TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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We are always getting letters and email asking for advice and comments. So from time to time we will be passing along some of these conversations.

QUESTION: I found a wild baby bird and I need to know how to take care of it. I was told to chop up some worms to feed it, and give it water from an eyedropper. Is there anything else I should be doing? I’m not sure what type it is.

ANSWER: You can either start looking for a shoebox to bury it in, or change the diet completely!

For starters, you should not be attempted to feed a wild baby bird without first contacting a licensed bird rehabilitation expert. In many states, it’s against the law to take care of migratory birds, and most birds fit into this category. Starlings, pigeons and brown sparrows are not covered, but you still need some advice to go on.

Never chop up worms or insects of any type. Some parents are insect eaters, and they have already pre-digested this food for their babies. Others are berry and see eaters, and this diet is completely different. The parents also introduce important enzymes to help the baby digest food. Without this preparation, the baby can not digest food properly. If the baby bird is very recently hatched, you may need to add these enzymes to the diet. Most pet stores sell a product called BeneBac, which is a concentrated source of their digestive bacteria.

Giving a baby bird water though an eyedropper is much like the procedure breeders use to hand feed baby birds. If not done correctly, you will put food (or water) into the bird’s esophagus, choking the bird. So any type of forced hand feeding is dangerous.

If you can’t locate someone to take care of the bird, you can try purchasing a can of moist cat food, not chunky but very finely shredded When baby birds are hungry, they will immediately open their mouths when your hand approaches them. If they have not yet opened their eyes you can gently touch the food to their beaks, and they will instinctively know its feeding time. Take a very small piece of food, roll it between your fingers into a tiny roll. This will shape the food, and warm it up a little bit. Use very small pieces.

While the baby has it’s mouth open, drop it into it’s mouth. Do not force it! As long as the baby does not have any health issues going on, it will immediately swallow the food. By using cat food, it already contains enough moisture to keep the bird hydrated, and the food contains enough fat and protein to sustain the baby.

Never force the bird to eat. When he refused to open its mouth then he is full.

Now comes the fun part. Very young baby birds require constant, around the clock feeding. Every two hours, day and night, they MUST be fed. They must be kept warm, and the humidity must be high. This is a very delicate balancing act, and failing to do any of these will result in a dead baby. Building a hospital brooder is quite a chore for the average bird rescuer. If the temperature is more then a few degrees off, the bird will not survive. This is why it’s not recommended for the average person to attempt to raise wild baby birds.

Also be aware that a tiny, newborn baby bird does not fall out if it’s nest naturally. Many times the reason it fell is because the parents threw it out of the nest because something is wrong with it. In the wild, only the strong survive, so the parents will concentrate their efforts on the healthy birds and abandon the sick ones. Your rescue efforts may be just a futile attempt to get the bird to survive.

But it is also a human instinct to care for needing animals, and it’s awful hard to tell someone to just leave the baby to die. And it’s also a fact (Murphy’s law??) You will most likely rescue your baby bird on a weekend when there are no vet offices open, and no rehab facilities available. This is where we get a lot of our rescues! While we are state licensed, we are not able to handle federally protected birds. We will maintain the birds until we can get them to one of our rescue friends.

The idea of putting together a “first aid kit” for your bird seems strange. It may even be an overkill if you only have one bird. But it could save its life.

Since we have a lot of birds, and lots of minor injuries, we keep a fairly large kit. All are recommended, regardless of how many birds you have.

LET’S GET STARTED

There are a lot of items on our list, so you may want a big box to keep them in. We suggest a fishing tackle box. They have lots of trays with compartments for small items. It will make it easy to organize and your items will be fast to find. You certainly don’t want to rummage through a large box for a simple band aid and tube of Neosporin to fix a minor cut. Also find a large clean towel and roll it up. Then tie it to the handle (or somewhere convenient) in the event you need to secure your bird. When a bird is injured, it will be scared and panicky! You will need to find a safe way to secure it, or you will end up being the one using the first-aid kit…to fix a bad bird bite. By having it secured to your kit, you won’t have to search for one in a hurry.

WHAT YOU NEED

TOOLS

*Scissors – You need these for trimming the birds wings, cutting tape or bandages.

*Nail Snips – For trimming bird nails. Don’t get a cheap pair…they have to be sharp!

*Nail Files – We keep a metal one, plus the soft cosmetic ones. You could use a dremel tool (electric grinder), but it should be variable speed. They have some great battery operated ones. They work well for beak trimming. Just use them carefully.

