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Care and Maintenance of Exotic Birds
by Fucelo Dimorea
http://www.mrparrot.com
If you are interested in taking one of the exotic birds as a
pet, you need to know more about them so that you make the
right choice and also give the bird the kind of treatment it
deserves. Some of the popular exotic birds include parrots,
budgerigars, zebra finches and canaries.
If you are looking for a friendly bird, then parrots are the
way to go. They are easy to train and affectionate.
Canaries live up to 10 years, come in a variety of bright
colors, and male canaries sing better than females. Zebra
finches are small, active, fun to watch, and quiet. They
need a large cage to exercise in. Finches are social and
should be kept in pairs.
Parakeets, or budgerigars, are another popular variety of
small parrots. These birds are easy to tame, usually
friendly, and are capable of mimicking speech.
Try to choose a hand fed baby or young bird. A hand fed
bird is already use to being handled and easier to tame.
Hand fed birds are more expensive but worth the price. It
is difficult to determine if a bird at a pet store has been
hand fed. These birds are usually harder to bond with and
difficult to tame.
When choosing a bird, look for one with smooth shiny
feathers that lay down flat. Feathers around the vent should
be clean, dry, and free of fecal matter. The feet should be
smooth and nails in good condition. The nostrils should be
clear and clean and should have a well shaped beak. The bird
should be bright, alert and active. A bird that is quiet
with puffed feathers might be ill.
Birds can be a major investment both emotionally and
monetarily. Many things should be considered when buying a
bird. Is the seller reputable? Is the bird as represented?
Does the seller have some guarantees if anything should
happen to the bird within the first month?
Millions of pet birds are bred annually for the billion
dollar pet industry. But, only a small percentage of those
birds survive the grueling shipping process from breeder to
retailer, and for the birds that survive this first stage,
it is the beginning of a shaky, uncertain future. Although
the average life span for larger parrots such as Amazons and
Macaws is seventy-five years, most of them die before their
fifth year. The smaller birds such as budgies, lovebirds,
and canaries, suffer and/or die within their first year of
life. Moreover, very few birds end up in loving or adequate
homes, because even well informed consumers often find that
they were not prepared for the instinctive traits that birds
possess, such as screaming, biting, and chewing furniture.
Buyers should think twice before purchasing a pet bird.
Remember that owning a bird requires a lifetime commitment
of patience and love.
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