Getting Gabby with Your Cockatiel

A cockatiel, Early, offering his head to be petted. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Half the fun of owning a cockatiel is teaching them to talk. You should keep in mind that some individual birds are more adept at talking than others. This is one reason you will really want to get to know and bond with your cockatiel before you try to teach it its first word. Your bird will be more teachable if it is not tired or stressed. You will want to teach your cockatiel in sessions when the bird is happy and relaxed.

If you show perseverance in teaching your cockatiel to talk then be assured even an older bird can learn to mimic a few words. You should prepare your cockatiel for its first talking lesson by putting the bird in an environment where it will not be distracted by other pets and noisy children. You should also turn off competing noise such as televisions and radios. You need to approach the bird with no abrupt movements and speak to it in a soft voice. Using a soft voice is important because when you start teaching your bird the first word you want it to learn you will be saying the word distinctly and louder than the voice you normally use with your cockatiel.

Normally you will want to keep the bird in a location where there is activity to keep the bird intellectually stimulated, but not overwhelmed. If you can not clear the room the bird normally stays in then moves the bird cage to a different quieter space. Give the bird a few moments to take in its quieter surroundings. Then focus the cockatiel's attention towards you.

The sex of the cockatiel has nothing to do with its ability to learn to talk. Cockatiels of both sexes learn to talk at about the same rate. Age does make a difference. Younger cockatiels will learn to speak faster than older birds. It is important to realize the bird does not understand the word it learns to speak. The cockatiel mimics words it hears by rote. You may have noticed that your cockatiel will mimic the birds it hears in the morning when it is near an open window. These sounds are the most natural sounds for your cockatiel to mimic. It is sometimes easier to teach to birds to whistle a familiar tune than teach it to speak a word in English. If you find whistling annoying then you should not encourage it. Some experts feel whistling impedes the birds desire to learn to speak.

Some bird trainers advocate training the bird on a perch outside of the cage in front of the trainers face. Others advocate training the cockatiel with the cage covered. There are merits to both methods as they both focus the cockatiel on your voice. Pick only one word to teach to bird and repeat it several times in a strong intonation. Introducing more than one word at a time will confuse your bird. The bird must understand the sound as distinct and separate from the other sounds it hears on a daily basis. This word need to stand out from all the household background noise. Ideally you should work with your bird for at least 20 minutes twice a day to teach it its first word. Once you bird associates repeating this word with positive attention from you they will repeat it again and again. Once the bird recognizes that it pleases you to repeat certain sounds the next word you teach you bird will be repeated much sooner.

It normally takes several weeks for even a young eager cockatiel to learn to repeat words. The bird's name is often a good first word, Avoid teaching your bird swear words. It may be funny at first but unless you want that word repeated in front of house guests you will regret teaching your bird to swear. Sometimes cockatiel will repeat swear word because that are usually distinct words from the one's they usually hear and are normally say=id by a person with great gusto.

Patience and perseverance are really the only really proven ingredients to get you cockatiel to talk. I have heard people who have not taught their birds to talk that they often will mimic common sounds like the vacuum or the yelping of a small dog. Some of the sounds cockatiels make are a hissing noise when they feel threatened. My two cockatiels whistle the Andy of Mayberry song and make money sounds when they see the dog. I have no idea where the monkey sounds came from. They also do a kissing noise when you ask them for a kiss. We are working on them saying the phrase ", cats are stupid." So far the male bird Captain Morgan say's "cats" and Marie the female just swings and sings and makes kiss noises when you repeat "cats". It is fairly evident to me that the process of learning to talk varies a great deal from bird to bird.

