Housing
The ideal location for your bird’s cage is in a corner or against a wall in the room that you and your family spend most of their time in. This enables your pet bird to be part of the family even when they’re inside their cage. The reason you want to put the cage against the wall or in a corner is because it enables your bird to feel more safe and protected. Now they only have to keep guard on two or three sides rather than all the way around. You bird still has wild instincts and the instinct to protect themselves from predators is still deeply ingrained. If you place your pet bird on a counter top or table where they’re exposed, they can become stressed and start exhibiting poor behaviors. Consider having a separate sleeping cage or get a cage with casters so you can move it at night if you plan on being in the bird’s room late at night so you do not interrupt their sleeping pattern. Birds also feel safer when they are above you or have the ability to retreat to a high perch.
Cages
There are several specifications to keep your bird healthy and happy. The bigger the cage, the happier your bird will be. A rough guide for minimal cage width is one that allows the bird to fully stretch its wings and flap. Your bird should also be able to stand and stretch comfortably without touching the cage top. For flighted birds a rectangular cage with perches at each end are ideal. Most birds prefer to fly horizontally rather than vertically. A stainless steel cage is best. A tall cage will allow treetop dwelling birds to climb up high. A door that opens down or to the side is the safest type of door, as a guillotine door can accidentally trap your bird and injure it. A cage on casters makes it easy to move. Make certain the bars are close enough together so your bird cannot escape or get caught between its bars. Lastly, it is important to make sure the cage has a wire grated bottom and a pull out tray below it for easy cleanup.
Newspaper is ideal for lining bird cages. Butcher paper and paper grocery bags also work well. Avoid materials like wood chips and corn cob. These can be messy, birds may ingest them, and if not kept scrupulously clean, fungus may grow on these substrates, increasing the risk of Aspergillosis infection.
Perches
Offer an assortment of perches with different diameters, shapes, and textures. Natural wood perches from trees such as dogwood, fruit trees, or willow trees are ideal. Never offer perches made from concrete or other abrasive materials as the only perch or the highest perch. Do not offer sandpaper perches at all as they are too abrasive for your bird’s feet. Bird nails do not need an abrasive surface to wear them down; they should naturally ex-sheathe to a normal length like cat claws. Overgrown nails reflect either poor nutrition, too small perches for the size of you bird, or systemic disease. Rope perches are gentle on the feet, but check them frequently and remove the rope when it becomes soiled or frayed. Unraveled rope strands can entangle your pet bird’s toes. Also monitor your bird to make sure it does not eat bits of rope. For large parrots untreated pine 2x4s from a hardware store can be used; your birds will enjoy chewing the wood and they are inexpensively replaced.
Bowls and Dishes
Food and water bowls are essential for your bird’s cage. Dishes should be placed high up to minimize the risk of contamination from droppings. They should be kept full at all times, many birds cannot or will not drink from poorly filled bowls. Hooded bowls are available for messy birds. An outside mounted water bottle may help conserve interior cage space. If you choose to try a water bottle, birds need to learn to drink from water bottles. Keep an eye on the sipper to make sure your bird has not stuffed it with seeds or other materials. Even a water bottle should have its contents changed daily.
Environment
The ideal temperature range for your bird is between 70 and 80 degrees F. Your pet bird’s cage should be placed away from drafts such as the direct line of an air conditioner or heating vent.
Provide daily access to unfiltered sunlight and/or full-spectrum lighting. Birds need exposure to UVA and UVB rays from direct sunlight or full-spectrum lighting to synthesize vitamin D necessary for bone health. Window glass blocks necessary UV rays. If you can provide an outside enclosure that would be optimal for the bird. They should, however, be monitored outdoors and their cages should be protected to prevent attack by predators. Outdoor cages should be inspected daily for ants and other pests as well. Your bird should also be able to move away from direct sunlight.
Extended periods of out-of-cage activities are important for keeping your pet bird happy. Providing your bird with a play pen or parrot perch will provide a safe-out-of-cage experience, and prevent them from sitting and chewing on your furniture. A toy box for enrichment is also recommended. Plenty of toys for your bird to chew on are recommended. The toys must be kept clean and be easily disinfected. Toys should be carefully selected, toys that are too small or not strong enough can be a health hazard.
Birds enjoy trees, plants and wildlife as much as people do. Even if they are kept indoors, we can still provide them with living plants and branches with leaves still on them. You will find that your pet will enjoy it, and it will provide a pleasing way to add a natural touch to your home. Make sure to use safe, edible plants and non-toxic wood. If your bird chews the plants up right away, you will want to choose something that is inexpensive to replace on a regular basis.
Baths and Grooming
Your pet should be given opportunities to bathe, as a regular grooming routine will promote feather and skin health. There are different ways to approach grooming. A shallow dish of water can be provided. Alternatively, you may “shower” your bird underneath the faucet or mist it with a clean spray bottle of water.
Exercise and Play
As with humans, exercise is important for your pet bird’s health and well-being. Here are some recommended exercises you can enjoy with your bird:
Chase: You can place your parrot on the bed or on a blanket on the floor and chase them around. Most birds thoroughly enjoy this game; however, excessively aggressive behavior during this time is not acceptable.
Climbing: Promote climbing by having your bird go up and down a staircase in your home if you have one. If not take a rope and attach it to the ceiling from the floor and encourage him to go up and down on command. There are also many products online like ladders and cargo nets that can be used to encourage climbing.
Step-ups: Simply encourage your bird to do multiple step-up exercises from one hand to another (laddering).
Play ball or fetch on a bed or on the floor.
Dancing: Play your bird’s favorite music and encourage dancing with you. This will get the bird excited and jumping around.
Foraging and enrichment: This is a great enrichment exercise and an excellent way to feed veggies and fruit, as these are the items most likely to be viewed as treats. The best way to start teaching how to forage is to place vegetable and fruits in foraging toys or wrapping bowls or vegetables in paper while your bird is watching. A cheap and easy way to begin foraging is to put vegetables and fruit in a small bowl and wrap it with paper. At first, puncture a small whole of top, but soon your bird will figure out that there is food under the paper. You can also hide food items up higher so climbing is necessary to reach them. Exercise and foraging toys are easily available for purchase online.