Parrots are fairly fragile creatures and unfortunately get sick rather easily.  Illnesses in parrots also tend to get worse quickly and may become fatal if the bird does not receive the proper care.  It is therefore vital that you can recognize various parrot illnesses and take your bird to a vet immediately if they seem to be unwell.

If a pet parrot suddenly becomes aggressive and does not want to be handled, it may be because it is in pain.  Continual squawking could also be a sign that your bird is not feeling well, although there are numerous other reasons why a bird might squawk, so this is not necessarily a tell-tale sign of parrot illnesses.

Sick parrots may also huddle at the bottom of their cage and avoid sitting on their perch.  A subtler sign of illness would be your parrot standing on its perch on two feet rather than one.  Parrots often balance on their perch on only one leg, especially when they are sleeping, so if your bird is standing on its perch with two legs more frequently than usual, it could mean that his balance is off and he is feeling ill.

Parrots and Sour Crop

One of the most serious parrot illnesses is called sour crop.  A parrot’s crop is halfway down its esophagus and is designed to allow the bird to store extra food.  This crop needs to be emptied daily into the bird’s stomach or the food in it will become rancid and the parrot will get sour crop.

One way to determine if your parrot has sour crop is to feel where the breast feathers are.  A healthy crop will feel a bit like a soft balloon.  If this area feels tight, however, your bird may have sour crop and you should take it to the vet immediately.

Sour crop is one of the most common serious parrot illnesses, and you should take whatever measures you can to prevent it.  This would include feeding your parrot only twice a day and not letting it nibble too much in between meals.  Also make sure that you do not leave rancid food in the bird’s cage, as ingesting bad food can also cause sour crop.

What are the most popular parrot pets that people commonly choose? The answer depends on a few factors. Firstly, you need to decide if you want a pair of parrots or a single parrot. Some species of parrots do much better when they are partnered with another of their kind. Then some other species actually prefer to be kept alone and just interact with humans.

Parrots that prefer to be kept in pairs include the Conures Parrot and Lovebirds. Often if one of the pair passes away then the second bird can become depressed. So it is always best to keep them in pairs. Other parrots mix well together with different species of parrot. These include the Eclectus Parrot, Amazons, Conures and the Regents Parrot.

Do you want a parrot that you can teach to speak? If so then it is best to select a species that is happy to live by itself and that can mimic sounds that they hear. Parrots such as African Grey Parrots, Budgerigars, Cockatiels, Quaker Parrots, Major Mitchell Parrots and Galahs are all birds that can quite easily be taught to speak. Budgerigars are in fact one of the most popular parrot pets and can be kept as a single bird or in a cage with other budgies. Each of the above factors needs to be considered when deciding which parrot will best suit your needs.

What do parrots eat?

Parrots basically like to eat nuts and seeds as they possess tough curvy beaks that are suited for cracking the shells.While the seeds and nuts are vital components of a pet parrot’s diet; they do not account for the overall nutritious needs required for a healthy, lively and energetic bird. A well-balanced diet comprising of seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables, milk, cereals and supplements can provide the pet parrot the much required nourishment.

List of foods:

Parrots happily relish small servings of raw or dried pumpkin, poppy and flax seeds, melon, sesame, guava and berries. Millet spray is considered to be parrot’s preferred delicacy. Parrots also love nibbling on assortments of cereals like oats, buckwheat and corn. Apart from these foods, papaya, pomegranates, mangoes, kiwi and pineapples are also suitable for pet parrots. These fruits are their natural diet. Vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers and eggplant also form a part of their healthy diet. The pet owner may give the parrot soft fruits like peaches, oranges, apples and bananas if they wish.

Foods to avoid:

However, the owner should refrain from giving the parrot chocolates, avocado, mushroom, cooking oil and coffee to eat, as these foods have a poisonous effect on them.

Given all this information it will help you make a better choice of your pet parrot, what you are going to feed it and how you are going to look after it.

Feeding a parrot in captivity does require a certain amount of diligence to ensure that the parrot is getting the right food and a good variety of vitamins and nutrition.  The first thing to keep in mind is the fact that parrots in their own environment will select from a wide range of food to eat.  Anything from fresh fruit and vegetables, to seeds, flower heads and even the odd bit of meat will be eaten by a parrot depending on its size and species.  With this information in mind a parrot owner can vary their parrot’s feeding so that it gets a good healthy selection to eat.

Different Species Requirements.

