Parrot Care Tips - Creating a Stress-Free Environment For Your Bird

A lot of people have been contemplating buying a parrot and brightening up the household with these magnificent, adorable birds. Indeed, parrots are one of the smartest birds in the animal kingdom and having one or more around the house can mean loads of fun and memories for a lifetime (some parrots live up to 50).

Parrot care is something that a lot of folks have no knowledge of however and it's a bit more complicated than bringing a puppy or a kitten home. A family that wants to adopt a parrot needs to make sure adjustment to its new home is as easy and stress-free as possible. Several aspects have to be looked at - the timing of its arrival in your home, the comfort and security of its cage, and its diet.

The importance of letting the new member of the household adjust to his new home as quickly as possible cannot be stressed enough. Making sure Polly feels comfortable in his new surroundings as soon as he arrives means alleviating trauma and excess stress. As such, bringing him home from the pet shop early in the day rather than at night will give him more time to meet everyone in the household and make his adjustment faster. Placing his cage in an area where he has a good view of everyone without making him feel exposed can also help him adjust faster. Putting the cage against a corner of a large room with lots of traffic is the best way to achieve this.

Making sure the cage is just the right size is also an important factor in your parrot's easy adjustment. An oversized cage can cause a baby parrot to fall and injure itself. Partially covering the cage before putting your new feathered friend in it ensures he has an area where he can go if he feels threatened or exposed.

A proper diet is one of the most important factors in pet care and so this goes also for parrot care. If your parrot wasn't receiving a healthy enough diet in his former owner's care, avoid changing his diet immediately with a healthier one. Give him the same food he's accustomed to for a few weeks then gradually make the switch to his new diet. A drastic change will only make the transition to his new surroundings more difficult and traumatic.

Ben Greene is a parrot care expert. For more information on caring for your parrot visit http://www.happyparrotguide.com

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Choosing the Right Parrot Breeder

Owning parrots as pets is growing rapidly in popularity. Purchasing from a rescue organization or pet store is always an option. However, when purchasing directly from a breeder, there will be more likelihood to receive the parrot's history, methods of care, and personality information. It is of the greatest importance that a lifelong companion be chosen from a reputable breeder with a high standard of quality care, dedication to safety, and trustworthiness.

Choosing Your Breeder

When choosing a parrot breeder, quality of bird care is important. Healthy and happy parrots depend largely on the way they were reared. Depending on the species, feeding methods will vary. Hand rearing or feeding while handling the baby parrots is one way that breeders can teach early in the bird's life the importance of bonding with humans. Breeders should begin to take on the responsibility of weaning baby at 10-12 weeks of age by implementing into their diet a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, soft foods, pellets, and seeds.

Proper Cage Selection and Care

Cage care and size is also necessary to note. Parrot cages are the largest on the market, and they should be. Parrot breeders should know that the birds need to feel safe and at home in their cages. Some parrot owners choose to clip the wings to limit their cage size or to allow them to roam free. A dedicated breeder will know the importance of keeping their parrots safe in a cage while unattended, not limiting their wing development. A good breeder will know that baby parrots need to have time to fledge, allowing time for their feathers to mature. Parrot breeders will know that this is something that young parrots need to aid in their growth, balance, development and overall happiness.

Most breeders are loving, patient, dedicated bird owners. However, there are some owners who breed the birds for the sole purpose of making a profit. Potential owners should do their research. Knowing what to look for in a breeder will aid in finding that special companion. Breeders should feel at ease answering any and all questions that a future owner may have. They should offer the chance to view the breeding facilities and aviaries.

Choosing a parrot as a pet is a big commitment. Doing the necessary research, knowing what to look for, and finding a reputable parrot breeder will ensure that the purchase of a new parrot companion will be a rewarding experience. Finding the right parrot breeder will allow the future owner to feel confident in the fact that they are purchasing a happy, healthy well-adjusted feathered friend.

Patrick Dell is a parrot breeding expert. For more great information on parrot breeding, visit http://www.myparrotcaresecrets.com

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Parrot Conservation - Part Two - Counting the Wild Parrot Population

This article takes a look at the different methods for measuring parrot populations in the wild: roost counts, nest enumerations, moving transects, mark-resighting studies, and fixed lookout counts.

Roost Counts

For a successful roost count it is important that all the significant roosts are identified, and you also need to know when during the year the parrots roost together since the best method is to monitor the roosts simultaneously. The problems come when parrots change their roost locations a lot, as this makes it difficult to track them.

Nest Enumeration

Nest enumeration requires identification of the colonies and deciding when the best time to count them is, however, some experts have stated that as much as 80% of the population are not covered by nest enumeration. It is not a suitable method when the roosts are kept in locations that are hard to access, or where parrots are dispersed over a wide range of nests. Another thing that can influence this method is changes in the food supplies of a species.

