ISSN 1492-8132
Issue 80, © 2003
No reprints without permission

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Welcome to Robirda's Companion Birds eZine

For breeder or pet bird owners who care.

Hello! Welcome to Flock Talk's 80th issue! Subscribe and unsubscribe information is at the bottom of this page.

This issue we've decided to share some of Wilhelm Kiesselbach's excellent advice on small parrot care with you. We hope you enjoy the article! The next issue is due Oct 26th - 'til then, we hope you and your birds stay safe, well and happy. We look forward to seeing you all then!

Robirda
Oct 12, 2003

While you can find plenty of bird sanctuaries around the country, you would have to look quite long and hard to find one better at what they do than this organization. They don't just rescue birds - they care for their every need, and work very hard at helping to make them happy in their life, as well.

Their goal is to care for the birds in their charge in such a way that the birds don't realize that they are living in captivity at all, a goal I wish more people shared.

They have a gift shop with some wonderful items, and you will want to return in November and check out their annual auction, where you can bid on some great bird items and gifts. You'll be supporting a great cause, and just may get some great goods too!

Feature Article

I've always felt that one of the best ways to learn to care for any kind of bird, is from somebody who has been doing it for a long time - and Wilhelm most certainly qualifies, having well over 50 years of direct experience with all sorts of species under his belt!

If you want to read more of Wilhelm's work, we've collected many of his wonderful articles in the ebook, Living With A Parrot.

by Wilhelm Kiesselbach
Copyright © Oct 2003

Time after time I have been asked for help by concerned small-parrot owners, who have tried to research proper care for their bird, only to find that everything they read is contradictory. What one book recommends, another will have on their 'no' list. It can make it seem like an impossible task to figure out who really knows just what he or she is talking about.

All members of the parrot family are hookbills. The small hookbills are the lovebirds, parrotlets, 'tiels, and such. Conures, mini macaws, and similar birds are considered medium hookbills.

As long as a bird is raised on pellets, it is not necessary to feed any seeds at all. Ideally a small parrot should get a combination of veggies and fruits with a supply of a good brand of pellets constantly made available.

If your bird is not used to eating veggies, cut a variety of them into small pieces. Ideally, they will be organically grown, but you will still need to make sure they are well washed! The idea is to end up with a 'rainbow' mix that you can feed in a separate dish.

A good choice of veggies is bell peppers, hot peppers, carrots, sweet potato, apple, celery, broccoli, leafy greens such as dandelion or collards, and garbanzo beans. (The beans should be cooked). You can prepare a supply ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for a few days.

One of the better brands of pellets, in my experience, is called 'Scenic'. The pellets have a very minimal amount of dye and come in variety of tastes, and can be found at www.scenicbirdfood.com

If your baby small parrot was raised to eat seed rather than pellets, continue his current diet and begin the change-over to pellets only once he is well acclimatized to his new home. Too many changes all at once can be very stressful for a little bird!

Vitamin supplements and such are only necessary if the bird is primarily eating a seed-based diet. Birds who are on a mostly pelleted diet can wind up getting too much of some nutrients if supplements are added to their diet as well. This can be very damaging to their systems, and so should be avoided.

In fact, one of the nicest things about having a bird on a good pelleted diet, it means you won't have to worry about offering any extras except greens, veggies, and a little fruit - very little supplementation other than this should ever be needed, for any bird on a good pelleted diet.

All pcittacines enjoy eating soaked seeds or sprouts. For those whose major diet is pellets, these are the only kinds of seeds that they ever need see.

Leafy greens are very good for them, and should always comprise a good portion of the diet. I would take it light on the spinach, though, as too much can inhibit proper digestion of calcium, necessary for strong bones.

Tests have showed that the one single nutrient that too many birds don't get enough of - even those on pelleted diets - is Vitamin A. This is found in great abundance in greens and many veggies, particularly the yellow and orange ones. I feel that all birds should get all the greens they can eat, so no pet bird will have to suffer from the lack of Vitamin A!

Newspaper is the best for the bottom of the cage. Most other beddings are either outright dangerous at worst or potentially dangerous at best. The question of whether or not to use a grate is one to be considered, as well.

The problem is that many birds end up walking around in their own poop and that is not good. They are bottom feeders by instinct and for proper health must be kept off the bottom of a dirty cage. So whether we like it or not, a grill is often necessary.

No small parrots should need extra calcium, or for that matter any other vitamin supplements as long as their diet is complete.

The key phrase here is, 'as long as their diet is complete'. Supplements are not necessary for any bird on a pellet-based diets, but otherwise the supplements are needed to ensure that a bird on a seed-based diet indeed getting adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients in his diet.

For the occasional treat, I like to bake cookies from the palm fruit and feed those as a part of their diet.

If your bird is used to eating seed, please be very careful just what kind of seed mix he is eating! Most 'hookbill' diets are loaded with fatty seeds that are VERY bad for these birds, especially over any amount of time.

If by some chance you can't get a good brand of pellets for your hookbill, or you need some more time to get him used to eating pellets, a better seed-based diets for your bird is one based on the mixes made for budgies. Be sure to stay away from the mixes heavy on sunflowers and peanuts, especially!