Related articles

• Cockatiel Whistling The 'My Neighbor Totoro' Theme Song
• Pet Cockatiel Whistling The Andy Griffith Theme Song
• The Green Cheek Conure as a Pet
• Missoula woman stays busy with cockatiel breeding business

How To Give a Cockatiel A Bath

Cartoon of 2 birds talking about a bird bath. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nymphensittich-Hahn-Wildfarben (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Green Naped Lorikeet in a Bird bath in the Children's zoo at the Saint Louis Zoological Park, St. Louis, Missouri (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most cockatiel owners know that cleanliness is essential and wash their bird's cage and accessories on a regular basis. But did you know your feathered friends benefit from a cockatiel birdie bath as well?

Cockatiels came originally from semi arid regions , but still in the wild they have been seen bathing and preening in small pools of water. Cockatiels get a regular bath from Mother Nature in the form of rain as well. These birds then preen with a bit of oil they get from a gland underneath the base of their tail. Cockatiels spread the oil with their beaks.

There are many options that a cockatiel owner can use to give their bird a bath. One is to use a shallow bowl. The bowl should be heavy enough to avoid accidental spills. There are red clay bowls or deep set plates that people use to catch excess water under potted plants. These red clay bowls are available at most garden shops and work very well in the bottom of most cages as bird baths. You simply place this bowl with room temperature water in the cage every few days for about a half an hour and your cockatiels should bath themselves.

Some people like to spray their cockatiels with the kitchen dish sprayer. This is fine as long as you check to water temperature before you shower your birds. Many cockatiels prefer this method of bathing, but there is risk involved. If you keep your bird loose , and go to wash a pan with hot water the bird may tragically burn itself trying to steal a shower. Definitely wash dishes when your birds are securely in their cage , if your cockatiel views the kitchen sink as his private bird bath.

Plant misters and other spray water bottles can be used to give your cockatiel a shower. 
Buy one specifically for the purpose and do not recycle an old spray bottle that may have contained cleaning chemicals. Plastic spray bottles inevitably absorb small amounts of the chemicals that that once held. Repeated exposure to even small amounts of toxic substances can cause your bird to become ill.

My younger son showers with his birds. This is fine for a positive interaction time with your birds , but you must be able to deal with taking a luke warm shower to avoid scalding the cockatiel. You should also remove shampoo and soaps from the shower that your bird may get into . Remember , that bar of white ivory will look like a cuddle bone to your bird in the shower. You also must avoid drafts to keep your bird from becoming ill. Showers with you cockatiel are probably left as an occasional treat for your bird and not something you should do on a regular basis.

Finding the right method to allow your cockatiel to take a bird bath is one of the essential care you will provide your bird to keep them happy and healthy. Observe you bird bath and preen when you can. Excessive preening can be a sign of a physical problem or stress that can be dangerous for your bird. It is a good idea to know what your birds beauty routine looks like so you can note any significant changes.

Related articles

• Hooray for hygiene!
• Can you carry off a 'cockatiel' haircut?
• Picking the Right Cockatiel Birdcage Isn't That Hard

Things To Think About Before You Buy A Pet Bird

English: Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). Pet bird named Sophie on a cage. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A pet Sun Parakeet (also known as a Sun Conure) in parrot cage. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A pet Congo African Grey Parrot in India. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Lee Dobbins

While a bird is an easy pet to care for, they do require just as much commitment and preparation as any other type of pet.  Whether you are buying a small parakeet or an large parrot, you should make sure that you are prepared to care for your new feathered friend properly.

One thing that all pets, including birds need is attention.  If your schedule has you working long hours and not spending much time at home, perhaps you should consider a fish tank instead of a bird.  A bird cannot be left in it's cage alone all the time and still be expected to be friendly on the odd days when you feel like playing with it.  Some birds require more interaction than others, but they are social creatures and need you to set aside some time each day to play with them.  You can use this time to teach them tricks and strengthen the bond between you.

