Should I Give My Pet Bird A Mirror Or Not?

Is it okay if a bird sees the reflection of her cage in a mirror from a little distance? Does this make the same effect of a mirror inside of the cage?

One of the answers read: “Larger birds such as parrots have no trouble telling that their reflection is not another bird. For smaller birds, the mirror would probably need to be in the cage so that the bird could actually play with its reflection.”

but the answer makes no sense.

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How To Introduce New Toys That Parrots Should Play With
Funny budgerigar. Cute green budgie pa parrot sits in a cage and plays with a mirror. Funny tamed pet bird and her toys

How To Introduce New Toys That Parrots Should Play With

And How to Discourage Items They Should Leave Alone

I had a screen saver a while back with an umbrella cockatoo and the words (from the cockatoo’s perspective), “What’s mine is mine, what’s yours is mine, if you put it down it is mine, if I see it it is mine, but if you give it to me, I don’t want it”.

This is so true for many parrots and can be used to introduce new toys and cage additions to your bird’s environment. 

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Will Vitamin E Help Heal My Birds Foot Sores?
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Will Vitamin E Help Heal My Birds Foot Sores?

Hi Mitch,

 

Thank you so much for getting back to me, what you had to say was very helpful. 

 

I do not know how to send pictures from my Chrome book, only know how to send pictures with my phone, I’m not very good with technology. 

 

I did get Alex a rope perch recently, but he won’t go near it as of yet.

 

I read on the parrot forum that Vitamin E oil is good for pressure sores. 

 

Do you agree? 

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Will My Young Cockatoo Welcome An Older Macaw
Will My Young Cockatoo Welcome An Older Macaw

Will My Young Cockatoo Welcome An Older Macaw

Laurie C asks

My husband and I rescued a 3-month-old medium Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (aka Eleonora cockatoo) from a horrible pet store situation last August.

We finished his hand-feeding which took another month.

He was very skinny and underfed so we have spoiled him rotten.

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Why Do My 2 Amazon Parrots Get Scared When I Put Toys In Their Cage
2-amazon-parrots

Why Do My 2 Amazon Parrots Get Scared When I Put Toys In Their Cage

Angela wrote:

It does not matter if the toys are small, medium or large.

mitchr asks

Do they tolerate plexiglass? Plastic?

Angela said

Locking rings are a toy I offer but they will not play with them.

Instead, they go around them as if the ring toys were in their way or annoyed them

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How She Cared For Her African Greys Fractured Leg Bone
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How She Cared For Her African Greys Fractured Leg Bone

Hi Mitch and Catherine,

Thanks again for an informative ‘Sunday Birdie Brunch’!

I would appreciate some guidance…

Due to my carelessness and haste a month ago, I scooped Hannah up as she was running down the hallway and dropped her by accident.

I saw the look on her face and her holding her leg and knew immediately she was injured.

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Help For A Green Cheek Conures Projectile Vomiting
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Help For A Green Cheek Conures Projectile Vomiting

Mona S. writes

I recently had the experience of seeing my beloved Green Cheek Conure do what I would describe as projectile vomiting, which absolutely scared me to nearly to death.

 

I have owned birds for about 30 years or so and had never seen anything like this.

 

Actually, I was not even aware that birds could vomit at all, except for regurgitating to feed their young.

 

This looked like someone had turned on the faucet for a couple of seconds.

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Windy City Parrot Defines Small And Smallest Species of Pet Birds
gouldian-finch-1

Windy City Parrot Defines Small And Smallest Species of Pet Birds

Finches

Zebra Finches – Gray Chestnut Finches – Flanked White Finches – Fawns Lightback Finches – Black Cheek Finches – Black Breasted Finches – Florida Fancy Finches – Orange Breasted Finches – Penguin Finches – Pied Finches – Eumo Finches – Agate Finches – Recessive Silver Finches – Black Face Finches – Fawn/Gray Cheek Finches – Dominant Silver Finches – Crested Finches – White Finches – Yellow Beak Finches – Timor Finches – Society Finches – Society Finch (Bengalese) – White Rumped Mannikin Finches – Gray Crown Mannikin Finches – Java Finches – 

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Should We Anesthetize Birds for Exams and Blunt Their Beaks?
russ-maxx-pionus-600

Should We Anesthetize Birds for Exams and Blunt Their Beaks?

The following comment is in reference to a blog post entitled  “How To Stop An Indian Ringneck Parrot From Biting

Russ commented:


FIRST OFF, Blunt Keto’s beak at the vet.

My vet is Scott McDonald, who puts all birds under gas for examination & grooming (STRESS FREEEEE).

His clinics are several per month in his Clarendon Hills home.

The best of the best.


SECOND: as with my 15y.o. Pionus, teach Ketto the difference between GOOD & BAD (or NO GOOD), by saying REPEATEDLY OVER & OVER AGAIN & AGAIN “Good Boy!”

Every single time Keto does something good.

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Can I Grab My Parakeets While In Their Cage
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Can I Grab My Parakeets While In Their Cage

First of all, people who state absolute truths about bird care as in yes and no have much to learn.

To answer this question with an emphatic “no”, begs even more queries:

  1. It’s time to take the bird to the vet, how do I get it from cage to carrier?
  2. The bird is sick or injured in the cage, now what?
  3. How do I get the bird to examine it?
  4. What if I need to weigh the bird?

If you just want to let the bird out by opening the cage door have you examined your home?

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