquire.