totaly new to birds
- Thread starter Ronin94
- Start date
Welcome Ronin94!!! What kind of parrot sparked your entrest? Lots to learn hope you will read the sticky threads st the top of each species. These wonderful intelligent special creatures have a lot of special needs and are at risk from a lot of common household items. Where are you from?
noodles123
Well-known member
- Jul 11, 2018
- 8,145
- 475
- Parrots
- Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
WELCOME!
I am going to copy and paste a reply that I wrote for someone who posted the question, "what parrot should I get"--Not because I don't want to respond to you, but because I think it addresses a lot of potential issues.
I will post the thread link after I post my response. Good luck!
"Things to consider:
Unexpected medical bills
The potential noise/restrictions in apartment situations. While you may be able to keep a bird in an apartment, if it screams while you are away, then you risk eviction warnings etc. Not saying this WILL happen, but larger birds ARE LOUD.....LOOOOOOOUUUUUDDDDD (at least some of the time). EDIT--If your bird won't stop screaming, so you run over to hush it or distract it, this will only INCREASE the screaming if the root of the screaming was boredom or attention-seeking...and then you will have an even bigger behavioral problem on your hands.
If you travel, who takes the bird (and what if it only likes you)? Vets are not a very safe choice when it comes to boarding birds IMO (diseases from other birds, too much cage-time etc)...Many people are terrified to care for birds and if boarding in a home, you must also teach these people about all of the "no-no"s like Teflon and fumes, which can be VERY awkward if they are doing you a favor by watching your pet.
What if your bird doesn't trust them and they cannot get it back in the cage?
What if it becomes upset when you leave and starts plucking its feathers?
What if they do some house-cleaning or home improvements without thinking and your bird suffers the consequences?
Is there a Certified Avian Vet (CAV) near you?
What if your new bird bites you and appears to dislike you?
If you have roommates and things, you also should know that standard cleaners (pretty much anything that isn't avian approved or vinegar +water) can kill your bird (bleach, windex, lysol etc).
Fumes from cleaners, perfumes, candles, air-fresheners, fabreeze, bug-spray, hairspray, vaping, cigarettes, soaps etc can all be deadly (or at the very least, quite harmful to your bird's sensitive respiratory system).
Last (but not least)-- research PTFE, PTFOA, AKA- Teflon. It is VERY dangerous to use around birds and it is in a lot of things where you wouldn't expect it (microwave items, irons, ironing boards, pots/pans, rice-cookers, curling irons/hot rollers, space heaters, pop-corn poppers, coffee makers, oven liners and drip-trays, bake-in-a-bag meals...even some mascara lol)---The risk of Teflon happens when heated---it gives off odorless fumes that KILL birds very quickly. There are documented incidents where teflon use on the first floor of a home has killed birds on a totally different floor. It is not something to dismiss.
Of all of the obnoxious things about owning a bird, the lifestyle adjustment with regard to things like candles, hair products, perfumes, cleaners and Teflon products can be HUGE (especially in college when toilets need to be cleaned but spaces are very confined). If you want to know if a product contains teflon, you must call and tell them all of the names it could be listed under (ptfe, ptfoa, teflon). It won't list it on the package usually, especially if it is coating interior components like in a blow-dryer. Then, expect to be on hold, only to wait and wait for a call-back before possibly (but not always) getting a clear response as to whether your appliance is safe.
EDIT---One more thing----bedtimes.
Birds need a set number of quiet hours for sleep (GENERALLY- 10-12 HOURS OF UNDISTURBED SLEEP). This varies by bird-type. They MUST get sleep or they can become ill and behaviorally problematic...hormones etc are all regulated by light/dark cycles.
My bird is covered at night, which means that I have to be at the house to cover her every evening by 8 pm at the latest, but I never am home later than 4:00 because she MUST have a ton of interaction on the days when I am gone at work. I must also wake up accordingly and can no longer stay up all night with the intention of sleeping in.
Furthermore, my bird will not sleep well with noise in the room and she often ends up flapping around in her cage and messing up her feathers when startled. This is maybe the biggest challenge, as you suddenly lose a ton of freedom with regard to your plans (evening outings, in-home-get-togethers, late-night tv/phone calls etc)...If you have a separate room where the bird can sleep, that would probably be best, but as a student, this is easier said than done. Some birds aren't as sensitive about noises as others, but when my cockatoo doesn't get her 12-14 hours, she is demanding, anxious and pretty unpleasant."
THREAD LINK: http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/76822-what-parrot-should-i-get.html
ALSO- the post above doesn't even touch on the significant behavior problems birds can devlope if owners are not very well-versed in their development, hormones etc...
I am going to copy and paste a reply that I wrote for someone who posted the question, "what parrot should I get"--Not because I don't want to respond to you, but because I think it addresses a lot of potential issues.
I will post the thread link after I post my response. Good luck!