*Hemostat and tweezers – You need these for pulling blood feathers, or other emergencies. On a tip from another breeder, we keep needle noses pliers in our kit for this, plus they can be used to rescue birds if their toe gets caught in bars/chains of the cage. This idea saved a birds life! Look for a pair with wire cutters built in also.

*Clamp on light – For when you need additional light while treating your pet, but don’t have a second hand to hold it. Clamps on table or cage. You can keep a penlight also.

*Magnifying Glasses – This may sound silly, but they come in very handy when trying to examine or do close up work. My eyesight isn’t the best, and it was recommended to me to try this. Works great!

*Hand Feeding Syringe/Spoons/Eye droppers – For emergency feeding of liquids or food. Sick birds will be seriously dehydrated, one the major causes of death.

FIRST AID MATERIALS

This is not only for the bird, but you too! Get a collection of band-aids, small bandages and compresses and Q-tips. Get cotton balls for cleaning wounds. All of these should be kept in small baggies to keep them clean.

*Vet wrap – This “tape” is made of material that is not sticky, but will stick to itself. Use this to hold splints and bandages, or to secure wings. Have some already cut up into 3 inch strips….you don’t want to waste time in an emergency doing this!

*Paper Tape – Also used for holding bandages in place, but I don’t like sticking it to feathers…You may not have a choice in some emergencies.

*Popsicle sticks – for splints

OINTMENTS/SUPPLIES

*Flour/Cornstarch – Get a small pill bottle to store this in. Mix this with water to create a paste, and apply it to bleeding feather or toenails to help clot the blood and stop bleeding.

*Kwik-Stop – This is also used for bleeding. Care must be used with this product. It’s safe on bird nails but can cause damage to skin, so not recommended for cuts or on blood feathers.

*Silver Nitrate Sticks – Again, can be used on bleeding nails but this is a very dangerous product. Use only as a last resort.

*GelFoam – This material is great for stopping bleeding, especially on legs and toes. You will need to ask your vet for this.

*Betedyne, Aloe Vera, Neosporin, Rubbing alcohol – disinfects and cleans wounds, helps with burns. Get some alcohol swabs, as they may be easier then using cotton balls or Q-Tips.

EMERGENCY FOODS/LIQUIDS

*Hand Feeding Power – Get a clean baby food jar to keep this in…When needed just add some hot water and mix. Temperature MUST NOT be too hot! Just warm it up a bit!

*Pedialyte – To prevent dehydration. This liquid can be mixed with food. Many stores sell this in small bottles, but once opened they must be used within 24 hours or tossed out. They also have 2-ounce freezer pops that work perfectly in your kits! No freezing needed, and no waste once opened.

*Baby Food – keep a jar or two for hand feeding.

BROODER – Seriously injured birds must be kept in a warm and dark place. There are methods of making them quickly with heating pads or lamps, but care must be taken to not overheat your birds.

>>My book, The Tame Parrot, contains step-by-step instructions on how to construct a very safe and efficient brooder/emergency unit for under $60. This device can save your pets life! Get the complete parts list and instructions at The Easy Parrot System – Health

Many times we are called upon to take in unwanted birds, or to rescue abused birds. Most of the time our stories have had a happy ending. But some didn’t.

We are constantly advising people to keep the bird wings clipped. This is important for several reasons, including training and safety. We do not agree with other enthusiasts that claim the bird should be allowed to fly around the house for exercise. After all, they are meant to be free to fly, and should not be deprived of that.

But birds in the wild don’t have ceiling fans, windows, lamps, or hot stoves to worry about either. And the worst nightmare…What happens if a domesticated bird should manage to fly out an open window, or follow you out the door? The bird has depended on you all its life to care for it, and feed it. It does not know how to scavenge for food, and doesn’t know where to look for shelter.

EMERGENCY CALL

It was a cool Saturday morning when we got a call from an area animal rescue group. They needed our help in capturing a Blue/Gold Macaw that was reported in the tree of someone’s backyard.

When we arrived, we could see the bird about 40 feet up in a large tree. The yard was enclosed making it impossible to bring a bucket truck or ladder truck. Attempts to reach it with a pole failed because the bird would simple move away. The fire department wasn’t going to help, and the longest ladder I had couldn’t reach it.

We put some food down as a last ditch effort to get the bird to climb down. We also brought along one of our own Umbrella Cockatoo in the hopes the other bird would feel comfortable coming down and eating with it. Meanwhile we met with the animal rescue group, who filled us in on what was going on.

They had been trying for a few days to get the bird down. The neighborhood kids were quite unhelpful, doing more to scare the bird than anything else. Their idea of tossing bottles and horseshoes at it didn’t seem to work. While we were trying to get the bird to come down, they insisted in playing basketball in the driveway 30 feet away. They couldn’t have cared less.