Moving/Line Transects

An example of this is counting from a river whilst on a boat, and obviously such a method has a lot of challenges that limit its accuracy. Although it is a difficult to track the populations it can be a useful way to measure density differences across a habitat.

Mark-Resighting Studies

Marking birds is hard work, and almost impossible with some species of parrot that are difficult to capture. Furthermore, you may make a bird more vulnerable to predators by marking it.

Fixed Lookout Counts

This is a good method, but it relies on knowing how representative your look out spot is.

If you have a care of parrots and conservation are of interest to you, or you just have a pet parrot then Danny Oakes' articles on all things aviculture should be of interest to you.

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Every Parrot Breeder Must Know These Secrets

With parrot breeders, the challenge is being able to deal with this particular animal that is known to be extremely intelligent, as well as being the one of the best bird talkers around. In fact an African parrot can not only mimic words, but also the intonation and voice of a human. These incredible birds can also copy certain sound effects, which, while very entertaining, can create a difficult situation at times for the breeders.

An African parrot breeder also knows that just because African birds are known to be talkers, does not necessarily mean that all of them can talk. Some don't talk at all.

For this reason alone, one secret parrot breeders knows is that they must provide the right motivating environment so that the African parrots never get bored. The problem with a bored parrot is that it can start manifesting behavior that is undesirable and destructive. One such problem caused by boredom is plucking feathers, although it is also possible that feathers are falling off due to an infection.

Some ways an African parrot breeder can prevent boredom is by giving the parrot enough space to move around, as well as toys. A breeder could also put a TV or radio close by that works with a timer to keep the parrot's mind stimulated.

A parrot breeder also knows that it is important to clip or trim the wings to avoid accidents. These kinds of birds are known to be clumsy and can land awkwardly.

Paying a lot of attention to diet is another secret that most experienced breeders do. A parrot's diet must never be the same day in, and day out. You need to have variety from seeds to fresh produce. All good breeders know that meals should be regimented and properly scheduled. Birds, like all other animal respond to being trained and conditioned to know when their next meal will be served.

In the same manner, a bird must be able to get 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep, as much as possible. Interestingly enough, one of the more popular breeds of parrots is the quaker parrot. A quaker parrot breeder knows that these quaker birds are one of the most easiest birds to handle. At the same time, quaker birds are quite reasonable and extremely easy on the eyes.

One of the best secrets parrot breeders knows is that if you want to breed parrots quickly, then choosing the quaker parrot will make it simpler. This is because they mature faster and can have breed as early as turning one year old. The quaker parrot breeder also has an easier time because this particular bird specie are communal in nature, and can entertain themselves if they are in a group.

Parrots usually prefer being in familiar territory, thus parrot breeders must condition their birds to be used to different environments if they plan to sell them as pets.

Ryan H. Grizzard is a parrot care expert. For more great information on parrot breeders visit http://www.parrotstalking.com.

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General Parrot Information and Some Interesting Facts That May Surprise You

Parrots are the most popular birds to be kept as pets. With their sociable character and utmost intelligence, people can't help but fall in love with this these wonderful birds. Known as psittacines, they are tropical birds that thrive in the warm and tropical forests around the globe.

This article aims to share general parrot info and help you become more familiar with these avian wonders. Psittaciformes are divided into three families: the true parrots or Psittacidae, Cockatoos (Cacatuidae) and the parrots of New Zealand and regions around Australia, the Nestoridae.

Parrots can be recognized by their colorful plumage usually green and yellow, bright blue and red sometimes with multitudes of hues, strong bill that curves downwards and short, pudgy legs with two pairs of toes pointing in opposite direction- toward the front and back. These toes come in handy when they eat and pick-up objects to play with. In the wild, their strong legs enable them to maneuver on tree trunks with ease and these also come in handy in their cages while playing around. Their sizes vary from the 8cm long Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot to the meter-long Hyacinth Macaw. This makes parrots the most variable-sized birds in the animal kingdom.

People that plan on adopting a parrot as a pet should be aware that parrot care is a serious matter that requires utmost dedication, patience and time not to mention money. True, the fun that can be had training it to talk and do tricks is one of the best things a human can experience with a pet, but be warned that it's not all fun and games. Not all parrots are guaranteed to talk and one has to be consistent and have enough patience to keep repeating the words you want to teach it again and again.

Before training a parrot, an owner has to first determine whether it's accustomed to humans or not. Forget about trying to teach baby Polly a trick if all he does is try to bite you when you get close. Make sure he feels comfortable and accepts your presence first before attempting to teach him to pick-up things or say a specific word. If you've already started to teach him a word, don't skip to a new one before he knows the current word first. This will only add confusion on his part and frustration on your part.

Ben Greene is a parrot care and training expert. For more detailed parrot info, visit http://www.happyparrotguide.com.

