Parrots For Dummies

Nikki Moustaki, MA, MFA, is a renowned avian care and behavior consultant, working with clients to heal strained relationships between themselves and their feathered friends. She has published 24 books on the care and training of exotic birds.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 3Icons Used in This Book 3Where to Go from Here 3Part 1: Introducing the Parrot — Your Wild Child 5Chapter 1: Meeting the Parrots, Just the Basics 7Introducing the Parrots 7From pet to companion 8A little bit of wilderness 9Home Tweet Home: Welcoming a Parrot into Your Home 10Making birdy comfortable 10Parrot paraphernalia 11Parrot Care 101: Taking Care of Your Bird 11Health care 11Nutrition 12Parrot Behavior: Checking How Your Bird Acts 12Normal behaviors 12The parrot monster 12Parrot Pals: Socializing with Your Bird 13Making friends with your parrot 13Breeding parrots: Use caution 13A Caveat to the Wise 14Chapter 2: Knowing What to Expect with Your Companion Parrot 15Defining a Companion Parrot 16Just Being Themselves 17Recognizing the Joys of Parrot Guardianship 18Pondering Important Points about Buying or Adopting a Parrot 19Recognizing who’s getting the parrot 19Answering why you want a parrot 20Factoring in the parrot’s personality 20Contemplating the parrot’s home 21Going on vacation 21Remembering parrots have a longer lifespan 22Dealing with allergies 22Estimating the costs of parrot ownership 22Being cognizant of the responsibilities of parrot guardianship 23Spending time with your parrot 24Preparing for mess and more mess 24Getting used to the noise (Sorry, I can’t hear over my screaming parrot) 24Understanding What a Companion Parrot Expects 25Tolerance 25Empathy 26Sense of humor 26Attentiveness 26Decisiveness and action 26Constant companionship 26A loyal friend 27Living with a Parrot around Nonbird People 27Chapter 3: Choosing the Right Companion 29Keeping Certain Considerations in Mind As You Choose a Species 30Parrots are individuals 30The chemistry between the two of you 30Not all species are created equal 30Noise: deafening or extremely deafening 31Space: Bigger is better 31Lifestyles of the neat and messy 32From easily affordable to taking out a loan 33Talking ability 33Child-friendliness 33One, two, or more 34Looking Closer at Species Profiles Commonly Kept As Companions 35African grey parrots 35Amazon parrots 36Brotogeris 38Budgies 38Caiques 39Cockatiels 40Cockatoos 40Conures 45Eclectus 48Hanging parrots 48Hawk-headed parrots 49Lories 49Lovebirds 50Macaws 51Other parakeets 54Parrotlets 57Pionus 58Poicephalus parrots 58Quaker parakeets 59Vasa parrots 60Chapter 4: Purchasing or Adopting a Parrot 61Considering Your Parrot Options 61Comparing handfed versus parent-raised birds 62Choosing an age 63Contemplating degrees of tameness 66The talker in the bunch 67Finding the Perfect Parrot for You 68Pet shops 68Bird shops 69Online classifieds 69Reputable breeders 70Flea markets 71Bird shows or expos 72Adopting a Rescue Parrot 72Identifying which birds are available for adoption 72Completing the rescue application 74Being prepared for the rescue home visit 74Looking for a Healthy Parrot 75Bright eyes 76Clear nose and nares 76Beak 76Shiny feathers 76Feet 77Vent 77Attitude and stance 77Requesting a Guarantee 77Knowing What to Ask Before You Buy or Adopt 78Part 2: Bringing Home Your New Parrot 81Chapter 5: A House to Call Home: Choosing Proper Housing 83Matching the Housing to the Species 84Finding the Right Cage for Your Bird 84Cage shape 84Sturdiness and material 85Housing bottom 86Door types 87Cage dangers 87Building Your Own Cage 88Placing Your Cage to Ensure Your Parrot is Comfortable 89Cleaning the Cage 90Simplifying your cage cleaning 90Choosing the right cleansers 90Considering an Aviary 91The flight cage 92The habitat 92Chapter 6: Going Shopping: Avian Supplies and Accessories 95Giving Your Parrot a Place to Stand: Perches 95Wooden perches 96Concrete and cement perches 96Rope perches 97Plastic perches 98Keeping the Food and Water Accessible: Coop Cups 98Entertaining Your Parrot: Toys 99Ensuring safety at all times 100Considering different types of toys 102Creating the Right Ambience: Bird Lighting 106Setting Up the