So you want a bird, huh? Well, some of you aren’t going to want to hear it but I’m not here to cozy up to people’s feelings, I’m here to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about pet bird’s and our relationship to them as humans, guardians and care givers. Point blank, just like a sports car or a gun, birds aren’t for everybody. To quote Stuart Smalley “and that’s… OK”. That is the purpose of this compendium. To give you as much information as I can about birds so that you are able to make an informed decision about whether or not bird ownership is for you. Birds are like winged toddlers and even though they in some instances are easy to care for like not having to cart them around to soccer practice or help them with homework that is now far beyond your capacity, they’re also a lot of work and responsibility like having to feed them and pick up after them because you can’t communicate to them with words those actions necessary for an adult human household. But if you have human children, you know that in the end, if you put in the effort, the rewards are unparalleled.
I didn’t start this endeavor to make friends. I started it to make sure that people have a one stop shop for truthful (or at least the best possible) information about pet birds and to make sure that birds get the best homes and the best care that they can get; The kind of care that they deserve. There are many humans out there who have been mistreated by fellow humans and that has been the case throughout history. Birds are no different. Perhaps the information you find on this site (information that is far from perfect but information that is presented with the best of intentions to the best of our ability) will help make sure that we humans provide the best life that we can for our feathered friends. If we do, we will get in return, that which we put into it.
From personal experience, as a first time “parront” i.e. bird owner, (there’s lingo involved, as with any other group) just like a first time parent, we really had no clue as to what to expect. All we had to start with was that I was allergic to cats and she was allergic to dogs and we discussed getting a bird. I was like most Americans if not most people in general in my sentiment of “why would anyone want a bird? They’re noisy, messy, impersonal and they poop everywhere.” A wise man once said “assumption is the mother of all F-Ups.” Like most assumptions, looking back and knowing what I know now, kind of like trying to imagine life back in the days of Ancient Greece, looking up and thinking that yellow ball in the sky that provides heat and light is Apollo riding his chariot across the great expanse, I was completely wrong. Now my sentiment is “why would anyone want any other pet?”
Birds are hands down THE best pets you could ever hope to have. You can take them outside in warm weather. (Besides, who wants to the obligation that comes with having to walk your dog when it’s cold and cats… well forget outdoor exercise if you have a cat) Birds basically put themselves to bed at night, they’re relatively inexpensive to care for compared to dogs and cats, they’re pretty easy to clean up after and birds will love you like no other pet. Cats love you on their time which is for about 2 minutes of obligatory belly rubs before they decide that you’re a demon and bite you then take off for either the next 2 weeks or if the food bowl is empty, whichever comes first. Dogs after about a week in a new house will become perfectly at home as if he’s been there the whole time and love you lots. But birds… birds make you earn it. However, once you earn that trust and love, they’re yours forever. I’ve never heard of a dog’s owner dying and the dog rips out all of his fur in sadness. Birds will do that. For future reference, I’ll simply refer to an example bird as “he” since our first bird was male.