Tips for Choosing a Bird
with
Dr. Simon Starkey
Caged birds make excellent pets, but choosing a bird that's right for you can be a tough decision. Learn a few helpful tips for choosing a bird, whether you're a first-time bird owner or a veteran bird enthusiast.
Transcript: Tips for Choosing a Bird
Hi, I’m Dr. Simon Starkey, and we’re here in Manhattan’s Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine and I’m here for About.com.Today we’re going to talk about how to choose a caged bird. And this applies to both first time bird owners as well as people looking to advance from the beginner bird to a more challenging bird.
Choosing a Starter Bird
An ideal starter bird is the Parakeet or Budgerigar. These are a small Australian Parrot that’s been kept as pets since the early 1900’s. There are two varieties. The American and English parakeet and these differ basically in size. Although, they’re essentially the same bird.Budgerigars
Budgerigars are ideal beginning pets because of their small size and relatively quiet disposition. Budgey’s however, are not known for their finger tameness. Although if obtained from a reputable breeder or a store from a young age they certainly can be trained, despite their small size. Budgerigars can be ideal first pets. They also have relatively small cage requirements. A minimum size however would be at least 1 ½ feet by 1 ½ feet by 2 feet tall.Love Birds
Another beginning pet might be the Love Bird. There are several different breeds and specie of Lovebirds and these are originally of African origin. These birds are small like the Parakeet and weigh approximately 1 to 1 ½ ounces. These birds, like Parakeets, can live for 10 to 15 years in captivity and require relatively small space. Love Birds tend to be not particularly social creatures with people, although again with patience and taming a bird at a young age they may be finger tamed. These birds often are kept in pairs and do very well together.Cockatiel
Another bird they may be considered either an advanced beginner bird or an intermediate bird is the cockatiel. Cockatiels are somewhat larger than Parakeets and Love Birds, weighing in the range of 3 to 4 ounces. However, they’re still relatively small and can be kept in even the smallest studio apartment.Cockatiels have a limited vocal ability but can learn words, although the owner may need some interpretation to understand what the bird is saying. Just like Paulie here. Now cockatiels are approximately 6 to 8 inches long, including their tail feathers. These birds can be excellent flyers. Although it’s important to consider whether your bird should fly in your particular home setting. Important to discuss with your Avian veterinarian regarding Cockatiels or any bird, I think to the risk of injury if birds are allowed to fly free at home. Cockatiels can live up to 20 or even 25 years with excellent care and these birds are truly wonderful pet for the beginner or intermediate bird keeper alike.
Intermediate Birds
Now, for the intermediate to more advanced bird keepers there are many different options available on the US pet bird market. Intermediate species might be considered the Conures. And the common birds in the pet market are Sun Conures and Jenday Conures. These are beautiful vibrantly colored birds who can make wonderful pets.However, it is important to know that these birds can be extremely loud and their noise needs to be taken into consideration depending upon your living arrangements. There are several other Conure varieties available on the pet market. Including the Blue Crown Conure like Paulie, who’s here with me today.
Amazon Parrots
Now other advanced or intermediate species are the Amazon parrot. There are several different specie of Amazon parrot, and these birds range in size from about a quarter of a pound to up to one and a quarter pounds, and therefore they maybe reasonably large birds. They’re excellent talkers, as these birds tend to be very loving, and they can also be very long lived. Amazon parrots have been known to live up to 75 years in captivity and this is extremely important to keep in mind when purchasing a bird.African Gray Parrots
A bird of similar size to the Amazon is the African Gray Parrot. And African Gray parrots are known for their intelligence and particularly their talking ability. And most African Grays will learn words without even a conscious effort on their owner’s behalf.However, these birds are really not beginners birds they require a lot of care and attention. And it’s extremely important to develop a relationship with a qualified Avian veterinarian when you first obtain your bird. This will establish healthy habits for diet, caging, toys, and will allow your veterinarian to perform diagnostic tests if necessary to help insure you have a happy and healthy bird.
Thanks for watching, and to learn more, visit us on the web at About.com.