African Gray Parrot
For the most devoted pet possible, it is best to only have one bird per cage, as two or more birds together will tend to relate to one another and not with their owner. If you are planning on having just one bird, you should definitely provide it with plenty of bird toys and accessories for entertainment and activity. Of course, it is still a good idea to get some toys and accessories even if you have more than one bird. In addition to toys and accessories, you should fulfill your feathered friend’s need for companionship by spending some time with it each day.
Bird Toys and Accessories
Most birds are very active and playful animals. Scientists who study birds in the wild have found out that when birds are not gathering food, they are playing. Birds in the wild love to chew wood, fling leaves and twigs, and swing from vines and branches. Your pet bird will have this playing desire as well. Providing your bird with a variety of toys and accessories will keep it entertained and exercised, thus satisfying its playing desire as well as keeping it in good physical health.
Toys and accessories also help to educate and nurture. For young birds, toys help them to identify colors, shapes, and textures. Toys also help to develop coordination and produce a more confident and intelligent adult bird. It provides improved mental health by promoting independence and reducing aggression. Birds who do not receive toys or proper playtime usually develop negative behaviors such as feather picking, screaming for attention, aggression towards people, fear of other objects, and destructiveness towards household objects and furniture.
Fortunately, there is a large and fun range of toys and accessories to choose from, including swings, bells, and more. Most birds also love mirrors and other reflective objects. It is especially good to have a mirror in the cage if you have just one bird. Birds are very social creatures and will not be as lonely if there is another bird as a companion, or the reflection of themselves to admire.
Make sure your bird’s toys are safe and designed especially for birds. Do not use uncommon play things such as pencils, keys, baby toys, nails, strings, etc. These items may contain toxic materials and other substances which may endanger your bird’s health. Bird toys are usually not loose items but are designed to be properly secured to the cage by a wire or thin chain. Never use shower curtain rings or hooks – your bird’s foot or beak may become caught in it. As mentioned before, do not allow any loose strings inside the cage, your bird may get caught in it or try to swallow it.
Most birds, especially the bigger birds such as parrots who have large strong beaks, will chew on anything that looks interesting. Thus, never allow your bird to come into contact with electrical cords. Also, do not allow birds to chew on old jewelry, old paint, faucets, zippers, bases of light bulbs, and foil from wine bottles. These are sources of lead and zinc poisoning that can cause serious health problems for your bird. Chew toys made out of wood are good for satisfying your bird’s chewing desire. Just make sure that it is a safe kind of wood for them to chew. It is best to get your wood chews at a good pet shop.
Finally, perches are another very important accessory for any bird. Every bird should have at least two perches in its cage. The perches should vary in diameter so that the bird’s feet do not flex the same way all the time. Many perches made of all kinds of materials are available today, ranging from natural woods, soft ropes, to cement ones which help keep a bird’s nails trim. Rough perches such as a sandpaper-covered perch should not be the only perch in your bird’s cage, as they are too abrasive for a bird to stand on all the time.
Bird Training
Of course, your bird does not only love its toys and accessories, it also loves and needs you. Therefore, remember that you the pet owner should fulfill your pet’s need for companionship by spending some time with it each day. Meanwhile, you will also enjoy the relaxation, happiness, and numerous other physical and psychological health benefits that spending time and doing activities with your pet will bring. One of the fun and rewarding activities that you can do with your bird is teaching your bird to talk, whistle or do some simple tricks. This can be very interesting for other people to watch, not to mention also bringing admiration for you and your bird. Bird training can also increase the bond between you and your bird.
Getting your bird to talk, whistle, and learn other tricks is not as hard as you might think. It will just take some patience and time. You will first need to give your bird some time to become comfortable around you, as a new bird is often a bit timid and frightened at first. Remember that wing trimming or clipping also makes birds a little easier to work with and train, as well as helping to ensure that they do not fly away or cause other trouble. If you do not know how to trim or clip your bird’s wings, take it to your pet shop or vet to get that done before you start any bird training. When you are ready to start training, move all other pets, like cats and dogs, out of the room. Try to remove all other distractions so the bird will concentrate on your voice.
If you want to teach your bird some tricks, try simple tricks at first and do a lot of repetition. Make sure your bird is very comfortable with you and repeat what you want your bird to do over and over. A good starting trick to teach your bird is getting it to step onto your finger. Just push your finger under its lower chest, and say “step up.” After a few times of doing this, your bird will learn.
If there is a word or short phrase that you want to teach your bird, speak the word or short phrase clearly to it. Birds will pick up one word or a few words easier than they will pick up whole sentences. Repeat this word or phrase over and over again to your bird. Depending on the bird, it may take several weeks for it to pick up the word or phrase. Birds can also pick up whistling, and some birds can even sing songs. As they pick up a word or phrase, you can add others to this, and they can then increase their vocabulary. Spend at least 15 to 20 minutes teaching your bird each day, and try to teach your bird on a routine basis. Some birds may never talk, but a lot of them will.
If you have any more questions regarding about toys and accessories for birds, or about how to train your bird or teach your bird new things, just ask us and we will help you any way we can.
Tags: Birds and Wild Birds