When considering bringing a bird into your home, you must think about the safety of your new pet.  Are there other pets in the house that could be threatening to the bird?  Are there tiny nooks and crannies that a bird could get into and hurt himself?  Do the other members of your family leave the windows and doors open where the bird could fly out and be lost?  All these things must be considered for the safety of your new pet

The purchase and placement of his cage is another consideration.  You must buy a cage that is the right size for your bird.  Many parrots become quite adept at opening their own cage doors so you should consider how easy the cage is to break out of.  The cage should be made out of a safe material and have bars spaced in such a way that the bird cannot get his head stuck in between them.  There should be no sharp edges and their should be appropriate food and water dishes as well as perches inside the cage.  Cages can be expensive, but don't skimp on this as it is your pets new home!

Before you buy the cage, consider where you will be keeping it.  It is best if the cage can be in a quiet corner but near family activities as your bird really wants to be part of the family.  You should keep it out of direct sunlight, and away from any drafts or anywhere that could have a sudden change in temperature like in front of the heater or air conditions.  Avoid placing the cage in the kitchen as fumes and hot surfaces can be hazardous.  Be aware that the fumes from nonstick pans can be deadly to a pet bird, so make sure you get rid of all your non stick pans before bringing your bird home.  Of course, you will want to keep the cage out of the path of traffic so you need to buy a cage that is the appropriate size for your bird as well as the right size to fit in the intended area.

Depending on the size of your bird, you may want to consider the level of noise that he will produce.  Parakeets make little chirpy noises that, for the most part, are not annoying.  Conures, on the other hand have a shrill call that goes right through you.  Most happy birds will not yell constantly, but it is natural for them to call out at times so make sure you (and your neighbors) can handle the level of noise produced by the bird.

Finally, make sure that you want to commit to the care that is necessary to have a happy healthy bird.  You'll need to clean out the cage daily and make sure you provide fresh food and water.  Food your bird a varied diet and have him checked by a vet (preferably one who specializes in birds) every year.

Birds can be very rewarding pets and take minimal care but they must be provided with a comfortable and safe environment and your companionship in order to thrive.  Many birds can live for 20 years or more, so you are making a long commitment when you bring home your new feathered friend.   This commitment to care and companionship is well worth it, however, as the rewards of owning these enchanting creatures are many!

Lee Dobbins is owner and editor of [http://www.epet-center.com]ePet Pet Center where you can find information on every type of pet including [http://www.epet-center.com/pet-birds.html]pet birds.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Things-To-Think-About-Before-You-Buy-A-Pet-Bird&id=30787] Things To Think About Before You Buy A Pet Bird

Related articles

• Love Birds - What Does it Take to Care For These Special Pet Birds?
• Parrot Love: To Glenn Reynolds, These Intelligent Birds Are Incredible
• Southern Illinois Bird Fair to be held in Collinsville
• How Many Parakeets Can You See?
• Last resort for parrots lies in rural Letts

Love Birds - What Does it Take to Care For These Special Pet Birds?

English: Black-masked lovebird (Agapornis Personata) with cobalt color mutation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The blue mutant of the Masked Lovebird Agapornis personata. This variety is called blue Masked Lovebird. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Jennifer Manning

You've probably seen these gorgeous birds in your local pet store. They are the miniature green parrots with the big expressive eyes. Love Birds are a good choice for someone who wants a parrot, but doesn't want the commitment that a large parrot requires. A large parrot such as a Macaw can live for 60 or more years, while a Love Bird seldom lives more than 15 years.

Before you go out to buy a Lovebird, you should be aware of what you're getting into. Lovebirds, like all parrots, are relatively high maintenance pets and therefore require a dedicated and special type of pet owner. Here are some important factors to keep in mind.

Companionship

Love Birds, like all parrots, are extremely social creatures and crave the company of others. If you don't have a few hours to spend with him every day, then you'll need to buy another lovebird to keep him company. Without the companionship of humans or another bird, your bird is likely to exhibit problem behavior such as extreme aggression, excessive preening and constant squawking.

Choosing The Right Lovebird

An ideal lovebird will be 6 to 10 weeks old and hand--fed. A young, hand--fed bird is much easier to tame and train than an older, parent--fed lovebird. The most commonly available species are:



Peach Face - This species is usually green, with a peach head, face and neck.

