Small Birds Care Sheet

Birds are one of life’s most wonderful creatures. They surround and accentuate life with their delicate beauty. There is nothing more wonderful than hearing the wakening symphony of singing birds that greet morning’s dawn. Birds are very popular pets all over the world. They are easy to care for and provide great companionship. Handfed birds make outstanding and affectionate pets to people of all ages.

When purchasing a cage for your bird, you need to consider the size of your bird. Minimum cage size for your bird should be at least double their height and 1 1/2 times wider than their wingspan. Birds enjoy having enough room to be able to flap their wings without touching the sides of the cage. A chew resistant metal cage is important because wooden and plastic cages can be easily destroyed. The wires should be spaced closely enough to keep the bird from putting its head through the opening. The door to your cage should be wide enough for you to reach in with your hand and remove your bird from their cage easily. A pull out tray at the bottom of the cage makes for easier cleaning. You will want to remove any grills or wire floors from the cage because your bird’s little feet can get stuck in them and can cause serious injury. Provide several different perches of different sizes and textures to help strengthen their grip and exercise their feet. Never use perches with a rough surface. These can cause sores on the bottom of their feet. It is best to place these perches away from dishes so the food and water dish do not become soiled with bird droppings. A cage skirt or fine screen around the bottom of the sides will help lessen food scattering.

The location of the cage in the home is important. Birds love to be in areas of heavy traffic where they receive lots of attention. They also enjoy being high up and against a wall. They love to be placed in bright, sunny rooms. Birds should never be kept in the kitchen. In addition to the obvious gas fumes and occasional smoke from cooking food, there is another more dangerous threat to birds. Super heated Teflon and related brand name nonstick pan coatings emit fumes that are deadly to all birds. The nonstick coating becomes hot and overheats, emitting toxic fumes. Birds that inhale these fumes die quickly. You will also want to keep your bird in an area in the house that doesn’t have constant large temperature changes. Do not keep your bird near an air conditioner or heating and ventilation outflows.

There are questions on whether it is better to cover or not cover your bird’s cage at night. Covering it provides a regular period of privacy not usually allowed during the day. It also tends to keep the bird quiet in the early morning when it would otherwise become active and vocal. Covering the bird’s cage at night can also protect against cool drafts and helps to keep them warm when the thermostat is usually turned down. Covering your bird’s cage on really hot nights might make your bird feel too warm. Most birds love to have their privacy at night, but some birds become agitated with a covering. We recommend covering their cage as long as it does not cause too much stress on your bird.

There are many different types of substrate available for the bottom of cages. We recommend using shredded newspaper or paper towels. These seem to be the easiest way to keep your bird’s cage cleaned. Your bird’s bedding should be changed every 2 to 3 days and their paper, water and food dish should be cleaned daily. You will want to clean your bird’s cage, toys and perches at least once a week with warm, soapy water.

Birds love to chew and enjoy having many toys to play with and keep them entertained. When buying toys for your bird, you will want to make sure that the pieces are not small enough to swallow. Wood, rope and leather toys are all suitable toys. If you are purchasing a wood toy, be sure the wood is not treated with any chemicals. Birds also enjoy having mirrors and open bells in their cages. To prevent boredom, toys should be rotated and changed regularly.

Most birds love to take baths. Bathing keeps their feathers healthy and restores and maintains a brilliant sheen to the plumage. Caged birds should be allowed to bathe periodically. Some prefer to bathe in a small container, others tolerate being sprayed or misted with water. A gentle mist from a spray bottle is ideal. They may also enjoy bathing in their water dish. Be sure to have a big enough water bowl and make sure to clean it often and change the water in it daily. Your bird may even like to play under a dripping tap or enjoy taking a shower with you. Bathing is very important and can be fun for your bird.

It is important to feed your bird a healthy diet. It is best to have 80% of their diet be a formulated, pelleted diet. We recommend feeding Harrison’s Bird Diet. Seed diets are not recommended because they do not have the vitamins and minerals that your bird needs. These diets may also cause illnesses with the most common being liver failure. Formulated pelleted diets have the necessary ingredients to keep your bird healthy. Most birds love a variety in their diet. You may also add a small amount of fresh fruits and vegetables into their diet daily. Some birds also love dry cereal, bread or grated cheese. Sunflower seeds may be offered in very small amounts as a treat, but be careful because they are very addictive to birds and high in fat. The key to a healthy and happy bird is to keep variety in their diet.