Cage 106Considering Play Gyms and Stands 107Lining Your Cage: Litter and Bedding 108Covering the Cage: Nighttime Covers 108Preventing Mess 109Mess accessories 110Air filters 110Chapter 7: Bringing Home Birdy: Making Introductions and Parrot-Proofing Your Home 111Making the First Night Stress Free (As Much As Possible) 112Naming Your Bird 112Thriving on Routine with Your New Parrot 113Welcoming Your Parrot as a Family Member 114Being unafraid; being very unafraid 114Introducing people 115Introducing pets 116Introducing other birds 118Quarantining your parrot 119Understanding the Relationship between Parrots and Children 119Realizing the commitment to owning a bird 119Establishing some basic rules 120Familiarizing Houseguests to Your Parrot 123Parrot-Proofing Your Home 124Part 3: Caring for Your Parrot 127Chapter 8: Eating Like a Bird: Proper Parrot Nutrition 129Starting with the Basics: Water 129Keeping everything clean 130Adding supplements to your water: Yay or nay? 131Recognizing a Parrot’s Dietary Requirements 132The digestive system 132Eating in the wild 133Identifying Nutrition-Related Disorders 134Vitamin A deficiency 134Calcium deficiency 135Comparing Seeds versus Pellets: The Big Debate 136Eyeing What the Cooked Base Diet is 138Purchasing and Storing 138Knowing Which Vegetables to Feed Your Parrot 140Focusing on Fruit to Feed Your Feathered Friend 141Being Aware of Pesticides 141Giving Your Bird Snacks 143Adding Table Foods to Your Bird’s Diet 145Avoiding Toxic and Irritating Foods 145Considering Grit and Clay 146Contemplating Nutritional Supplements 146Feeding Nectar Eaters 148Getting a Parrot to Eat 149Making Some Easy Recipes 150Parrot muffins and bread 150Parrot mac and cheese 151Parrot omelet 151Parrot juice and smoothies 151Parrot pancakes 152Parrot grain 152Creating a Healthy Diet Routine 153Chapter 9: Pretty Bird! Grooming Your Companion 157Examining What Your Bird Fusses All about: Feathers 157Fluffing up: Your bird’s feather types 158Looking closer at feather anatomy 159Recognizing what you can do 160Clipping Your Parrot’s Wings 160To clip or not to clip 161Examining how flight effects parrot behavior 161Considering options in between 162Dealing with clipped and unclipped parrots 163Clipping Your Bird’s Wings Properly: The How-To 164Holding the parrot properly — Toweling 164Clipping the flight feathers 165Considering special circumstances 167Clipping Your Parrot’s Toenails 168Grooming the Beak 169Beak breaks 170The misaligned beak 170Bathing Your Parrot 170Caring for Molting Parrots 173Dealing With Blood Feathers 175Chapter 10: Taking Care of Your Parrot: In Sickness and in Health 177Taking a Closer Look at a Parrot’s Anatomy 178Eyes 178Ears 178Feathers 178Preen gland 179Feet 180Beak 180Cere 182Tongue 182Neck 182Skin 182Syrinx 182Skeletal system 183Muscles 183Respiratory system 183Digestive system 184Circulatory system 184Reproductive system 184Recognizing Indications of Illness 184Choosing an Avian Veterinarian 186Finding a qualified avian vet 186Knowing what to look for at the first visit 187Divulging important information 188Identifying Common Health Disorders 189Nutritional disorders 190Parasites 190Bacterial infections 191Viral infections 192Fungal infections 192Foot disorders 193Feather disorders 193Reproductive disorders 194Being Aware of and Preventing Common Dangers toCompanion Parrots 194Predators and animal bites 195Standing water 196Nonstick cookware 196Household products 197Poisonous houseplants 198Ceiling fans 199Toxic foods 199Electrocution 200Feet and doors 200Lead and other heavy metals 200Mirrors and clean glass 200Night thrashing 201Temperature changes 201Frostbite 201Overheating 202Oil on feathers 202Broken blood feathers and bleeding nails 202Physical injuries and seizures 202Flying away 203Unsafe toys 205Humans 205Caring for an Older Parrot 205Handling an Emergency 206Medicating Your Parrot 207Creating a Hospital Cage 207Creating a Parrot First-Aid Kit 208Part 4: Parrot Behavior Made Simple 211Chapter 11: Understanding Your Wild Child’s Instincts 213Looking At a Daily Life of Parrots in the Wild 214Appreciating the Plight of Wild-Caught Parrots 217Differentiating between wild caught and captive bred 218Getting