|
Considering to bring an avian companion into
your life should not be a decision to enter into lightly. Unfortunately
many people give up on their birds because they didn’t realize
what they were getting into. Their newly purchased bird either makes
too much noise, bites, or destroys either themselves or their human’s
home. Often times the person didn’t realize just how life
altering bringing a parrot into their life would be. There are many
things that need to be thought about before bringing a feathered
friend into your home.
The Three R’s of the bird world:
Reality, Responsibility and Research
Reality
Parrots are loud, messy, and destructive. When deciding to take
a parrot into your home you must be aware of the reality of this
commitment and not just the cute cuddly feather ball you see in
a store or at the breeders place. Parrots ability to scream can
be deafening. Their voice is used as one of their means of expression
and communication. There are many reasons that a bird may scream.
A well adjusted bird will still scream simple because it’s
happy. A parrot will scream to find out where you are, out of fear
or warning, and while playing. Some birds possess louder screams
than others. If noise is a factor in your decision, than look towards
species that tend not to scream much or as loud. This does not mean
however that those species will not make noise.
Every parrot, bird, and sweet little feathered friend will be messy.
Unless you can teach your bird to use the vacuum cleaner or sweep
the floor there is no such thing as a self cleaning parrot. Cleanliness
is essential to the health and well being of your parrot. Parrots
are sensitive to bacteria and a messy environment breeds bacteria.
Cage and dishes need to be cleaned daily. There are numerous other
household dangers to consider besides the cleanliness of the environment,
non-stick cookware, aerosol products, and pesticides some examples
of life threatening substances for the parrot. When considering
a parrot realize that you will have to change how you maintain your
home.
If you value your molding or chair legs be aware that parrots by
nature chew and need to be provided with wood toys and various other
things that they can destroy. In the wild parrots chew to make their
nests more suitable, to make tree branches more comfortable, to
condition their beaks, and ingest nutrients. Birds can be taught
good chewing behaviors but the outlet needs to be provided. Most
large birds can breeze through a wood toy in a matter of minutes.
Be prepared for a monthly toy allowance.
Responsibility
Deciding to take on a parrot is a huge life long commitment.
Most people look into buying or adopting their avian companion when
their at least 25-30. These birds, depending on species and provided
that they receive great care, can and most likely will, out live
their human companions. A 30 year old person buying a baby blue
and gold macaw will be around 90 years old or more before the bird
goes to it’s nest in the clouds. How you will raise your bird
and plan for the future of your avian companion is a necessity.
Keeping your parrot well socialized will aid him or her in acclimating
to a new home should your bird outlive you.
Research
Learn as much as possible about your parrot. What does it eat in
the wild? What kind of nutritional requirement does your bird have?
How will the birds’ behavior change as it sexually matures?
What size cage is appropriate for your parrot? What are the health
concerns for the bird and yourself? What things are dangerous to
parrots? Stay currant on new information relating to your birds
species and about parrots in general.
Commitment
Want to make the commitment? Here are a
few questions to help you with deciding what the right bird is for
you.
Are you single? Do you plan on staying single?
Do you have children? How old are your children? Do you work? Is
your work schedule subject to change? How many hours a day are you
away from your home? Do you have a large home? Do you live in an
apartment? Does your home offer a lot of light? Do you have other
animals? Are you afraid to get bit by a bird? Do you care if a bird
were to poop on your floor?
This list could go on and on. The point of
the list is to make one realize that a bird will affect your entire
life. Some birds scream more than others, others chew more than
the average parrot. Then there are those who want to surgically
attach themselves to their human companion. The commitment to have
a bird in your home means that it is a part of your life. Most large
birds have the average intelligence of a 2-3 year old. African Grey’s
are suspected to have the intellectual level of a 4-5 year old but
the emotional level of a 2 year old. With this said one needs to
look into just how much time they have to devote to their would-be
feathered friends and just how much they are willing to alter their
life to suit an avian companion.
|
