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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Establishing a Friendship with your Bird

By Dominic Lawsen

While most pet owners would pick a dog over a bird to provide companionship, love, and entertainment, the truth of the matter is that birds are equally good at providing all three and can even take the place of man's best friend if given the chance. Birds are so easily overshadowed by the stereotype cast upon Polly by Hollywood that their emotional and intellectual attributes are often disregarded in favor of a fluffy, tail-wagging puppy. Yes birds happen to sit and squawk in their cages for most of their lives, but that's only if the owner neglects to take the time and create a bond with their pet bird. Birds, like all pets, can create strong bonds with their owners and can even be trained and enjoy having fun if given the chance. Remember, the owner is the one keeping the bird in the cage. Given the chance to fly, your bird will spread its wings and soar.

In order to establish said relationship with your feathery friend, an owner must first understand the behaviors and physical attributes displayed by their bird. The most important thing to keep in mind is that your bird is an intelligent, emotional, and living creature. It will experience a range of things from boredom, to attachment, to jealousy and anger. None of these mood swings should make you upset or confused. Simply take some time to observe and understand the behavior sand what triggers them, and you and your bird will be able to respect each other in no time.

When owning a bird, you may notice a few gestures or behaviors that occur repeatedly or from time to time. As a responsible owner it's always a good thing to understand what these things mean to ensure that you don't agitate your already angry bird, or stop the bird from cleaning itself. Often when birds become excited their eyes may dilate in and out, which is called eye pining, or flare their tail feathers. This usually isn't the best time to stick your finger near their faces, especially if their clicking their beaks. While it usually it merely means their excited, beak clicking can also be a warning to keep your distance.

Many behaviors, however, are not indications of agitation and instead serve as daily functions for birds. When birds have finished bathing themselves, they will fluff their feathers and look like their flaring in warning. In reality, however, they are simply ridding of the excess debris that has collected between the folds of their feathers. Feather fluffing is also a way to keep warm, so if your bird seems to be doing it outside of bathing, it may be ill. After eating, birds may wipe their beaks on their perch or cage just as another means of keeping clean.

There are certain birds that have feather crests on their heads that expand when experiencing different emotions. If you're bird is one of these, take notice of when the crest expands. Some birds, like the Quaker, will shake quite frequently or bob their heads. Most birds shake after a bath anyway, as it's an involuntary muscle spasm to dry themselves, and some bob their heads simply because they are anxious or excited.

Other traits you may notice include the bird grinding their beak right before they fall asleep. This hints to contentment. Birds will also preen their feathers to keep them straight and clean, and this is only cause for worry when the preening becomes excessive. If your bird seems to be biting or plucking their feathers out, something is wrong and the bird may be ill. Regurgitation, not to be confused with vomiting, is also a typical behavior found with birds. Regurgitation occurs when a bird becomes attached to another bird, hatches some eggs, or even establishes a strong bond with its owner. The difference between regurgitation and vomit is that the vomit will stick to the beak and feathers of the bird, making it quite messy and obvious.

Keep in mind that your bird was not bred to live in a cage, ergo the tight confined environment might bore your pet after a while. Give your bird space to fly free and equipment to play with. Like all pets, birds enjoy some free time and the occasional good toy. If you see your bird attempting to lift off in the cage or shuffling uneasily, it's a good bet that it's bored or needing some open air. Consider blocking off a room and letting the bird go. It will appreciate it in the long run and the exercise will relieve a lot of pent up energy. Birds will also nap frequently throughout the day. Birds will usually sleep on one leg, and if the bird looks fluffed and is sleeping on two legs it may be ill.

Birds can become so attached to an owner that jealousy and possessiveness can become an issue. If you start noticing this behavior in your bird, don't become frustrated or agitated in return. Your bird could feed off your negative energy and act aggressive too. Instead, try to deter the behavior in a calm and patient fashion. If you understand what triggers the reaction, you should be able to reverse it. And that is how the owner and pet create a mutual bond of understanding, respect, and friendship. - 17268

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