Often when reading about what to feed a parrot there is a certain amount of generalization but when you think about it, it is not that likely that a parrot that is 18 inches long will eat the same food as a parrot that is only 6 inches long.  Before even thinking about anything else, the size and strength of the larger beak is going to allow the larger parrot to eat a wider range of foods, especially larger nuts and seeds that the smaller parrot cannot eat.

So when considering the diet for your pet parrot take into account the size and select foods that will be easy to eat.  Parrots do need a challenge with their food as they would have that in the wild, but not to the point that they cannot eat what is being given to them.

Vitamin A.

Vitamin A is required for good skin and feather condition and repair, plus its eyesight and helps the body fight infection.

In order to make sure that the parrot is receiving its required vitamins (especially Vitamin A), carbohydrates and other nutrients a wide range of fruit and vegetables is suitable.  Berries are especially popular with parrots as this is one food that they would find a plenty in the wild.   Green vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, green capsicum, along with the yellow vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, red capsicums and sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of Vitamin A.

Fresh fruits are desired by these birds too and being a tropical creature you can be fairly sure that they will love the melons, mangoes, papaya, peaches, apricots and other sweet fruits.

Protein and Carbohydrates.

Protein is also important for the health of parrot and this can be given in the form of hard-boiled eggs, well-cooked chicken, white fish, brown rice, nuts and various other foods.  Parrots do like to eat nuts and seeds and a certain amount of their diet will be made up of these.  Smaller parrots will most likely eat more seeds.

Monitoring Parrot Feeding.

As it is crucial that a parrot does eat every day a parrot owner does need to monitor the food input.  The best way to do this is to start each day fresh with new food and then if there is food left over at the end of the day it can be decided if the parrot is or is not eating at all, and if so how much.

By starting each day afresh too it means that the food in the cage is not being contaminated by droppings or being spoiled by bacteria.  Parrots are susceptible to infections but with fresh food input each day this will be reduced.

Image via Wikipedia

Here are some facts about African Grey Parrots that may help you make a decision.

When a person wants to keep a parrot as a pet it is a hard decision to make when it comes to deciding which species of parrot they want to keep.  Parrots have a long life span (up to 60 years) and taking on a pet parrot is a responsibility that needs to be taken with some serious thought.

If you like parrots the chances are that you really love so many different sorts that it is hard to decide which one to own.  The colors appeal, but so do the different personalities.

Speaking abilities

African Grey’s have an enormous ability to mimic people talking and they are a quick learner so the owner does need to watch what they say in front of the bird otherwise they will hear it straight back at them!

Size

The African Grey is a medium sized parrot which ideal for a pet.  Both sexes tend to be about the same size but the female does have a slightly narrower upper body and head.

Color

There are in fact two types of these birds. One is the Timneh African Grey which is darker grey on top, with a light grey chest and a maroon colored tail.  The other is the Congo African Grey which has a light grey body, a very light grey on the side of the head and a bright red tail.

Intelligence

The African Grey is a very intelligent bird and needs to be kept stimulated.  It loves company but if you cannot keep it company and it has to be left on its own during the day, then make sure that it has some stimulating toys to play with.

If they get stressed they will get into feather picking so this needs to be watched for as it can be a sign of loneliness, ill health, jealousy, sadness, or any other emotional problem that it could be facing.

Training

These parrots love the interaction with owners and to this end they just love pleasing their owners and do this by their learning abilities with their training.  They will enjoy being trained and they will enjoy showing off their new skills.

What to feed a parrot

It is best to give a parrot a mixed diet of pellets, seeds, fresh fruit and vegetables and a mix of proteins.  They may need to be encouraged to eat different foods but they do need to do this for their best state of health.

Make sure that the water is clean and it does need to be changed twice a day because parrots do have a habit of making their water rancid with seeds and excretions.

In warmer weather they will enjoy a light water spray  but ensure that it is not too much as they don’t enjoy being soaked.

If you wish to buy an African Grey parrot do purchase from a popular breeder and avoid inherited problems from rogue breeders.

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Image via Wikipedia

If you are looking for an African grey, then you probably know a bit about parrots and a bit about the breed in particular. African grey parrots can live over 60 years so it is a lifetime commitment to own one. Therefore it is vitally important that you buy from a reputable breeder. A good African grey breeder will have raised the birds according to their breed and nature, and you can be reassured you are buying a bird that has been well looked after.

Choosing a breeder is almost as important as choosing the bird. The future health and condition of your bird rely on how well they have been brought up, how well they have been taken care of, and how much mental stimulation they have been given.

