• Join

• e-Kids

• Bark!

• Take Action

• Kids Club

• Summer Camps

• Animal Care

• Animal Facts

• Activities

For more information on birds
check out these websites:

• Animaland - bird care

• Animal Hospitals - bird care

• Canadian Vet Association - Bird health

Budgies and Canaries

• Canadian Vet Association - canary care

• Canadian Vet Association - budgie care

• RSPCA - budgies and canaries

Parrots

• Canadian Vet Association - parrot care

Finches

• Canadian Vet Association - finch information 

Bird Care

The following information is very general bird care guide.  It is important to do your homework before getting any kind of a pet.  Click here for other web sites with more detailed information.

If you are thinking of getting a parrot click here for advice from an experienced parrot guardian.

Life Span

Small birds (Parakeet, Canary, Finch) 5-10 years
Cockatiel 12 -15
Parrots 60-100 years 

Food

Birds can not live on seeds alone.  In fact in the wild birds eat seeds as a last resort.  Adding fruit and vegetables to a bird's diet adds variety and nutrition.  Bird pellets are also available in pet stores and are quite nutritious but some birds may not like them.  Keep seeds and fresh fruit in separate food dishes in the cage.  Always remove any uneaten fresh food after 4 or 5 hours or it will spoil and make the bird sick. 

A bird's food is very important to their health so talk to your veterinarian about the best food for your bird.
 
*note: avocado, coffee beans and chocolate as well as many household plants are poisonous to birds

Water

All animals need water to live.   Change the water every day and completely clean the dish once a week. Birds also like to take a bath.  A separate bathing dish should be put in the cage away from the food and water.

Shelter

A bird naturally flies many miles in a day.  The cage for a bird should be big enough for them to stretch their wings and fly short distances. Consider buying the biggest cage possible for your bird. Some birds need tall cages because they like to climb and others need long cages so they can hop.  Add different sized perches (not covered with sandpaper) to the cage so your bird can jump and climb.

The bird cage should be kept away from drafts and direct sunlight.  Some kitchen fumes can make a bird sick so the cage should  be kept away from the kitchen.  

Exercise

Letting your bird fly around the house is good way for pet birds to get exercise.  Watch your bird so that he does not get into any dangerous materials (pot of hot water, mirrors, hazardous products, etc).

Grooming

Birds like to take baths.  You can give your bird a shower by spraying it with warm water from a spray bottle (don't use soap, this could be harmful to your bird). 

Birds naturally groom their feathers but sometimes pick at their feathers to a point that patches of feathers are missing.  Feather picking can be caused by stress, not eating properly, infections etc.  Take your bird to the vet to get help. 

A birds claws grow like your fingernails but since it is difficult to trim a birds claws, take your bird to a veterinarian for this. 

Health Care

Health problems in birds often are caused by not eating a balanced healthy diet.  Other problems occur from unclean bowls or spoiled food.  Keeping the cage clean is also very important for a healthy bird. If you notice changes in your bird's behaviour like not eating, sleeping more, 

Don't panic is your bird loses most its feather once a year.  This is natural and is called molting.  New feathers will grow back.

Friendship

Some birds can be trained to sit on your shoulder, while others don't like to be touched.  Get to know the type of bird you want to adopt to know what to expect.  Either way it is important to care and interact with your bird, even if it is talking to him or giving him a shower.