Your one-stop guide to caring for your avian companion
Pet birds are intelligent, affectionate, and rewarding companions. No matter what bird you choose, you need to set up a happy home for him with the right stuff. You also need to keep your bird healthy by performing routine care and knowing what a healthy bird looks like and how he behaves.
This friendly guide describes the birds that make the best pets, explains how to select the bird that's best for you, offers tips on bonding with your feathered friend, and provides expert advice on feeding and environmental enrichment that will keep these intelligent pets engaged.
* Benefit from a full-color guide to pet birds
* Choose the right bird based on your budget and lifestyle
* Create a bird-friendly environment that minimizes noise and mess
* Bond with your winged pet
If you're ready for your love of birds to take flight, this book has everything you need.
Autorentext
Brian L. Speer, DVM, is the owner and director of the Medical Center for Birds in Oakley, California, and an active member in and former president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians. Kim Campbell Thornton has been writing about animals since 1985 and is a recipient of multiple awards from the Cat Writers Association, Dog Writers Association of America, and American Society of Journalists and Authors. Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of Dogs For Dummies and Cats For Dummies.
Klappentext
- Choose the right bird for your lifestyle
- Keep your bird fit and healthy
- Bond with your feathered friend
Let your love of birds take flight
When you take a bird under your wing, you find out that they're intelligent, affectionate, and rewarding companions. But to keep themand youhappily chirping, doing your homework is essential. This book shows you how to arrange the cozy environment and stimulating lifestyle that will keep you and your feathered friend perfectly in tune. From choosing the right bird for you to knowing how to keep your bird healthy and bonding with your avian companion, you'll find everything you need to be the wind beneath your bird's wings!
Inside...
- Choose the best bird for you
- Understand avian biology
- Study and recognize species
- Know the science of feeding
- Find behavior solutions
- Decide whether to breed your bird
- Nurse a bird back to health
- Take care of multiple birds
Zusammenfassung
Your one-stop guide to caring for your avian companion
Pet birds are intelligent, affectionate, and rewarding companions. No matter what bird you choose, you need to set up a happy home for him with the right stuff. You also need to keep your bird healthy by performing routine care and knowing what a healthy bird looks like and how he behaves.
This friendly guide describes the birds that make the best pets, explains how to select the bird that's best for you, offers tips on bonding with your feathered friend, and provides expert advice on feeding and environmental enrichment that will keep these intelligent pets engaged.
- Benefit from a full-color guide to pet birds
- Choose the right bird based on your budget and lifestyle
- Create a bird-friendly environment that minimizes noise and mess
- Bond with your winged pet
If you're ready for your love of birds to take flight, this book has everything you need.
Inhalt
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 2
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 3
Part 1: Getting Started with Birds 5
Chapter 1: Birds and Humans: It's Only Natural! 7
Getting to Know the History of Birds 8
Food, feathers, and (finally!) friendship 9
Humans' enduring involvement 9
Deciding If You're Ready for a Bird 14
Putting in the time 14
Shelling out the bucks 17
Dealing with the noise and mess 17
Chapter 2: Narrowing the Choices 19
Deciding What You're Looking for in a Bird 20
Judging interactivity 20
Considering size 21
Making a mess 21
Bring in da noise 22
Talking ability 22
Paying attention to price 23
Considering the Species 24
The hands-off color and songbirds 25
Small parrots 27
Medium-size parrots 33
Large parrots 36
Toucans, mynahs, and some others 42
Chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, peafowl, and turkeys 42
Chapter 3: Deciding on a Bird of Your Own 47
Telling the Girls from the Guys 49
Checking Up on a Bird's Good Health 51
Making Mature Decisions about Age 52
Weighing the pros and cons of baby birds 52
Considering the prospect of an older bird 54
Finding a Reputable Source 56
Pet stores 58
Breeders 60
Private parties 61
Protecting Your Rights 62
Part 2: Caring for Your Bird 63
Chapter 4: Preparing for Your Bird's Arrival 65
Shopping for Cages 66
Considering size: Bigger is better 66
Focusing on material: Wood or metal? 67
Knowing what to look for in a cage 68
Shopping for a travel carrier 69
Perch Perfect: Finding the Right Perch for Your Bird 71
Diving into Dishes and Waterers 75
Keeping Your Bird Entertained 76
Play stands and gyms 77
Food as entertainment 78
Clearing the Air 81
Cleaning Up 82
Stocking up on cleaning supplies 82
Preventing messes in the first place 83
Chapter 5: Starting Your Bird Off Right 85
Setting Up the Cage 86
Settling In 88
Managing Introductions 90
Kids 90
Cats 90
Dogs 91
Other birds 93
Building Trust through Training 93
Rules for you 94
Teaching the Step up cue 95
Target training 96
Carrier training 98
Keeping Things Clean: A Basic Regimen 99
Setting up for cleaning 100
Everyday cleanups 101
The big clean 103
Identifying Your Bird in Case He Flies the Coop 103
Banding 104
Microchipping 104
Chapter 6: The New Art, Science, and Fun of Feeding Birds Right 107
Understanding Bird Nutrition 108
Macronutrients 109
Micronutrients 113
Knowing What Your Bird Should Be Eating 115
Pelleted diets 115
Fruits and vegetables 118
Food for people and other pets 120
Nuts 120
Seeds 121
Converting Your Bird's Diet 123
Feeding Birds of a (Slightly) Different Feather: Lories and Lorikeets 126
Chapter 7: Beyond Food and Water: Bird Basics 129
Translating Bird Body Language 130
The eyes have it 131
Say what? 132
Beak bulletins 134
Wing things 136
Tail tales 137
Posture primer 138
Getting a Han...