Consider the following things when you look for an African grey breeder:

• Locate all the breeders in your local area. You can find them through local classifieds, ads in pet shop windows, or local newspapers. Visit as many as you can to get a feel for the good and bad ones, and to see first hand where the birds have been raised.

• Interview the breeder. Find out about their breeding practices and what other birds they breed. Ask for as much information about the parrot as you can get. Ask the breeder to tell you about the birds feeding habits, behavioral patterns, sleeping patterns, training complexity and aggression levels. A good African grey breeder should be able to answer all these questions easily. It will show if they are experienced in breeding African grey parrots, and will expose the unscrupulous breeders out to make a quick profit. Birds bought from that type of breeder are highly likely to have health or behavioral problems.

• Check the premises the breeder uses to keep the birds, and assess the condition of the parrot’s cage. A good clean cage should be evident. A dirty cage indicates lack of care, and is a sign of the poor quality of the breeder. Birds that are not raised in clean conditions are far more susceptible to disease, so a dirty cage should act as an alarm bell.

• If the African grey breeder knows his stuff, he should be able to tell you exactly what the bird’s diet is. Avoid breeder who raise their birds on seeds and pellets alone; a good breeder will feed his birds a variety of different foods to keep them healthy and interested.

Parrots are expensive birds, and with such a long life span it is important to select the right bird. Finding a good African grey breeder is the first step towards buying a bird you feel confident in. One that you know has been well raised and cared for, and will give you many years of pleasure as a pet.

How to choose an African Grey parrot is something that should be considered before you actually go looking for one.

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Parrot body language tells a lot about how your parrot is feeling and if you intend to do some parrot training and you feel that the body language is not right it is best to attempt the training another time. Body language is a very strong indication of how a person feels and what they are thinking and it is no different for a parrot. Where the difference lies with a parrot is that if you want to teach it something you do need to have it in a good frame of mind and concentrating on what you are teaching it.

Let’s look at some of the signs to be attuned to when understanding the body language of your parrot.

Eyes – the parrot does not blink very often and can change the size of its iris independently of its eye lids. When not happy, due to being frightened, angry or aggressive a parrot will change his iris and this is called “flashing” or “pinning.” If during training the parrots starts doing this with his iris it is a good idea to stop because it will show that he is getting annoyed and he may bite.

Vocalizing – we all know that a parrot is a born vocalizer. You cannot be anywhere near a parrot without realizing that they like to let their feelings be known. After all that is why many people like to have them as pets because they want teach them to talk.

Some of the sounds you can expect to hear from a parrot are:

• Chattering – he is happy or beginning to learn to talk

• Singing, whistling, talking – these are signs of a healthy contented parrot.

• Tongue clicking – he may just be entertaining himself or he may be wanting some attention, but he is still in a good frame of mind

• Purring – this could mean that the parrot is content, then again it may not so this sign needs to be observed in conjunction with some other visual signs as well to get a true picture

• Growling – if the parrot is growling it is a sign that all is not right. When he is doing it take notice of his surroundings. Is the cage that he is not happy in, has he been on his own too long and wants some attention, or is he jealous of a new family pet? It is not a good idea to handle him at this stage but try and work out what could be upsetting him.

Wings – the flapping of wings usually means that he is just cooling himself but it could also mean that he is not happy. If he is not happy he will most likely also be squawking or in the extreme case be bobbing his head up and down.

If a parrot is wing flipping he could just be settling his feathers or if he is nodding his head up and down as well, he is telling you he wants to be fed.

When drooping his wings it indicates that he is not well, especially if it is an older bird, so take note of his eating and ensure that he is eating his meals. If not, a visit to the vet may be necessary. If the bird is younger and drooping his wings it could just be that he hasn’t learn to tuck them up all the time as yet. Another time that a bird may droop its wings is when they are wet after a bath.

Feathers – when a bird is fluffing its feathers (either its crest, wings or tail) and has an aggressive stance then it is not wise to touch him. He is most definitely telling you there is something that is upsetting him.

Observe your parrot and learn to understand what the different body language signs are of the parrot so that you will know when you need to be doing something to help out or whether things will right themselves in due course.

Pet parrots are reliant on their owners providing them with the best diet for their needs as they cannot get out and forage for the food that they would like to eat.  Our bodies tell us what we need and parrots in their natural environment are no different, when they need a certain vitamin or nutrient they go out and seek foods that contain it.  So as parrot parents, we need to know what a balanced diet is for our parrot and ensure that they receive it throughout the week.