"Things to consider:
Unexpected medical bills
The potential noise/restrictions in apartment situations. While you may be able to keep a bird in an apartment, if it screams while you are away, then you risk eviction warnings etc. Not saying this WILL happen, but larger birds ARE LOUD.....LOOOOOOOUUUUUDDDDD (at least some of the time). EDIT--If your bird won't stop screaming, so you run over to hush it or distract it, this will only INCREASE the screaming if the root of the screaming was boredom or attention-seeking...and then you will have an even bigger behavioral problem on your hands.
If you travel, who takes the bird (and what if it only likes you)? Vets are not a very safe choice when it comes to boarding birds IMO (diseases from other birds, too much cage-time etc)...Many people are terrified to care for birds and if boarding in a home, you must also teach these people about all of the "no-no"s like Teflon and fumes, which can be VERY awkward if they are doing you a favor by watching your pet.
What if your bird doesn't trust them and they cannot get it back in the cage?
What if it becomes upset when you leave and starts plucking its feathers?
What if they do some house-cleaning or home improvements without thinking and your bird suffers the consequences?
Is there a Certified Avian Vet (CAV) near you?
What if your new bird bites you and appears to dislike you?
If you have roommates and things, you also should know that standard cleaners (pretty much anything that isn't avian approved or vinegar +water) can kill your bird (bleach, windex, lysol etc).
Fumes from cleaners, perfumes, candles, air-fresheners, fabreeze, bug-spray, hairspray, vaping, cigarettes, soaps etc can all be deadly (or at the very least, quite harmful to your bird's sensitive respiratory system).
Last (but not least)-- research PTFE, PTFOA, AKA- Teflon. It is VERY dangerous to use around birds and it is in a lot of things where you wouldn't expect it (microwave items, irons, ironing boards, pots/pans, rice-cookers, curling irons/hot rollers, space heaters, pop-corn poppers, coffee makers, oven liners and drip-trays, bake-in-a-bag meals...even some mascara lol)---The risk of Teflon happens when heated---it gives off odorless fumes that KILL birds very quickly. There are documented incidents where teflon use on the first floor of a home has killed birds on a totally different floor. It is not something to dismiss.
Of all of the obnoxious things about owning a bird, the lifestyle adjustment with regard to things like candles, hair products, perfumes, cleaners and Teflon products can be HUGE (especially in college when toilets need to be cleaned but spaces are very confined). If you want to know if a product contains teflon, you must call and tell them all of the names it could be listed under (ptfe, ptfoa, teflon). It won't list it on the package usually, especially if it is coating interior components like in a blow-dryer. Then, expect to be on hold, only to wait and wait for a call-back before possibly (but not always) getting a clear response as to whether your appliance is safe.
EDIT---One more thing----bedtimes.
Birds need a set number of quiet hours for sleep (GENERALLY- 10-12 HOURS OF UNDISTURBED SLEEP). This varies by bird-type. They MUST get sleep or they can become ill and behaviorally problematic...hormones etc are all regulated by light/dark cycles.
My bird is covered at night, which means that I have to be at the house to cover her every evening by 8 pm at the latest, but I never am home later than 4:00 because she MUST have a ton of interaction on the days when I am gone at work. I must also wake up accordingly and can no longer stay up all night with the intention of sleeping in.
Furthermore, my bird will not sleep well with noise in the room and she often ends up flapping around in her cage and messing up her feathers when startled. This is maybe the biggest challenge, as you suddenly lose a ton of freedom with regard to your plans (evening outings, in-home-get-togethers, late-night tv/phone calls etc)...If you have a separate room where the bird can sleep, that would probably be best, but as a student, this is easier said than done. Some birds aren't as sensitive about noises as others, but when my cockatoo doesn't get her 12-14 hours, she is demanding, anxious and pretty unpleasant."
THREAD LINK: http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/76822-what-parrot-should-i-get.html
ALSO- the post above doesn't even touch on the significant behavior problems birds can devlope if owners are not very well-versed in their development, hormones etc...
Last edited:
Jen5200
Well-known member
Welcome! Tons of great info here to read, and lots of people to answer questions if you have them 
Flboy
Well-known member
- Dec 28, 2014
- 12,601
- 4,106
- Parrots
- JoJo, 'Special' GCC, Bongo, Cinnamon GCC(wife's)
Welcome to you!
- Aug 21, 2010
- 32,673
- 9,798
- Parrots
- Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /
RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Welcome, and much respect for researching and seeking real-world advice before adopting a bird!
Sunnyclover
New member
- Jan 11, 2017
- 1,646
- 43
- Parrots
- Sun Conure - Ollie- Hatched 08/18/16*
Nanday Conure -Finley- Hatched 10/07/17*
Turquoise Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conure -Paris- Hatched 03/03/18*
Black Capped Conure -North- Hatched 10/10/18
Having birds or a bird in your life is a very serious commitment. I'm glad you're researching it 1st and not after the fact. I encourage you to make sure you are up to the challenge. Welcome!
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