When the owner of the property discovered what was happening, and found out the value of this bird, she announced that it was her bird and produced a 18 inch Cockatiel cage as proof it was hers. Unfortunately for her, no thought was put into how a large macaw could fit through the small door opening (DUH!) In truth, we never did find the owner.

Meanwhile, it began to rain lightly. The forecast was for light rain throughout the day and night, and temperatures were going to be dropping. We knew that if we didn’t rescue this bird, it would not survive the night. We continued to wait and watch, hoping that the bird might find another tree easier to gain access to. If he moved to another tree, we had access to a telephone utility truck that could reach the bird. But it couldn’t get into this backyard area. We had our avian veterinarian waiting at her office (remember, this was a weekend!) just in case the bird needed medical attention. We were also visited by the local TV news people covering the story.

After several hours, we left, leaving the rescue group to continue the wait. When it became too dark to see, they reluctantly called off their efforts until the next morning (the neighborhood was not one of the safest places to be in).

We received a call early the next morning to inform us the bird had died. They managed to climb the tree to recover the body. There was a legband on the bird, but we were unable to trace it. There was no chip on the bird, and no other way to identify it.

LESSONS LEARNED

Since that time, we have been practicing methods of retrieving birds in high places. I developed a telescoping pole with a fairly large net that can reach about 50 feet. But because it’s lightweight and made of fiberglass, it bounces around like a fishing pole and is difficult to control. But it’s certainly better than nothing.

But the best rescue method is prevention! This bird was in full flight and somehow got away from its owner. If it had the wings clipped it would still be safe at home with a loving family, and not fighting for it’s life in a strange backyard with kids tossing bottles at it.

We think about this story every time we clip our African Grey’s wings, and wish we could make them understand why we are depriving them of their flight.

I have been asked on a number of occasions about how to build a bird nesting box. Designs, specifications, materials… and I just don’t have an “all-in-one” answer! There are so many variables to this:

Type and size of bird?

Inside or outside the cage?

Wood, plastic, metal?

Is it for an outside aviary?

So I’ll give you some tips on how I’ve build my boxes, and some ideas on how you need to design them.

WHAT KIND OF BIRD

Finches can use a very small sized box, but you will have better luck using a woven type of nest. These are readily available in pet stores, and are made from bamboo, straw, hemp or other grasses. You supply the finches with a nesting material and let them finish their own nest themselves. This material can be cotton, grasses, straw or shredded newspaper.

Cockatiels are a bit fussy. They seem to want a fairly large box, but if the hole is too small they may not care to enter it. They don’t want to mess with widening the hole. I generally make a 12×12 box with a fairly large hole near the top.

Parakeets will be more then happy with any small box. I build them about 7×9. But I’ve had them nest in some extra cockatiel boxes with no problem.

Conures and Quakers need a slightly larger box, and more rectangular (shoebox shaped). Put the hole on the back side of the box so they can nest toward the front, and away from the hole. Note that Quakers will want to build their own nest, so supply them with material such as twigs, shredded newspaper and straw or grass.

Larger parrots will want to use a “boot” box. This is an “L” shaped box that they will enter through the top and crawl down to the bottom front. Since parrots are instinctively used to having nests in hollow tree branches, they will not want an oversized box. Make the hole a little small and let them adjust it to their liking. I prefer an 18×18x12 size.

Large macaws are a bit difficult to please. I’ve read about people using 36 gallon plastic garbage barrels, old wood barrels, or whatever they can find. My birds were kept in an 8 foot flight cage, and I wanted my nest box inside the cage, and be able to move it around. It had to withstand the constant bird chewing, so I decided on a 48×48x24 box mounted on wheels. This was a “boot” shaped box, and it worked great for us.

MATERIAL

Birds will chew up their box. This is a basic breeding instinct and part of what triggers their breeding cycle. Therefore, many breeders try to avoid metal or plastic material. If you use these two materials, supply some wood for them to chew on inside the box.

Metal absorbs heat! If this is for an outside flight it will become very hot in the summer. If inside and exposed to the sunlight, it will also overheat. Keep this in mind if choosing metal.

Plastic is very easy to clean but will not hold up to chewing. Expect to replace these boxes frequently.

Wood is easy to work with and build, and fairly inexpensive. The only real disadvantage I have is cleaning it, as it’s very porous. You can’t wash it as this will result in mold growth. Therefore, once it becomes very soiled and chewed up, it’s best to just toss it out. I generally use ½ inch plywood, but with the larger parrots you will need to use at least 5/8 inch to withstand the chewing. Sometimes, placing metal trim around the door will prevent excessive chewing.

INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE CAGE

This is the tricky part. If mounting on the outside of the case, you need to keep in mind the weight of the box. Most 12×12 boxes will outweigh the cage and cause it to tip over, unless the case is fairly large to begin with.

I like to build the door on the front of the box, never on the top. It’s not as scary for the birds to have a front door open. Since the eggs will be on that side, they would tend to move back and away from the eggs. Opening the top will scare them as they don’t know where to run…and this panic would injure the chicks.

For example, on a 12×12 square box, I would take the front panel and divide it into two pieces. Take a hinge and put it into the middle so the top portion will swing down. Place a handle on the top, and a cabinet latch to hold it in place when closed.

If it must be placed inside the cage, you need to figure out how to get into the box to monitor it. Unless this is a walk in flight cage, you are going to have great difficulties doing this.

NESTING MATERIAL

The most preferred material for inside the box is clean newspaper. Pine shavings are fine but do create a dust problem that could injure your chicks. Never use corn cob, kitty litter, or tissue paper. Cedar chips produce mold easier and can create respiratory distress in the birds.

More bad ideas I’ve heard of is dog food, oatmeal, popcorn and bird pellets. When they become wet from the droppings they are a great haven for bacteria.

We recently had a question about Nanday Conures. This lady purchased and older bird for a pet and all it does is scream and holler. She can hold it and work with it, but the screaming is beginning to create problems with the neighbors.

* For starters, you really need to do some research into the birds you plan to buy, and especially their behavioral traits. Nanday Conures are known to be a very loud bird. Their screech can be heard all over the neighborhood, and make it a terrible pet if you live in an apartment.

This behavior comes from their past. They are a very sociable bird, and in the wild would often stay in very large flocks. It is not unusual to see them with flocks of Monk Parakeets. Their mating and social habits are associated with their screeching.

Nandays that have been born in captivity and hand fed are usually not as loud. This is why it’s preferred to get them when they are quite young.

As a pet, they are very playful and affectionate. They are a very good “intermediate” bird for people interested in raising them, and the price is not that expensive. We usually recommend this type of bird to someone with no bird handling experience, and are considering the purchase of a large parrot. Once you can get the hang of a Nanday, and can train and handle it, you are ready to take on the challenge of a large bird.

As a pet, Nandays are fairly hardy. They do take a lot of showers, and should be allowed access to a water bowl for bathing daily. Like many conures, they are more then happy sitting in a sink while you use the sprayer to “rain” down on them.

Nandays are capable of talking, but it does take some work. I have heard stories of success with those “Get your parrot to talk” tapes, but I have not talked to anyone who has ever been successful with this. Just use the tried-and-true method of working with your bird, praising it when it makes appropriate sounds, and socialize with it. Interaction with your bird works far better then those store bought tapes!

To get your bird to stop screeching all the time, there are some methods. First, keep in mind that this behavior can be triggered if the bird is afraid. Something in the environment is bothering him and needs to be changed. So look around.

They also scream when they feel neglected, depressed or bored. Get your bird more toys and swap them around frequently. One mistake bird owners will make is to put the bird into a distant part of the home, so their screams can’t be heard. This may only cause it to scream more! They want attention! They are calling for their flock!

Sometimes a bigger cage will help. Just keep in mind that this breed of bird is loud by nature. They tend to scream in the morning and evenings.

DIET

Nandays diet should consist of lots of fruits and vegetables. They require a low to medium protein content, with lots of dark green and orange vegetables. They are used to having a variety of foods, and will become quickly bored with an all pellet diet. Try to get your Nanday on a 60% pellet diet, and push those veggies!

The Nandays we had were suckers for apples! We would put apple quarters into their cage and they would be devoured! This made it easy to add additional vitamins and calcium to their diet by sprinkling them over the apple.

They also like grapes, broccoli and carrots. You can get protein into their diets by adding some diced eggs and bits of cheese to their food dish. Also give them a few shreds of chicken and meat occasionally.

HEALTH ISSUES

I have noted that Nandays have a tendency to pluck their feathers. This is usually caused by a combination of a poor diet and boredom. They are also prone to Conure Bleeding Syndrome. This disease results in internal bleeding of the bird and can be fatal. This is thought to be cause by a diet lacking in Vitamin K and Calcium, both of which are readily available in broccoli. I won’t touch the stuff, so my Conures got to clean off my plate! One more reason to keep Conures as a pet…….

Just remember, a proper diet will ensure that your bird will stay healthy.

*Picture taken from http://www.birdchannel.com/images/species/subspecies/nanday-conure.jpg