Birds

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Birds

Birds make good friends and companions, and they come in a variety of sizes, colors, vocal abilities, and personalities. Before you bring a bird home, you should know what type of bird you want you should research about that species of bird to understand its specific care needs.

When you decide you want a bird, first of all you should read about the type of bird that would best suit your wants and available resources. Once you are positive about the particular species you are going to get, then you should talk to people who have actually owned this type of bird, and ask them for their opinion of the species and any other questions you may have.

The next thing to do is to find out how much time and attention the bird you want needs. Birds are very social animals, and some of them willl pluck out their feathers or actually die if left alone too much. Time is a very important factor to consider when choosing a bird. Birds can be long-lived, and some can normally have a lifespan up to and over 60 years!

Know how much space the bird will need. Different species need different amounts of space. But even if your home or budget doesn't allow enough space for a large cage, letting the bird play outside the cage daily can make it up.

Be aware of your bird's diet. Some birds have to have diets that often contain liquid mixes, which can result in a mess.

Remember those three actions you do before you cross the street; stop, look, and listen? They apply to birds, too. Before you buy a bird be sure you (and your neighbors and landlord) understand exactly how much noise the bird can make.

Before you bring a bird that needs special veterinary care, make sure that there is an aviary vet in you area. The store where you bought the bird should be able to provide this information. If not, contact the American Veterinary Medical Association or the Association of Avian Veterinarians.

Things to Look for When Choosing A Bird

Shiny, clear eyes
Sleek, smooth feathers
Self-confidant stature
Spirited movement
The beak closes properly
Identical and clear nostrils
Smooth feet
Toes that have claws
Clean vent below the tail
Even breathing without wheezing
Clear and unspotted skin

If the bird walks away from you and acts disinterested, or is aggressive, your best bet is to choose another bird.

Your Bird May be Sick If:

It perches on both feet with its eyes closed
It is puffed up and sluggish
Its nostrils are wet
It has dull eyes
Its eye rims are inflamed or look swollen
Its droppings increase, change in color or consistency
Its feet are excessively scaly
It begins drinking much more water than usual
It stops whining, whistling, or warbling
Its breastbone is strongly visible
Its lower body is swollen
It has labored breathing
It begins sitting in places it usually avoids
Its feathers look scruffy or brushlike, and the bird is not molting

Common Bird Diseases

Aspergillosis: Disease that damages tissues and causes a development of pus that has serious effects on the bird's respiratory system. It is caused by the bird breathing in spores from certain plants or moldy bread, old seeds, musty hay, and other moldy items. The best way to prevent this disease is to buy only fresh seed and keep the bird away from damp areas.
Coccidiosis: An illness that is spread through droppings that are infected with parasites. The droppings get consumed by the bird, and then the parasites mature in the intestinges, which diminishes the bird's appetite and causes diarrhea. The best way to prevent this is to keep your bird's cage clean.
Colds: This ailment can be carried by many things, including viruses, drafts, fungi vitamin A deficiency, stress, or other birds. They affect the bird's respiratory system, and can be identified by the following symptoms: an open beak, labored breathing, and a tail bobbing up and down, also coupled with sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, and puffed-out ruffled feathers.
Diarrhea: If this is not accompanied by other symptoms, then it is more a symptom than a disease. It can be caused by a number of things, such as indegestion, stress, food, insecticide poisoning, or taking in too much protein. The best way to prevent diarrhea is to keep your pet's food and water fresh and don't use insecticide near the cage.
Egg Binding: A problem where a female bird can't lay an egg that's ready to emerge. The symptoms are a swollen abdomen, looking sick, and sitting quietly on the floor of the cage. This is cased by vitamin deficiency, premature breeding, old age, stress, or even a cold.
Eye Diseases: These are eye infections where the rims of the eyes become inflamed or small wartlike bumps appear. They are not uncommon in caged birds, and are usually caused by bacteria picked up from dirty perches, but can also be caused by irritants such as aerosol sprays, vitamin A deficienty, complications from other illnesses, or burrowing mites.
Feather Plucking: The symptom of this disease is obvious. The bird plucking its feathers out. The causes of this problem are under or overheated rooms, intestinal parasites, boredom, or vitamin and mineral deficiencies. You must realize that picking a few feathers are normal, but when the feather stumps are left or blood feathers are being plucked, this could be a problem.
French Molt (a.k.a. Budgerigar Fledgling Disease): This is a disease that affects young birds while they are still in the nest, causing them to lose their new tail and flight feathers.
Mites: There are several types of mites that afflict birds.One type lives on the feathers and skin (Syringophilus bipectioratus), another type burrows into the feather shaft and follicle (Dermoglyphus elongatus). Red mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) are one type of insidious mites that hide in the cage during the day, and feed on the bird's blood at night.
Psittacosis: This is one of the few bird diseases that can affect humans. It is a bacterial disease that is spread through the inhalation of fecal and feather dustr and can also be given to other birds. Birds exhibit cold-like symptoms, in humans it causes flu-like symptoms.
Scaly Face