 
Fischer's Lovebird - This bird has a green body with shades of yellow and orange on their head and neck.
 
Masked Lovebird - This bird has a green body, with a dark brown colored brown mask around their face and neck. Just below this mask is a yellow band of feathers.

Housing

Love birds require a large cage with plenty of room to stretch out their wings and play -- obviously a pair will require a larger cage than a single bird. The majority of the cage bars should be horizontal and there needs to be a few perches located at varying levels. Place plenty of toys in their cage to keep them stimulated.

Health

Love Birds require daily exercise to keep them healthy. This means you should let them out to fly every day in a safe room. Make sure there are no open windows or predators (such as dogs or cats) in this room.

You should feed your love bird a quality parrot seed mix and plenty of fresh, clean fruits and vegetables that are bird--safe. This will give them a good variety that matches what they might find in the wild. You'll need to remove any uneaten food every day.

Learn more about   Love Birds at http://www.petcarejournal.com/love-birds.html - a website designed to provide you with pet articles and resources that will help you get the most out of your pet keeping experience, no matter what type of pet you own.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Love-Birds---What-Does-it-Take-to-Care-For-These-Special-Pet-Birds?&id=1248960] Love Birds - What Does it Take to Care For These Special Pet Birds?

Related articles

• For the Love of Lovebirds
• Find the Right Cage for your Bird in Deerfield Beach, FL
• Our Bird Boutique Caters to All Your Needs
• Parrot Love: To Glenn Reynolds, These Intelligent Birds Are Incredible
• Parrot Sunday - Meet The Newest Member Of The Family
• Lessons from a Parrot

Bringing Home Your First Parrot

English: Cuban Parrot (Amazona leucocephala) in Cuba (2007). Pet parrots. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Mature breeding pair of Red-Bellied Parrots (Poicephalus rufiventris) on a perch in a cage. Picture taken by user:Fruitwerks at home. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A pet Sun Parakeet (also known as a Sun Conure) in parrot cage. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Buying a parrot and bringing it home is a much more complicated process than bringing home a dog or cat. These birds are extremely smart and sensitive. They will liven up your household and become members of your family. Having a parrot is a major commitment of time, money and acquiring knowledge.

You should thoroughly research all aspects of owning a parrot before you bring one into your
house. They will certainly give you a life time of memories. Some parrots live to be more than fifty years old
When bringing home your parrot you must remember that birds in general acquire stress related ailments fairly easily. You should time the introduction of your parrot to your home decrease the amount of stress to the bird as much as possible.

Try bringing the bird home when most of your family members are home so your parrot has a chance to meet everyone. This does not mean everyone talking to the bird at once or trying to handle the bird. It does mean every speaking in a normal voice and going about their routine while calmly acknowledging the bird’s presences.

The parrot’s cage should be put in a high traffic area where they can get a good look around their new home. Placing the cage in a corner or against a wall will give the bird an added sense of security. You should also cover part of the cage so the parrot has a sense of privacy should he or she feel overwhelmed by the new situation. It is important that the parrot’s cage be the right size from the start. A baby parrot may injure themselves in a cage that is too large. A cage that is too small will make the new parrot feel cramped and stressed.

The cage should be the permanent home for the adult birds. If you have not acquired the right supplies do not bring home the bird until you have gotten the appropriate care supplies. You do not want to stress the bird twice by introducing him to a new cage shortly after he has just gotten used to another one.

The diet is also something that your parrot should not have abruptly changed even if you feel the last owner was not feeding the bird right. Leave the bird’s diet unchanged at first and slowly mix feed over to the new diet.

Parrots are extremely social birds and must have consistent attention. You should put your parrot in a permanent place where the parrot will have an opportunity to interact with household members throughout the day. You should spend quality time interacting with the bird for at least an hour a day. Learning so basic parrot training will give you and the bird a great deal of personal satisfaction. Each parrot has a unique personality and you will influence the best aspects of the bird’s character by spending time focusing on the bird as a pet.