Protein for your parrot.

Proteins are a muscle growth and repair nutrient that parrots must have in their diet.  Like all creatures parrots will have requirements for different repair to their bodies and also will have muscle growth.  For example, their beaks and claws will constantly be in a state of repair.

Proteins are comprised of amino acids, known as the “building blocks” and are divided into two groups, the essential and the non-essential.  Non-essential amino acids are those that the body itself manufactures.  Essential amino acids are those which the body cannot manufacture.   These must be supplied by the parrot diet.  For parrots, there are a minimum of ten essential amino acids.  They include: arginine, methionine, lysine, tryptophan, isoleucine, histidine, leucine, threonine, valine and phenylalanine.

Another fact about proteins is that they are also classified as either complete or incomplete, depending on whether the food contains a full complement of amino acids or only some of them.  Let’s take for example, corn.  It does contain protein, but there are many amino acids that are not in corn, so it is considered a poor source of protein.

Excellent sources of protein.

Eggs are one of the best sources of amino acids and many nutritionists consider eggs to be a complete diet by themselves.

Beans are another excellent source of amino acids and there is a wide range of beans that can be fed to a parrot.  Dried beans will need to be soaked and cooked before giving to the parrot as they are very hard and rather indigestible otherwise.  Bean shoots are also fantastic and parrots like the fleshy shoots.

Meat and dairy products are a valuable source of protein.  As far as the meat is concerned, raw is good as cooked meat has had the protein reduced through the cooking process.

A sound parrot diet.

Pellets do need to be fed to the parrot as they are an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients.   About 40% or more of their diet should be pellets, about 10% grain and the balance fruit, vegetables and meat.

In the balance of fruit, vegetables and meat it pays to have various mixes and a suggestion would be to have:

Fresh food mix:

1.    Chopped greens, chopped vegetables, cooked beans, grains and legumes as well as fruit, whole grain pasta

2.    three different cooked grains, along with shredded or chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, squash or pumpkin. He then adds other shredded vegetables and ground nuts in this meal for some variety.

3.    Homemade bread created especially for birds.

Remember, “variety is the spice of life” and with the parrot diet this holds true as well.  Keep up the variety and your parrot will benefit in so many ways.

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Have you ever seen these majestic parrots?  The Australian cockatoo is such a beautiful looking bird.  Not because of its brilliant colors like some of its cousins, but by the fact that it is predominately the one color all over and there is something about its stance, it is just so regal.

Huge flocks of these cockatoos fly around the eastern and northern tropical coasts of Australia, but are also found in other areas in smaller numbers.

They are an absolutely amazing parrot to have as a pet.  They are real show offs and the more attention they get the better.

The White Cockatoo

The stunning white cockatoo, or sulphur-crested white cockatoo, looks like it has just stepped out of a bleach bath.  The brilliance of its white feathers just takes your breath away.  When this cockatoo is feeling very perky it pops its beautiful 4 inch yellow crest up in the air.  It may do this when it is angry too, so do tell the difference.  The stance will tell you what is going on.  Usually when he is angry there will also be a fluttering of wings and/or squawking.

Although called a white cockatoo, this bird actually has yellow feathers on the underside of its wings and tail.  When it spreads its tail and wings you can see them easily, but even in a stance position you may see a very pale shade of yellow showing through.

The white cockatoo can be a very friendly bird and loves to talk.  They will learn to ‘parrot’ noises, people laughing and they will have you running to answer the door bell when no-one is there!  This bird can really be quite a character and has a very stroppy personality so it will like the owner’s attention on a constant basis.

The Australian cockatoo is a very intelligent parrot and one that gets bored very quickly so if you have it as a pet do ensure that you have lots of toys for it to play with.  It also loves shredding things so soft tree branches would be a good way of giving it something to do.  If it is not happy it will most definitely let you know by its actions.

Being an active bird it will need to have a large cage and it will like to be able to get out and wander around at will.  You will find it following you through the house.  I have even read about a parrot owner who could not wear certain colors in front of her parrot because it squawked and carried on a treat.  They certainly let their feelings be known.  But all this is so much fun when you love your pet parrot.

If you want a bird that has personality plus, then the Australian Cockatoo could be just the right pet parrot for you.  Check out this video of a parrot attracting attention – you just can’t help but have a good laugh.

This article is about how to start gaining the confidence of your pet parrot which needs to be done before he will learn tricks.

