Establishing a Friendship with your Bird
Despite the endearing tail wagging, hand licking, ball fetching friend that is the dog, pet owners looking for a new best friend need look no further than the cage. Bird cage, that is. Regardless of the many misconceptions surrounding birds-all they do is squawk, bite, and eat-birds are actually quite emotional and can make for fantastic pets. With the proper care, birds can develop intimate bonds with their owners; so much so they will even regurgitate their hard earned food for you! Like dogs or cats, birds are fun, intelligent pets that have been misunderstood for years and are simply looking for a loving owner.
There are a few things to understand about birds before turning one into the ideal pet, the first being that birds are living, feeling creatures. They recognize the emotional state of their owner, they get bored being locked in a cage, and they respond to sights and sounds same as a dog or cat. Like any pet you may own birds require love, attention, and respect. As for talking, don’t become disheartened if your Polly decides not to respond to wanting a cracker. Just because your communication may remain nonverbal doesn’t mean that your bird doesn’t appreciate the attention and effort.
When owning a bird, you may notice a few gestures or behaviors that occur repeatedly or from time to time. As a responsible owner it’s always a good thing to understand what these things mean to ensure that you don’t agitate your already angry bird, or stop the bird from cleaning itself. Often when birds become excited their eyes may dilate in and out, which is called eye pining, or flare their tail feathers. This usually isn’t the best time to stick your finger near their faces, especially if their clicking their beaks. While it usually it merely means their excited, beak clicking can also be a warning to keep your distance.
Many behaviors, however, are not indications of agitation and instead serve as daily functions for birds. When birds have finished bathing themselves, they will fluff their feathers and look like their flaring in warning. In reality, however, they are simply ridding of the excess debris that has collected between the folds of their feathers. Feather fluffing is also a way to keep warm, so if your bird seems to be doing it outside of bathing, it may be ill. After eating, birds may wipe their beaks on their perch or cage just as another means of keeping clean.
Depending on the bird, you may notice that yours has something called a feather crest atop their head. This row of feathers resembles a feathery Mohawk when flared and can indicate a variety of emotions based on the bird. If you notice your bird flaring their crest, take note of its other behaviors. Is it excited? Angry? Hungry? Bored? Ill? Other birds will bob their heads or shake for no obvious reason. It’s not a reason to be alarmed, but it may indicate anxiousness. Birds will also shake after bathing to dry themselves.
Other traits you may notice include the bird grinding their beak right before they fall asleep. This hints to contentment. Birds will also preen their feathers to keep them straight and clean, and this is only cause for worry when the preening becomes excessive. If your bird seems to be biting or plucking their feathers out, something is wrong and the bird may be ill. Regurgitation, not to be confused with vomiting, is also a typical behavior found with birds. Regurgitation occurs when a bird becomes attached to another bird, hatches some eggs, or even establishes a strong bond with its owner. The difference between regurgitation and vomit is that the vomit will stick to the beak and feathers of the bird, making it quite messy and obvious.
Keep in mind that your bird was not bred to live in a cage, ergo the tight confined environment might bore your pet after a while. Give your bird space to fly free and equipment to play with. Like all pets, birds enjoy some free time and the occasional good toy. If you see your bird attempting to lift off in the cage or shuffling uneasily, it’s a good bet that it’s bored or needing some open air. Consider blocking off a room and letting the bird go. It will appreciate it in the long run and the exercise will relieve a lot of pent up energy. Birds will also nap frequently throughout the day. Birds will usually sleep on one leg, and if the bird looks fluffed and is sleeping on two legs it may be ill.
Your bird may also become possessive of either you or the cage, and may even show signs of jealous aggression if you get another bird or pet. Birds also have extremely obvious behavior such as hiding when they are scare or freezing in place. They may even beg for food or attention if their being deprived of either, but if it becomes an issue don’t be afraid to figure out what triggered it to begin with and change it. Like all pets, birds adapt well to the wishes of an owner that is willing to take the time to work with them and understand them.
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