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The Kea Parrot - The Clown of the Mountains of New Zealand

The Kea parrot is also known as the "nestor parrots" and some call them the "mountain parrots". Keas' lives in the South Island of New Zealand, in the high-altitudes, meadows and mountain range, they nest in burrows under rocks and among tree roots.

The Kea has a life span 14 to 20 years of age, stands 16-19 inches tall and weighs between 31 to 35 ounces. The males and the females have basically the same coloring; which is a dull olive green, their feathers are edged with a dark brown giving them a scallop look. Their breast is greenish-bronze, the underside of their tail is green and blue with orange and yellow tips, their crown is a yellowish-green and their bill is a solid brown.

One reason they might be called mountain parrots is that their feathers are so thick they can tolerate the cold, snow and windy conditions in the mountains. Their long slim bill is use to find food between the rocks, they also dig for food using their talons which are long and sharp.

The Kea's diet in the wild consist of seeds, fruits and berries, roots, leaves, flowers and being omnivorous they eat insects, worms and they also other dead decaying animals.

They are very intelligent and very nosy (like they say inquiring minds want to know), if one bird sees something of interest they all will be interested also. They seem to have no fear of humans at all. They will peck the rubber tires on vehicles and sometime even cause damage; they will carry away anything they can get in their beak, from food to toys and even clothing.

Kea parrots are very social birds and live in groups of 10 to 14 birds They will even help each other to find food and once found will share it with others. This also is a learning experience for the younger Kea parrots.

If a person is thinking about owning one of these parrots they better be able to interact with them because they demand a lot of attention and can be very destructive. Their cage should be at least a sixteen foot square. Individuals do poorly in captivity so if you are really brave I would suggest at least having two, to keep each other company when you are not there, if that isn't an option try hanging some mirrors so he doesn't feel so alone.

Toys are a necessity to provide the activities that these curious and intelligent birds must have to stay physically and emotionally healthy. Give toys that require them to solve a problem; like taking something apart to find food such as dried fruit or nuts or something else to chew on or just taking what he found apart, anything that will stimulate and keep them busy.

Remember also the Kea parrot loves to dig and play in dirt put a box of dirt in the corner of his cage and hide pine cones, nuts, pieces of wood, rattles and if you can stand it why not some worms.

Alice Gines is a Kea Parrot enthusiast. For information on Kea Parrot visit http://www.parrotpost.com. Stop by and Grab your free Healthy Parrot Secrets Mini Course today!

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The Beautiful African Grey Parrot

The African Grey Parrot is one of the most highly intelligent and delightful breeds of bird to own as a pet. Because of their unique and amazing ability to learn hundreds of words and mimic their owners, purchasing an African Grey Parrot as a pet is growing in popularity. With the proper understanding, care, and love, pet owners can find companionship and lifelong friendship in this brilliant breed.

Two Main Sub-Species
There are two main sub-species of the African Grey Parrot breed. Both sub-species make excellent pets, are considered a medium sized parrot (ranging 10-14 inches long), and live 60-80 years. When choosing a sub-species of the parrot, it really just comes down to personal preference. The first sub-species is the Timneh ("Tim-ney") parrot. Timneh Greys are dark charcoal grey in color, have dark maroon tails, and have light or bone colored beaks. They are also considerably smaller than the Congo Grey parrot.

The Congo Greys are the second sub-species and are lighter grey in color, usually have a white masked face, an all black beak, and have a lighter red or sometimes even coral or salmon colored tail feathers. Either sub-species make endearing pets and can easily be trained to mimic, speak, and do various tricks, specifically when hand fed.

When considering the purchase of an African Grey Parrot as a pet, it is important to be aware of its background. Knowing whether it comes from the wild or comes from a breeder is essential. The parrot will be easier to train and handle if purchased from a reputable breeder that has integrated hand feeding or hand rearing. Hand rearing is the feeding the baby parrot from birth to 10-12 weeks of age while handling them. This will ensure that it bonds with their human owners and are completely tame. This will give the parrot an easy start to mimic and speech training.

Keeping Your Parrot on a Routine
It's also important to note the necessity of keeping the African Grey Parrot in a cage when not training or handling them. Routine is necessary for the health, well-being, and safety of your parrot. Because of their high intelligence, they are a curious and sensitive bird. They will easily pick up bad habits if not kept to a stimulating and regimented routine. Handling, cuddling, and training them on a regular basis and then putting them their cage when not being handled, ensures that your new companion will be happy and safe. Watch closely for signs of unhappiness, such as feather picking, biting, or chewing. Noting these changes in this sensitive parrot's behavior will create awareness to the needs of adjusting their routine.

Above all, the African Grey Parrot requires a loving, dedicated and patient owner that has done the proper research to understanding the many facets of this unique bird's personality. Love them, play with them, keep them safe, and they can easily become your best friend for life.

Patrick Dell is an African Grey parrot expert. For more great information on the african grey parrot, visit http://www.myparrotcaresecrets.com

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