If you spend a great deal of time away from home , but still are determined to get a parrot you might consider two. You will avoid behavior problems in your parrot is not bored and lonely. Birds have preferences so it would be best to either get two young parrots or two older parrots that have lived together and get on well.

If you are introducing a new parrot to an old you might want to let the new parrot adjust in general to your new household first before you introduce him or her to the resident bird. You should monitor the birds’ interaction for several days before you leave the two birds together for an extended period of time.

Parrots require specific toys, foods beyond seed, and medical care. You need to read extensively on all aspects of Parrot care before making a several hundred dollars investment in a bird you can not care for. Parrots are life long companions that can grow up with your children and grandchildren. They are one of the few family pets that become living and loving family heirlooms.

Sources:  http://www.plannedparrothood.com/buying.html: Advice about the buying and care of Parrots and pet birds.

e

Related articles

• Bird Cages Buying Guide
• Parrot Love: To Glenn Reynolds, These Intelligent Birds Are Incredible
• Pet Supplies Buying Guide
• Tips and Tricks for Surviving the Breeding Season with Parrots
• Our Bird Boutique Caters to All Your Needs

You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream :A Birdy Scream Time

Bird cluster (Photo credit:) All species of bird to communicate with the of the flock.

English: A finger bitten by a pet bird. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Avoid engaging with your pet bird when they are overly stimulated and screaming. Let the bird have a cooling off period.

Raggiana Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea raggiana (Photo credit: Wikipedia)These birds use screaming as a security system to keep the flock safe.

Unidentified bird in a bird bath . Birds in your back yard find a reason to be loud. Since it is not at 2am we generally don 't notice how loud birds in the wild are.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Song learning pathway in birds (Based on Nottebohm, 2005) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Why are many pet birds so loud?. One of the things learned from Michelle Karras  a parrot expert is silence means danger! If you have a flock of wild  birds in trees (in their natural environment) or even a flock of local wild birds in your back yard a flock of birds will make a lot of noises . It is all about the flock. Chirp, chirp, scream, scream bird interaction goes on for hours. What are they communicating about? Same things we do. “Find any food lately? Yeah they had a great sale on worms about a mile from here.”

SILENCE means danger! If you’ve ever seen a hawk fly over a flock of wild birds, you swear you can hear the sound of the hawk’s wings flapping. That’s one of the reasons pet birds’ come in so many colors. If they’re quiet and deep in a tree they are difficult to spot. Wild birds- know screaming now is the wrong to do. When that danger passes its chirp, chirp, scream, scream, among the flock. All this post danger screaming means the coast is clear.

Something we hear a lot of is - people will have a screaming bird (usually newbie’s) and the bird will scream for whatever reason. What does their human companion do? Yell SHUT UP! And what does the pet birds do? SCREAM SOME MORE!

. The bird screams, you scream back. Do you think there may be a slight chance that when you scream back the bird might be thinking “hey – this is great!  Someone is finally squawking back at me “hey SCREAM, SCREAM, please scream back some more, I’m lonely you’re my flock and I need to talk to someone than you?”


Excessive screaming is a learned behavior that we teach our birds.  Covering your feathered companion with a blanket, teaches him or her that you will cover the cage when scream gets out of hand.

Yelling at a screaming pet birds, gives the pet birds the attention it seeks.  Ignoring screaming pet birds is not the answer either. Ignoring bird’s screams could result in finding injuries too late (or water had run out).  Options are to make sure all your birds needs are satisfied.  Large hygienic cages, clean water, fresh food, working toys are all needed to keep your pet bird happy and less inclined to engage in attention demanding screaming. Remember your bird needs 8 to 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Maybe if you create a more tranquil napping environment for your bird , the bird will not scream and let you actually get some sleep.