If you are offering a seed-based diet to your small hookbill, adequate vitamin and mineral supplementation is necessary. In fact, the 'Prime' Robirda is always recommending for canaries, was first designed to supplement seed-based parrot diets. Only later was it realized how useful it can be for smaller species.

Before you take him home, take your bird to an avian vet for a general 'wellness' check-up. Take along some of his droppings on a plain piece of paper, too, if you can. For a bird who starts out his life with you as a healthy, well-cared for pet, an annual or bi-annual general check-up should be sufficient to be sure your bird is maintaining his good health.

Treats are unneccessary, except, as mentioned above, any kind of fruits (except avocado), or veggies such as dark leafy greens, a carrot, a chunk of corn, or other similar 'play foods'.

Cut his 'treat veggies' or fruit in chunks large enough to be held in one foot and merrily chewed away on. Be careful not to give too much sweet foods such as fresh fruit or corn-on-the-cob, but as an occasional treat, these are great. With some foods it is almost impossible to give too much - carrot, for example, is LOADED with vitamin A precursors, which the body converts into vitamin A.

Especially when you are dealing with younger birds, there is absolutely nothing wrong with hand feeding the bird once a day, at night for instance - it will help in his emotional development.

The Scenic pellets mentioned above also come in hand-feeding sized pellets made specifically to aid in weaning a bird in the 'abundance' style which helps to create a happy, phychologically well-balanced adult bird.

You can also share healthy human food with him, whenever you eat.

One of the ways birds bond in the wild is by eating together, and it's also how baby wild birds learn what's good to eat. By eating with their parents, they learn what foods are good, and how best to eat them.

Anything you offer him by hand, will be percieved as a 'lesson' in what is good to eat. So you can easily offer him the Scenic weaning pellets, or share bits of healthy muffin or some other such soft healthy food. I like to eat a little (or in some cases, pretend to eat a little), then offer some to the bird, as if I am sharing my food.

They enjoy this greatly, and it helps in establishing the bonding process, too - not to mention that it can be a LOT of fun!

So, do your research, and plan to keep learning as long as you have your bird, but whatever else you do, dedicate a fair part of every day to simply enjoying your small parrot.

Just like their larger relatives, these little bundles of feathers are packed with personality, full of the joy of life, and need somebody to share the long lives they are capable of living.

If you educate yourself properly in the simple means of training and caring for your bird, you will find that you can develop a wonderful and rewarding relationship that can last for many years - in some cases, a lifetime!

by Wilhelm Kiesselbach
Copyright © Oct 2003

This tip for an easy swing toy for small birds comes from a Nest member who shared this great tip on the Birds Board last week.

"I went to a bird show yesterday to talk with different breeders and see top notch canaries. Unexpectedly, I also found a great, 'cheep' toy idea.

"If you have a flight or large cage, a plastic hangar makes an excellent swing! Use the kind that is triangular with round sides and hook. It hooks right onto the top bars and swings sideways mostly, but isn't overly unstable.

"A number of birds can sit on it at one time, along the bottom or sides. The birds I saw using it loved it. The owner suggested infant hangars for smaller cages."

When you need help with housing, feeding, care or behavioral questions, you can get a personal answer from Robirda. Even avian vets sometimes consult with Robirda on small-bird behaviour and other such issues.

A recent consultee said, "My heartfelt thanks go to Robirda. When I consulted her, I learned things that you will never find in any book... not basics, but detail after detail. She has the uncanny ability to advise without criticism. My suggestion? Ask Robirda. She saved my bird."

Robirda's customers find her answers to be detailed and reliable, caring and supportive. Robirda can help you learn to understand your birds better! Learn more here.

This issue's question;

"I have a couple of birds that seem to go through occassional bursts of beak clicking. When I've caught them in the act, I can see the beak going up and down. It is a fairly loud, repetitive click, click click. Is this a behavior, or do my birds have air sac mites, as another person suggested?"

Robirda's answer;

"There is quite a lot of confusion around over just what air sac mites sound like. Birds who have a heavy infestation of air sac mites will make small clicking sounds when they breath - but in most cases, it is almost impossible to hear unless you hold the bird itself next to your ear. Sometimes in a very bad case you can hear it at night, when there is no other sounds around to distract your ear.

"Either way, what you should hear is a small rather dry click with each breath, as the bird inhales and exhales. Usually you can feel the bird labouring to breath, too, when it has a heavy enough infestation to produce audible clicking sounds.

"The sound is not made with the beak, as some folks seem to think, but instead is produced within the bird's body. It comes from the effort required to make the air pass through the 'obstacle course' of the mites packed into the bird's lungs (properly not lungs at all, but instead known as 'air sacs'.)

"The beak-clicking noises produced by the rapid movement of the two halves of the beak, that so many people mistake for an infestation of air-sac mites, are actually a natural habit for birds of many species. With most, though, this action usually means contentment.

"Sometimes beak-clicking can be used to mean other things, too - depending on the situation and the bird's body stance, it can mean that they are cleaning their beak after eating, or it can be used occasionally as a mild threat or alarm... but most usually, it means great contentment, and is the sign of a happy and very satisfied bird."