Pet Birds

At Pet a Pond we offer prospective bird owners a great variety of pet birds as well as important advice regarding the needs of each particular bird species. To go into detail on any specific bird would be beyond the scope of this website, we have therefore decided to give you a brief rundown of what you can expect during the first few weeks of receiving your new feathered friend.

What to expect from your pet bird

The first week or two, your baby may seem to try to bite a lot, and it may be very loud. You may think you have bought a mean brat! Be patient with the bird-this is natural behaviour. It is a nervous reaction to the sudden change of surroundings. The bird needs time to forget about its siblings and previous human "parents".

Once it has adjusted to you and your home, it will calm down and behave. Don't allow it to bite-if it tries to bite you while standing on your hand, simply drop that hand a couple inches, very quickly, while saying "No bite!". The bird will soon learn not to try that again. Be sure not to confuse biting with the natural behaviour of reaching with the beak first before stepping onto a hand. Birds use their beaks as a "third foot" when climbing, and will reach with their mouths first to test the surface they are going to before stepping on. Do not jerk back when the bird reaches for you-doing so will only make the bird afraid to come to you. Let it reach and grab your hand-only if it bites hard at this point should you reprimand it.

During the first few days in the new home, the bird may have runny or watery droppings. This is a normal response to heavy stress, and should go away as the bird settles into its new home. If the runny droppings do not go away after 3 or 4 days, call Pet a Pond. There is always a possibility that the stress of moving has allowed the bird to pick up an infection it would have otherwise fought off, and it may need to see an avian vet.

Give your baby a lot of comfort and affection, and reassure it that it will be OK in its new home. Eventually, it will grow to see you as "mom" or "dad", and will love you as much as you love it. Just remember to always be gentle-never play rough with a bird. Not only can you hurt it easily, but this will encourage the bird to learn how to bite hard, and may make a habitual biter out of it later in life! Just pet it a lot, and play with it. The more gentle and affectionate you are with your bird, the more gentle and loveable the bird will remain as it grows up.

Pet parrots

Most parrots have a personality similar to a two-to-three year old child. Your bird will surprise you with its ability to learn and understand what you want from it, and with its ability to tell you what it wants.