Birds

Birds for pets come as small as a Finch (3-4 inches) or as large as the Hyacinth Macaw (about 3 feet). Life spans are from 2 years to over 60 years. The colors are so numerous no one would even try to list them all. These are just a few of the things that make it hard to choose one as a pet. You have to decide how big of a cage you can afford because the bigger the bird, the larger the cage you will need. You might pay as low as $10 to over $10,000 for a domesticated parrot and as low as $7 for a cage to over $1000 for a cage for a macaw.

One big misconception that people have is that you need to have a pair of birds and not just one. This is not true. If the birds have each other to bond with, they have no need for you. The bird needs to become part of your “flock.”

Most of the over 330 species of parrots are from the tropical areas of the world, and over 240 of those 330 species have been successfully bred in captivity.Breeding in captivity has become very important here since in 1992 when the United States passed a law restricting the importing of parrots from other countries.

Scarlet and Blue and Gold Macaws   Greenwinged Macaw

African Grey

Things to know before getting a bird!

If you want birds to just watch, the tiny little finches are for you.You do not usually take finches out of their cages and bond with them so you might put three or four in a relatively small cage. They flutter around and do make some tweeting sounds.

If you like the small birds but want some singing, try the canaries. The male canary is much more vocal than the female; he flirts with her with his singing. Believe it or not, how well a canary sings in genetic.Canaries are not all yellow; they are also white, pink, red, and brown.

Two of the most popular birds to own are the parakeet and the cockatiel mainly because they do not cost a lot and they live in relatively small cages.Both can be tamed to sit on your finger or ride on your shoulder. Parakeets are normally not hand-fed because it is cost prohibitive; parakeets cost from $5.00 to $15.00. The parents feed the babies so the babies do not get handled by humans much, but they can be tamed. Some owners say their parakeets can talk, but it may be difficult for someone else to understand the words.

The cockatiel is usually hand-fed and cost between $25 and $100 depending on the color. Since they are hand-fed, they have contact with humans every 4-6 hours at two weeks of age and then weaned down to once a day at about 6-8 weeks of age. The white-faced cockatiel was really expensive a few years ago but has come down in price. They are called white-faced because they do not have the pretty orange spots on their cheeks.

If you want a parrot that talks, the African Grey (around $800) or the Double Yellow-Headed Amazon (about $500) would be the top two choices. They will both mimic multiple voices and household noises like the telephone and the microwave. The African Grey will usually bond with only one person in the household and be very aggressive towards everyone else. A female bird does not need a male human though!

Most parrots have an oil gland that they use to preen themselves, but the Cockatoo (big white parrot) has a powder gland instead. You need to spray them with water every day or so to keep the powder from getting all over the house.Also they are loud.

Another loud parrot that people like to own is the macaw.The Blue and Gold Macaw (around $800) is probably the most popular due to it beautiful colors. The Hyacinth Macaw is one of the most expensive costing around $10,000, but its gentleness and beautiful dark blue color make it a favorite. Macaws have jaw power that can crack a Brazil nut with no trouble at all which means they could take off a finger if they wanted to. For that reason, households with small children may not want to purchase a macaw. Having a macaw is like having a two-year old for 50 years!

A large parrot that is good for a family type household is the Patagonian Conure. This is not a well-known parrot, but they are clowns that like to play on the floor. They will even roll over on their backs and play with a toy. The Patty is the largest of the conure breeds, and like all conures it can be loud if it wants attention.

Although the dove is not a parrot, consider it as a first bird for a small child. The white dove is much more calm than the normal dark ones. A dove does not have a hooked beak like parrots so it cannot bite. Also if you keep the wings clipped, the dove can go outside with the child and will stay on the ground since it does not climb like most parrots. The only bad thing is that if you grab the dove by the tail, it will shed the tail feathers. The feathers will grow back, but it is a little scary to end up with a handful of feathers. Dove eat the same wild bird seed you feed the wild birds in your backyard.

The prices used in this article are for birds bought from a breeder.Pet store prices are usually double the prices quoted here.