Pet birds can be quite an investment, so it's important to care for them properly. If you want to keep a bird, get rid of all your Teflon-coated pots and pans. If Teflon is scorched, it gives off toxic fumes that can kill birds. If your bird starts to seem depressed, it's probably sick. If it moves down to the bottom of its cage, it's probably too late to save it. Exotic birds generally need a good base diet of seeds and pellets. However, they also need items from the four basic food groups. In fact, they often like the same foods you eat, such as pinto beans, cornbread, chicken and other common dishes. Most birds have the ability to talk, but they need a lot of practice before they learn how. It usually takes about two months of repeating a word over and over before a bird learns it. Keeping two birds in the same cage will reduce their tendency to speak. One popular bird is the macaw (figure A), which costs about $1,500 and can live 80 years with good care. The macaw is a high-maintenance bird that must be kept out of drafts and protected from excessive heat. In general, a temperature that's comfortable for you is probably comfortable for the bird. Your bird might live longer than you, so include it in your will, and bequeath it to someone who will give it proper care. The yellow-naped Amazon (figure B ) is another long-lived bird that costs about $1,500. The Timneh Gray lives for about 80 years and costs around $900. It mimics human voices and uses its beak as a "third foot." The umbrella cockatoo (figure C) is extremely trusting and docile. It usually costs between $1,200 and $1,500. The Major Mitchell cockatoo (figure D), a similar bird, costs upward of $10,000. Pet birds need to play and exercise just as people do. You can help your bird enjoy its time alone by making some simple bird toys. One entertaining bird toy is made from large wooden spools (figure E) strung together on a leather cord (figure F). Birds usually like bright colors, so dye the spools with food coloring. Make sure to use a vegetable-tanned leather cord, which won't harm the bird. Make a chew toy from children's ABC blocks (figure G). Just drill a hole through the blocks and thread them along a dog's choke collar.
RESOURCES :
Exotic Birds (Pocket Companion)
Model: 0785809694
Author: Judith Milidge (Editor)
All about Exotic Birds: With CD-ROM
Model: 1888417943
Author: R. Mathews-Danzer
Caring for Caged and Aviary Birds
Model: 1842153978
Author: David Alderton
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Caged and Aviary Birds
Model: 0754806332
Author: David Alderton
Attracting Birds: Bird Identification, Feeders, Houses And Baths
Model: 0376030933
Author: Editors of Sunset Books
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Sunset Magazine & Books
Menlo Park, CA 94025-3661
Phone: 650-322-3600
Fax: 650-322-1043
Website: www.sunset.com/
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