Birds Represent Many Species – Not Breeds

Birds Represent Many Species – Not Breeds

One of the things I have always loved about dogs is the incredible selection of sizes, shapes and assortment of colors and temperaments available. This is even more remarkable when you consider that, technically, dogs are one species. The variety is in the form of breeds, but all are descended from wolf or jackal ancestors to the best of our knowledge. With the advancement of DNA technology, we might find out differently!

Birds represent a wide variety of species that originated in different geographic areas of the world. They are adapted to live in their particular environment and to fill a role in the ecosystem. Lories have brush tongues to drink nectar from flowers. Cockatiels and parakeets are native to the arid desert of inland Australia. No wonder they make forgiving pets for children and first-time bird owners! Blue and gold macaws are treetop dwellers from the rain forests of the Amazon. In their native habitat they are rained on daily and forage on a wide variety of foods. I have personally visited the habitat of yellow-naped Amazons in Guatemala and listened to the vocalizations of pairs settling down at sunset in the tropics. They have voices that carry for miles. Why do we try to make apartment pets of these creatures?

I’m digressing! The important thing to get out of this is that no one can give you any one set of instructions for caring for birds. Hopefully, you will work with informed owners who know something about the needs of species they are keeping. That way they can provide you with nectar for lories, fruits and veggies for rain forest birds or pinkie mice for a hornbill.

The closest thing to a domesticated bird is the common parakeet, cockatiel or canary. Both zebra finches and society, or Bengalese, finches are also common birds that breed willingly. When BIRD TALK magazine does surveys of its readership, about 75 percent of its readers own a parakeet or a cockatiel. These species come in a variety of colors, which have been developed in captivity. They have been kept in captivity for some time. Both the parakeet and cockatiel were first imported into the United States in the early 1900s, and were bred in Europe for half a century before that.

The canary has been kept for so long as a songbird that there are breeds of canary. The wild canary is a serin finch you wouldn’t take any more notice of than a sparrow or house finch. Far from being all yellow Tweety birds, canaries come in colors from apricot to blue or white, and in variations in feathering. Glosters look like they are wearing hats, and Norwich are called “teddy bears” for their stout conformation and their frills, which look like they dried their feathers in a strong wind. Some breeds were bred for song, and still others for color or conformation.

Longevity

Some of the larger parrot species have lifespans equal to that of a human. Macaws and cockatoos have been reported to live to 70 or 80 years old. Canaries and budgies may live as long as 12-15 years, and cockatiels to age 20 and beyond. Amazons, greys and conures probably live about 25-35 years. Pet birds are getting better care than ever before, so as the current generation of birds matures, we will know more about lifespan in captivity. Obviously, though, there are many larger birds that will live with a family for a generation or two!

Physiology

A bird’s anatomy is built for flight. It has hollow bones and a system of air sacs throughout its body, which makes it lightweight. What this means to you as a pet sitter is that birds are very susceptible to fumes or smoke. You shouldn’t smoke around a bird or use cleaning products near a bird. While we breathe in with two lungs, a bird fills air sacs and bones with the air it takes in. Just remember the canaries in mines that warned miners of toxic fumes before they were affected. (I am told miners were often able to rescue the canaries and take them out of the mines with them.)

A bird does not have a diaphragm. If you hold a bird firmly around its middle, you will suffocate it. It would be a good idea to learn how to hold a bird to restrain it in ways that are safe for both you and the bird. It is common to hold a bird with a towel when restraining it.

Birds have feathers. That is one of their most beautiful features, until you have to sweep up a bucketful of them! At certain times of the year birds molt, replacing all the feathers on their body with new ones. It doesn’t happen all at once, but rather over a series of weeks. This is a twice-yearly event with my cockatiels, but only once a year for many species. Molting may also be triggered by keeping a bird in an overheated house, by a move or by stress.

There are a couple things to keep in mind about birds during molt. New feathers have a blood supply at their base. If the new feather is broken off for some reason, the shaft must be pulled out. It may require the assistance of a veterinarian to do so. If the feather were not pulled out, the bird would continue to bleed. This is another example of a potential emergency situation. Having some emergency supplies on hand is a good idea! Consult with an avian vet, but recommended supplies include: aseptic hand washes, two sizes of sterile gauze pads, antiseptic prep pads, styptic pencil for bleeding, forceps for removing blood feathers and Gatorade for fluid replacement.

Sex is a Guess

Another difference in the anatomy of birds is their lack of external sexual organs. This means a bird owner may not know the sex of his or her pet, and that there are not yet safe neutering procedures for birds. Both males and females have gonads (sex organs) in their bodies. Birds can be sexed by a veterinarian, who does minor surgery to look at these gonads, or by submitting blood to a DNA test lab. Because they are not ever neutered, some birds have hormonal and mood fluctuation at certain times of the year when they would be breeding if they were with a mate. For your information, birds raise their babies as pairs and usually both parent the offspring. The notion of a stud bird will make most breeders laugh!

Eating Like a Bird

Most well-educated bird owners these days realize that seed is not a complete diet for their birds. There are now “pellets” on the market containing vitamins and minerals—just like there are kibbles for dog and cat owners. Birds usually also appreciate an assortment of fruits and vegetables daily, and occasional treats of warm pasta snacks, seeds or nuts. This of course varies by species! You will encounter bird owners feeding seeds (and ideally supplementing those with vitamins, a corn/bean/rice mash or a diet based on sprouted seed and legumes). The above applies to most parrots. If you are caring for lories, they are nectar and fruit eaters, while hornbills consume pinkie mice regularly. A basic guide in bird feeding is that birds can eat almost anything people should eat. That means avoid salt, sugar, fat, alcohol and caffeine. They usually love veggie and grain treats. In addition, don’t let a bird nibble on avocado or chocolate, both of which are poisonous.

Obedience Training

Birds are intelligent and can understand some commands and “no.” However, training or punishment should never be physical with a bird. Bird training and behavior modification are built on a foundation of trust. Good ways to win over a bird include feeding it a favorite treat, talking to it, or scratching its head or under its wings. The bird’s owner can tell you how it is used to being handled, if at all. Some birds willingly come up onto a hand, arm or stick.

Bird Care Questions to Ask Owner

Some other behavior questions to ask owners include: Does the bird have a favorite toy? Does the owner cover the cage at night? Does the bird know any commands like “up”? What is the bird’s diet?

Hopefully you have been inspired to learn more about birds, and even to consider caring for our feathered friends. If you have any questions or comments, please write to me in care of the The WORLD!

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