Story Time: How I got into Birds

This is a special blog, because it is the last one. So many people have a story or a reason as to how they came to like birds, others don’t, but I happen to have a story behind it and I thought I would share. I don’t think I would have ever gotten in to birds or have the amazing birds I have to day if it wasn’t for what I am about to tell you. I am also going to go into how I got my curent birds.

It was a hot summer day and I was 10 years old. My little brother had a baseball tournament, and I was at the baseball field to help support him. Then I say a beautiful bird fly across the sky and land on the top of the many fences. I immediately went to look at it. It had a little mohawk (plume), gray body, yellow head, and red checks.

I was so happy to see such a pretty bird and I immediately loved it. I asked my mom what typeof bird it was and she said it was a cockatiel. I asked her if it was a pet bird, and she said “yes, but it is most likely a bird that escaped or was born into the wild. ” I really like the bird, so I asked her if I could possibly get one, and she said, “maybe.” I was ecstatic with just a maybe. With my sister I followed the bird all day long. I even gave the bird a name.I had named him Henry.

The next day of the tournament the bird was still there and I followed it around again. I even tried to catch a few times to try and take it home,but it never worked. I remember watching the bird and thinking that it was very brave to continue to fly in and out of the baseball games. I loved watching him and it was very fun following him around and seeing what he was doing. That bird is what essentially got me into birds.

After having interactions with that bird, I knew I wanted one. I started doing research on how to properly care for a bird,, how to teach tricks, food, toys, and other things I would need to know in order to get one. I asked my mom after I knew a lot of information if I could finally have one, and she said “Yes, only if you can whistle.” At the time I was not able to whistle, and I find out later that my mom had said that because she thought I would never be able to whistle. I proved her wrong and was able to whistle in less then a day because I practiced a lot so that I could get one. I specifically wanted a cockatiel just like the bird I had seen at the field.

I didn’t actually get a bird until 2 years later. I was 12 years old and I had still been looking around at birds. An at this time I had gotten to hold a bird as well which got me interested in other species, but I still wanted a cockatiel. I saw a lost cockatiel that had been found on the OC pet adoption site and after bout a month of being there, they are auctioned off to a family that will take care of them. The day the auction was happening I was very excited because I had been told My mom might go.When I came home from school that day a beautiful gray cockatiel was there sitting in a cage.I was so happy. I had named it Pixel. Sadly Pixel died not even a week later because he had not been drinking enough water, although I gave him fresh water everyday or he died from sickness. I was heartbroken. The next day my parents worked with my grandparents to get me a new bird. And he was the standard cockatiel look and I named him Snickers. Once again I was very happy to have a bird, and I loved him from the start.

I taught him tricks, like how to whistle and say “pretty bird.” He was very good. After a year f having him I got a second bird, which was a green checked conure who I named Hershey. I keep the in seperate cages of course. I have always been very happy with them and lobed how sweet they are and how they get a long pretty well. However if it wasn’t for the bird o the baseball field, I would have ever gotten into birds the way I am now.

June 4, 2019 0

Getting a New Bird!

My family recently got a new bird, so I thought I would go over getting a new bird and some important steps that come with it. It is very important that the bird works well with your family and is in the right level for you. There are three levels of birds, beginner, intermediate, and advanced. They all require different amounts of care and needs, so it is best to get a bird that you can suit the needs for it. And as you go up levels, the more the bird needs. If you have never had a bird before then get a beginner bird, not a advanced or intermediate because they require much more care.

It is also very important to choose a bird that is assertive and pays attention. When in the pet store and choosing the bird, you want to make sure the bird is paying attention to you and seems attentive. If they are hiding and ruffled or sleeping, they may not be good fit for you. When they are active, and being alert in the store, the more likely that they aren’t sick and will also be friendlier and more active when at home too.

Another thing to keep in mind when getting a new bird is having a home for them. They need to have a proper sized cage for their species. They will need to have perch space, and plenty of space to move around. They also need to have space for plenty of toys because they also need toys. Toys are needed to stimulate their minds and to keep from their beaks growing long.

Another part of having a new bird is making sure they get a proper diet. They should eat seeds that are designated for their species. They will also need to have fruits and vegetables that they can eat. This will all need to be in proper feeders or containers that are kept in cages at all times. Water is also essential to have in the cage at all times. The water needs to be in either a container or feeder as well.

Once all of this is set up, you can bring your bird home and put it in it’s new home. They will need to get used to their surroundings before you try and take them out. It is best to wait 24 to 48 hours before even putting your hand in their cage, because it will stress your bird out. Once this time has passed, it would be time to start training your bird. First try introducing your hand to them, then start trying to teach them how to step up by pressing your finger under their belly. Treats can be very helpful in this process. The birds may bite you, but it something that will stop once they are used to you, you just have to give time and patience. These are steps that are very important when getting new birds, but enjoy your new feathered friend.

March 19, 2019 0

Training to do Tricks!

Have you ever wanted your bird to do a trick or say something? Here I will be providing some tips to help teach your birds how to talk and do tricks. It will take a lot of time and hard work, but it will pay off by watching your bird do amazing things!

To get a bird to do a trick, it will take a lot of preparation and repetition. First, start by

introducing the trick to the bird. Show the bird videos or have the bird do the trick with you. Another way to introduce the bird is to guide it through the trick with your hands. This process can take a very long time, because your bird will have to take quite a bit of time to get used to the trick. For example my conure, Hershey has been working on a trick for about half a year, but she is just now really getting the concept. The trick I have been teaching her is hanging upside down. I flip her over and she will climb back up to the top of the hand.

Teaching your bird to talk takes a very long time. It takes a lot of repetition of the words, noises, or phrases for the bird to finally learn the words. For example if you are teaching a bird to say hello, you wold need to repeat hello to them every day. The first thing I taught my birds to do is make kissing sounds. They can both make the sound, and now they make it whenever they want lots of attention. My cockatiel, Snickers, also knows how to say Pretty Bird from me repeating that phrase to him so many times.

You can either teach the birds by word of mouth or play a recordings or phases from a device to teach the bird. The birds will imitate what you sing or say, so be careful. A bird can pick up bad words even if they only heard it once. Your birds will then continually

repeat phrases, once they know them. A helpful tip for teaching songs is knowing how to whistle. This gives the birds a good way to really hear the song and mimic it. My cockatiel, Snickers knows how to do a whistle that goes “Wooo-Woo”

Have fun training! Birds are great and will always be fun to be around. They will learn tricks and sing songs for your enjoyment. Just work with them for awhile, and they will know their tricks and songs to entertain you with.

October 23, 2018 0