You can create aa signal to stop loud pet birds. Ring a cowbell (or bang a pot)  in the room next to the screaming bird. They hear the bell (sound), they stop to listen to the noise, because the sound is new and grabs the attention of the bird. If you then, show up from the other room while they are quiet. Now you reward the quiet behavior with treats and attention. This makes the bird much more likely to succeed at learning there is a time and place to make loud noises. If quiet time is rewarded, then being quiet becomes an activity that pays of more to the bird than being loud to get attention. to praise and reward.

Creating A Controlled Screaming Hours

 Use a time when you know your birds  are quite loud. Distract the pet bird with a loud unfamiliar sound from the next room.  Then you come out with some very significant rewards( such as cheese or dried egg) and verbal praise..

Lengthen the time between the signal and your appearance each time.  Try and take a whole day at first and only work with the pet birds and the screaming. Initial rewards should be substantial, a known favorite treat. Use the same signal just before feeding fresh food.  Not all pet bird’s will quiet down for the same signal so you may have to try several noises before finding the one that works for you.

Note: Do not use your voice. They may try to mimic you.

 Scream time is a time during the day that you allow your pet birds to be noisy.  This should be given somewhere between 3p.m. and 7p.m. each day.  Encourage your pet birds by playing stimulating music. aDance, sing or scream along with them. Scream time should last no less than 15minutes and no more than 1/2 hour each day.

Some pet birds enjoy screaming to the vacuum, this is fine to encourage but play music as well.  Find music that your pet bird gets excited over. Use that same song every day for scream time. Change the music from time to time but be consistent overall.  When Scream time is over, lower the music volume Talk your pet birds down. Lower the music slowly, turn it off, and play their relaxation code music. Give them afternoon snacks when “cool down” is over.

Birds will wait for their "Scream Time” because they know they will be rewarded for their patience.

Related articles

• Calming Down Pets That are Afraid of Loud Noises
• The young Peregrines at 8 weeks old.
• Parrot Love: To Glenn Reynolds, These Intelligent Birds Are Incredible
• How to Turn Your Backyard Into a Bird Sanctuary

Common Feather Disorders in Pet Birds

English: Red Lory (Eos bornea) upper body preening feathers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A common bird feather, 1400 X (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are millions of parrot and bird owners in the United States who find their relationship with their feathered friends to be as fulfilling, as many people find their relationship with their dogs and cats.
Parrots for example; bond particularly close to their owners. Many times parrots even become possessive of their owners and express jealously to other household members. Birds can offer owners a level of interaction not available with other household pets. This level of interaction is even deeper for the owner when they own birds that mimic speech. One of the major problems with owning any bird is health issues. Few vets are experts in the care and health of birds as they are with the health concerns of dogs and cats.
Birds are fragile pets because feathers do not protect them as well as fur. Feathers leave large amounts of the skin on birds exposed. Therefore, feather disorders can be one of the more common illnesses in pet birds. Excessive preening and picking at feathers can be a sign that your bird has one of three common feather and skin disorders.
Preening is the natural process by which your bird maintains the health of their feathers and skin, Birds uses their beaks to clean and smooth feathers. In the process oily secretions of the precursor of vitamin D are released from the preening gland. This oil helps waterproof the feathers and help eliminate bacteria. Preening is the natural way your bird maintains their healthy skin and feathers.
Feather cysts are common on the wings of birds and can lead to life threatening conditions. This condition of feather cysts may require surgical removal of the cysts by a veterinarian familiar with the care and treatment of pet birds.Behavioral obsessive feather picking is hard to treat. Still, finding what trauma and upset is causing the behavior is important because large loss of feathers leaves skin exposed to other disorders.
One last condition common in feathers of pet birds are polyfollicles. This happens when too many feathers grow out of one follicle. This can lead to serious infection. The condition of polyfollicles itself is thought to be caused by a virus.Become familiar with your birds preening habits and looks for changes and excessive feather loss. Talk to other bird owners and find a veterinarian in your area that specializes in bird care, before you have health issues with your bird.