involved: Conservation organizations 219Understanding Your Parrot’s Instincts 220Being the prey 220Finding a high spot 220Flocking 221Sleeping 221Vocalizing 222Making a mess 223Blending into the background — Camouflage 223Making eye contact 223Picking a mate — gender preference in parrots 224Chapter 12: Recognizing Normal Companion Parrot Behaviors 227Examining Your Parrot’s Most Natural Behavior — Flying 228Heading to the Heavens — Climbing 228Hanging Out on the Ground — Foraging 229Gnawing to His Heart’s Content — Chewing 229Staying Completely Still — Freezing 230Chatting Up a Storm — Vocalization 231Contact calling 231Screaming 232Hissing 232Growling 232Begging 232Differentiating between Beak Clicking and Clucking 233Getting Clean and Looking Pretty — Preening 233Clearing His Ears — Yawning 234Hearing Your Parrot — Beak Grinding 234Bobbing Up and Down to Say, “I Love You” — Regurgitation 234Cleaning His Face — Beak Wiping 235Considering Different Tail Behaviors 236Exhibiting Breeding Behavior 236Being Annoyed with Their Cage Mate — Bickering 238Identifying Eating Habits 238Rub a Dub Dub — Bathing 239Taking a Nap — Sleeping 239Getting Rid of Dirt and Itches — Scratching 239Achoo! Bless You — Sneezing 240Warning You to Back Off — Nipping 240Reading Body Language 240Flapping wings 240Crest position 241Fluffing and ruffling 241The please dance 242Head down 242The attack stance 243Stretching 243Bowing and bobbing 244Head shaking 244Leaning forward, wings shaking 244Quivering wings 244Beak language 244Potty language 244Chicken scratching 244Eye pinning (dilate/contract pupils) 245Wing drooping 245Wing flipping 245Blushing 245Back down, feet up 245Recognizing When Your Parrot is Training You 247Training method 1: Noise 248Training method 2: Display 249Training method 3: Biting 250Training method 4: Plucking 251Chapter 13: Handling More Than One Bird: Multiple Parrot Households 253Keeping More Than One Parrot: The Pros and Cons 254The pros 255The cons 255Interpreting Different Parrot Interactions 256Parrot pals 257Parrot enemies 258Romeo and Romeo 259One-sided love 259Keeping the peace 259Falling in love 260Introducing a New Parrot 260Wondering Why Everyone Just Can’t Get Along 261Changing Your Relationship 262Chapter 14: Addressing Behavior: When Good Birds Go Bad 263Figuring Out the Problem 263Understanding Dominance 264Height dominance 265Aggression 267Socializing One-Person Parrots 267Preventing possessiveness 268Reversing one person-ness 269Dealing With a Screaming Parrot 271Trying these strategies for a screaming bird 271Staying away from these remedies for a screamer 272Handling Bad Words and Sounds 273Taking a Chunk out of You: Biting 274Considering why birds bite 274Responding after your bird bites you 276Paying attention to your bird’s biting body language 276Addressing Fears and Phobias 277Considering the causes 278Trying these tactics with a fearful bird 279Identifying and Handling Hormonal Issues 280Pulling Out Her Plumes — Feather Plucking 281Figuring out why parrots pluck 281Helping your feathered friend stop plucking 283Figuring Out What’s Bugging Your Bird 284Maturity 284Other birds 284Environmental changes 285Cage placement 285Temperature 286Noise 286Sleep 286Helping or Hurting: Why Your Actions Are Important 287Hiring a Behavior Consultant 288Considering the Last Resort: Rescue and Adoption 289Part 5: Taming, Training, and Beyond 291Chapter 15: Bird Brains: Understanding Parrot Intelligence 293Taking a Closer Look at Mr Smarty Pants er, Feathers 294Studying What Parrots Really Understand 295Introducing Alex the Amazing Grey 296Helping Your Bird Understand You 298Teaching Your Parrot to Converse 299Comprehending Why Parrots Talk 300Chapter 16: Taming and Training Your Parrot 303Beginning Training When Your Parrot is Young 304Understanding the Importance of Socializing Your Parrot 304Seeing how socialization affects a parrot’s quality of life 305Socializing your parrot: The how-to 306Bonding with Your Parrot 308Building trust 308Creating the bond: The how-to 309Praising Your Bird: Positive Reinforcement Goes a Long Way 311Considering Different Training Strategies 313Finding your bird’s motivation 313Considering clicker training 314Teaching the Step-Up Command 316Training a tame or semi-tame parrot: The how-to 316Using stick training for this command 317Whittling down to teach this command 318Taming a Bronco Parrot 318Disciplining a Parrot 320Considering Some Simple Fun Behaviors You Can Teach 321Potty Training Your Parrot: is It Even Possible? 