So you have bought a parrot and have it all settled in at his new home.  It can be quite a challenge for a bird to get comfortable in a new home because more often than not it will not let you pet it and comfort it like you can a kitten or a puppy.  Try that with a bird that does not know you and you stand a good chance of being bitten.  This is where the fun starts!  It is now time to show the bird who is the boss!  Only kidding!

Understanding all the noise and fuss.

It is not really a matter of who is the boss, but more about creating a relationship with the parrot where it is comfortable with you around and with you handling him.  With some birds this may happen quite quickly and with others it may take a little while.

The natural instinct of a parrot is to fly away from danger and if it cannot fly away then it will make an awful fuss with wings flapping and a great deal of noise squawking and screaming.  That is all OK.  Because he is just telling you he is not happy.  Don’t be afraid of that.

Gaining the trust of your bird.

Whether the bird is in the cage or out on a perch the act of gaining trust is the act of moving closer and closer to the bird so that it understands that you are not going to hurt it.

The best approach is to walk towards the bird until such time as it starts all the raucous noise.  Stop there for about 10 seconds and walk away.   Repeat the process every 30 seconds.  Once you have managed to get within 3 feet of the bird stay at that distance and raise your arm with the palm and fingers down.  Again keep repeating this until the bird stops its squawking and you can move a little closer.

The parrot is going to remain cautious for some time but eventually it will let you get close.  When it does, use the same hand motion putting it near its feet.  The idea being that eventually he will step onto your hand.  To entice him to step forward onto your hand you may need to hold some food out in front so that he steps forward to take it.  Once he has stepped forward let him have his treat because he has done well.  And so have you!

It is no easy matter walking towards a squawking bird with its beak wide open, especially if it is one of those beautiful large macaws, gray’s or cockatoos!

I have given you the routine for getting the parrot to trust you but how long it is going to take is another question.  You may have a bird that has been handled before but is just a little nervous with a new owner or you may have a bird that has never been handled before.  It will depend on the parrot and it will depend on you, the owner.  This trust question is a two way street!  You have to trust the bird and the bird has to trust you.

With any training that is done with a parrot trust is the main issue but as well as that it comes down to repetition, repetition! Once you have managed to get the parrot to trust you he will love learning parrot tricks with you and you will have the best companion parrot for life.

Parrots are bright colored and amazing birds, frequently with amusing individuality, which is the reason they are really considered to be highly attractive and appealing companions. If you are thinking about keeping any kind of parrot then, as an element of effectively caring for a new pet, it is important to very carefully find a high quality parrot cage.

Parrot cages are undoubtedly the most significant expenditure in being the owner of parrots, except for probably the price of the parrot by itself. Consequently it is important to choose sensibly with regards to the ideal habitat for the new pet and also the durability and safety of the parrot cage.

Investigate the ideal sized parrot cages for the parrot. You simply can’t purchase a parrot cage which may be TOO big! Parrots from the outdoors have all the area they desire, which means you need to purchase the largest cage you’ve got enough room for and also can purchase. Typically the lowest suggested size of a parrot cage ought to be large enough to enable the parrot, when totally grown, to effortlessly spread out its wings and also turn about easily.

Find the optimum wire spacing. The gap in between the bars of the parrot cage is essential since you need to ensure the parrot does not end up being caught up in between the bars or break free from its cage. Having said that you will not need the space far too narrow in order that anyone can have an excellent view of the lovely parrot.

Picking out the correct construction when acquiring parrot cages. Along with making certain parrot cages are adequately robust to hold even a most enthusiastic bird, the substance and finish of your cage is vitally important. Cages produced from chrome steel are a great solution, however they are certainly expensive. The key aspect is essential safety and therefore the parrot cage ought to be constructed from non-toxic material and finishes.

For many pockets a good caliber wrought iron parrot cage (sometimes referred to as steel), coated in lead and zinc free oven-baked color is the best alternative. Choosing low-priced cages is just not a smart expense because these may well not be clear of toxic materials and also the paint might be simply chipped off, allowing your parrot to take in the harmful paint and also letting the iron to corrode.

Simplicity of use and cleaning characteristics. Purchase a parrot cage that’s very easily cleaned. A neglected cage will make your bird unhealthy. You should choose a cage which has larger doors to make it much easier to get the bird from inside of the cage and allow you to gain access to every part to clean. The base pan and grill need to each be easily-removed for frequent cleaning without having to open the parrot cage.

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