Children are loud, messy, and time-consuming, but every family has 2.6 of them (Pew Research).
I probably spend less time cleaning up after my eight birds in three birdcages than most moms cleaning up after 2 six-year-olds
or a single toddler
To say that all birds are time-consuming is an unsupported blanket statement.
We have a Senegal parrot and an African ringneck.
Neither is very noisy.
Once again, although well-intentioned, people are breaking down your choices into the macro of species (Quora question).
One answer started with
Mimi H writes,
A patient of mine highly recommended you. I’ve watched some of the biting videos but you see I took in a rescue sun conure. We believe it’s male. It humps everything right now.
His wings are not clipped mind you and I’m not against doing it if it will help.
My issue is not only is he hand shy but also a biter really bad.
We believe he is 4-5yo.
Where should I start and how?
We focus on bird and parrot nutrition a lot here because of the complexity of a bird’s anatomy.
Birds require far more energy than their ground-based counterparts.
Migratory birds fly at high altitudes where the air is thin.
You and I would require supplemental oxygen at those altitudes.
Question about Male Parakeet.
Every time I put my arm in the cage he attacks it, or he flies at me when I look in the cage.
My female looks depressed like she would rather he move out.
She used to be so happy.
I got her first, then him a couple of months after.
She would sing, and play with her toys.
Why do birds need bird toys?
So they can have fun right?
Well that’s one reason.
But the need for a bird toy goes far beyond entertainment.
Reason 1
Learning
We get help desk tickets and phone calls on a regular basis seeking advice for a handicapped bird. The most common disability is splayed foot (especially in budgies).
Splayed foot is when one or both of the bird’s feet turn sideways as a chick. This usually happens to young birds when nesting material is “slippery” so the feet don’t have enough traction to point in the right direction while still in the nest.
What is the best parrot for an apartment? The answers thus far have been pretty limited (on Quora).
We (Mitch & Catherine) used to (until 2019 when we migrated to Indiana) live in a three-flat apartment building, erected circa 1885 in the geographical center of the city of Chicago’s Ukrainian Village neighborhood.
It’s 1800 ft.² with 9 1/2 foot ceilings. The all-brick building is quite solid.
We like parrots. We are in the (caged bird) pet supply business. It’s our job to know about them.
For the record, we don’t sell any birds. We simply teach proper care for about 750 captive bird species out of approximately 10,400 species of birds on the planet.
Learn Amazon parrot care from one of Windy City Parrot’s customers – who gets it.
Hello, Mitch
I’ve followed your blog for quite a while and always appreciate your perspectives and insights. I was pretty much gutted when I read your article on Sunday … “Birds in cages suffer all their lives.”
I want my bird to have a happy and healthy a life as possible, but I read and hear so much contradictory information that I’m really not sure if I am providing what she needs— and I do try.
Please don’t get discouraged because of one anecdotal story of stupidity. (See other Quora answers below) People die in car crashes every day but most of us still drive.
Here’s a little back story for you. The ancient Greeks kept parakeets. Not necessarily budgies because the Alexandrian parakeet got its name from Alexander the Great. As the story goes Alexander was gifted one of those around 327 BC
File under more money than brains. We all know how crazy the Romans were but not many people know that they would assign a slave to take care of the family bird which was usually a parrot of some sort.