323Teaching Your Parrot to Talk 324Recognizing what you need to get your bird to talk 324Focusing on breeds that are known for talking 326Getting your bird to stop talking 327Dealing with a bird that doesn’t talk 328Chapter 17: Taking Your Training to the Next Level: Advanced Techniques 329Determining Whether Your Bird Learn Advanced Skills 331Getting Started on the Right Foot 332Discovering your parrot’s favorite treats 332Giving praise 333Recognizing other items you need to begin 333Implementing Preference Training 334Incorporating a Target into Your Training 335Adding Colors to Your Training Regimen 336Differentiating between Yes and No 338Developing Your Bird’s Vocabulary 340Playing Games with Your Parrot 340Focusing on “more” or “less” 341Playing war 341Training How to Count 342Handling Wrong Answers 344Chapter 18: Breeding Parrots 345Taking Heed: A Warning Before You Begin 346Having Realistic Expectations When Breeding 347Realizing how much time and expense is required 347Considering the associated risks with breeding 348Finding homes for the babies 350Getting Started: Breeding with Paired Parrots 350Recognizing What Breeding Equipment You Need 351Meeting Nutritional Requirements When Breeding 352Understanding the Breeding Process: A Timeline 353Incubating Eggs When the Parent Parrots Aren’t Interested 357Hatching — Time to welcome the new peeper 357Making your own brooder 358Using Leg Bands — A Bird’s ID Tag 359Handfeeding Baby Parrots 360Recognizing the equipment you need 360Choosing a formula 360Handfeeding your birds: The how-to 361Being aware of handfeeding potential problems 362Weaning Baby Parrots 366Parrot Genetics 101 — Just the Basics 368Chapter 19: In the Ring: Showing Your Parrot 371Being Wary — Words of Warning for Showing 372Looking into Parrot Clubs and Societies 373Walking You Through How a Bird Show Works 374Knowing the Show Standard 375Looking at Different Show Equipment 378Conditioning Your Bird for a Show 378Preparing Your Bird: Show Training 379Helping Out at the Show 380Part 6: The Part of Tens 381Chapter 20: Ten Things All Parrots Should Know 383Understand the Step-Up Command 383Comprehend Stick Training 384Know Her Carrier 384Identify Windows and Mirrors 384Say Her Name and Phone Number 385Recognize Her Cage As a Safety Zone 385Know How to Take Medicine 386Be Able to Trust You 386Eat Well 386Understand the Word “No!” 387Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Entertain Your Parrot 389Feeding Him — Food 390Entertaining Your Bird — You’re the Star 391Stimulating Your Parrot’s Mind — Parrot Toys 391Turning on the TV and Some Music 393Spending Time Outside — The Great Outdoors 393Letting Him Spread His Wings — Flying 394Shaking Your Groove Thang — Dancing 394Belting at the Top of Your Lungs — Singing 394Introducing a Friend — Parrot Pets 395Training Him Different Tricks 395Chapter 22: Ten (or So) Tips When Traveling with Your Parrot 397Being Prepared — Packing Your Parrot’s Suitcase 398Thinking Safety and Comfort — Bringing the Right Carrier 399Hitting the Friendly Skies — Traveling by Air 401Taking a Road Trip — Traveling by Car 402Keeping Your Bird Hydrated — Bringing Bottled Water 403Sleeping for the Night — Staying in a Hospitable Hotel 403Feeding Your Bird — Helpful Travel Tips 404Dealing with an Emergency — Finding an Avian Veterinarian on the Road 404Relying on Help — Using a Parrot Sitter 405Chapter 23: Ten Surprises for Parrot Guardians and How to Respond to Them 407Handling the Inevitable Mess 407Being Ready for the Noise 408Feeling Guilty 409Requiring Constant Supervision 410Preparing to Open Your Wallet — The Expense 410Bonding with You to an Extreme 411Seeing How Funny Parrots Are around Mirrors 411Recognizing How Smart Parrots Are 411Figuring Out Who Inherits Your Parrot When You Die — Estate Planning 412Being Prepared for the Unexpected — When Your Parrot Dies 413Index 415