Guide to Bird Care

CONGRATULATIONS on your newest family member!

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 We would like to thank you for choosing to adopt from the
Animal Welfare League QLD and want to equip you with all the
information you should need to create a happy, healthy and
lasting relationship with your new bird.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BIRD

Birds are beautiful, highly intelligent creatures
and for many years have been wrongly labeled as
“low-maintenance” pets- but nothing could be
further from the truth! The AWL receives many
unwanted pet birds through refuges simply
because people are unaware of individual bird’s
needs. Every bird is unique and it is very
important that you are aware of the specific
needs of your pet.

The bird you have chosen will either be a

“Companion Bird” or an “Aviary Bird”.

Companion Birds
Companion birds are those which have bonded to a person and require a large
amount of time with their ‘companion’. They often have spent their life indoors as
part of the family. They enjoy human company, may be often hand tamed and
depending on their age and history, can continue to be trained. Many parrots will
commonly imprint on one member of the family or may tolerate females over males
or visa-versa. All members of the family should be aware of the bird’s needs,
behaviors and training.

Aviary Birds
These birds have been born and raised in an aviary and have had little or no human
interaction other than feeding and cleaning. They will need a large protected aviary
outside with room to fly short distances. They may also need the companionship of
other birds (specifics will be outlined for each bird).

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Sex Determination
Some species of birds exhibit sexually dimorphic colourings meaning that you may
tell their sex from their colouring or patterning e.g. Indian Ringnecks or Budgies. For
those that are not, the sex of the bird can be determined by a specific DNA blood
test.

Species
Different species of birds have different care requirements including varied diets,
enrichment needs and housing requirements- just like dogs and cats! Familiarising
yourself with your bird’s species will not only allow you to provide them with proper
care but also give you an insight into their behaviour, natural diet and the history of
the species and the requirements of your new pet. .

Budgerigars & Cockatiels - Small Domestic Native Parrots

Budgies and cockatiels are both small parrots native to Australia. These are
the two most common species of birds kept as pets. They are both very
social breeds of parrot and do well in pairs or with company. They are
intelligent birds that require a variety of enrichment to keep them happy,
healthy and entertained, and can be taught to talk and whistle. Cockatiels in
particular are great mimics especially with noises like the ring of a
phone, an alarm clock or any other frequently heard tune. Like all
parrots, they will be inclined to be noisy at dawn and dusk, and will trash
anything that can be chewed up with their strong beaks. They are seed
eaters who enjoy a variety of seeding grasses, native weeds, fruit and vegetables,
and formulated pellets to keep them healthy.
Life Span: 15 – 20 years depending on diet and husbandry

Lorikeets- Small Domestic Native Parrots

The clowns of the parrot world. Lorikeets, like most parrots, are cheeky,
inquisitive, playful and occasionally adorably idiotic which, when
combined with their spectacular colours, make them popular as pets,
despite their loud screeching at dusk. There are over 30 species of
Lorikeet worldwide that can be kept as pets, but the 3 most common in
Australia are the Rainbow, Scaly Breasted and the Red-Collared who are Australian
Natives.

Special requirements: Unlike other parrots, lorikeets are not designed to eat seed,
they require a special diet of Lorikeet and Honey eater mix, Lorikeet pellets and soft
fruit. As a result have particularly liquid excrement which can be objectionable to
some. They are not suitable to be kept with other kinds of parrot species due to their
specialist feeding requirements.

Life Span: Scaly breasted- up to 10 years

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 Rainbow- approx 15 years
Red collared – 15-20 years

Small Exotic Parrots (Conures, Lovebirds, Ringnecks, Quakers etc)

Conures: These beautiful little parrots originate from Central and

South America, but in type, temperament and behaviour they are not
unlike the smaller Australian parrots. Gregarious and playful with a lot
of personality, these guys need lots of attentions and plenty of
enrichment. Be aware that conures have very loud, screeching voices
for a bird their size and they aren't afraid to use it!
Life Span: anywhere from 10-35 years

Lovebirds: Lovebirds are a very social animal and do best when kept
with others of their kind. Because they are such social creatures, they
are determined to establish their place quite literally in the pecking
order, regardless of what form their "flock" takes: it might be other
birds, pets or people! For this reason, they can be a bit bossy, demanding and
commandeering. They require lots of enrichment to keep them busy. They are
cheeky little devils that are a delight to those prepared for their extra personality,
but difficult for those who are looking for a quiet, docile pet.
Life Span: 10-15 years

Indian Ringnecks: Indian Ringnecks are in general not particularly

affectionate by nature and therefore can cope with minimal attention
for a time - but this doesn't mean they can be ignored! Like all
parrots, these guys are social creatures and need lots of enrichment
and interaction to be healthy and happy - and there are always individuals that are
just as affectionate as other parrots. There are some that believe the reason for their
supposed ‘indifference’ is that they have always been bred for their beautiful colour
mutations rather than their qualities as a pet. They are generally very stable and can
bond strongly with their chosen people. However, if they are not socialised correctly
the female will actively chase away anyone else from her chosen person while the
male will just avoid them.
Life Span: 25 - 30 years on average, with ages of up to 50 years sometimes being
achieved.

Quakers: Originally from South America, the Quaker Parrot is a highly

social bird with complex social structures and moderate noise levels
(for a parrot). They are inquisitive and cheeky, often "talking" with a
raspy, chattering voice although their ability to mimic human speech
is said to be excellent. They frequently bond very closely with just one person in their
human family and are very loyal to that person. Internationally, they are known for
their sweet, affectionate personalities and their comical antics but don’t be fooled

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they can be very naughty and can be very protective of their “domain”. They are
recommended as good beginner birds if the bird has been hand-reared. They are
weavers in the wild and will build intricate structures if provided with lots of ropes
and vines suspended and left loose in their cage.
Life Span: 25-30 years

Large Domestic Native Parrots (Cockatoos, Galahs, Corellas)

This group of birds are desired more for their personality than looks.
Cockatoos are globally renowned if well socialised as being among the
cuddliest parrots you can keep; Galah’s are goofy, playful and loyal and

Corella’s are considered the best ‘talkers’ of our domestic parrots and
also the best biters!.
They are all well known for being vocal: they will scream at dusk and
dawn and often when they get excited during play. It's a good idea to
make sure that nobody within earshot is going to mind a screaming
parrot being around before taking one on, checking with your neighbours
and council bylaws is always a good start. These guys are much like the
working dogs of the bird world - you must put their energy, intelligence and curiosity
to use, because failure to do so will only lead to bad things for you and your bird.
They require a lot of time and enrichment to keep them busy while you are away.
They like a varied diet of seeds, seeding native grasses, fruit, vegetables and
branches to chew; they even like the odd grub! They are very long lived and require
a significant commitment to take care of them: these aren't a short-term pet!
Thinking forward to what happens after you are gone is important for their future.
Life Span: Cockatoos: 70 – 100 years
Corellas: 50-60 years
Galahs: 30-80 years

Large Exotic Parrots (Alexandrines, Macaws, African Grey)

Alexandrine: Despite their comparatively large beaks, they are generally
regarded as a very gentle bird and their affectionate disposition is well
known. Alexandrines aren't suitable for absolute beginners, but they do
make great pets for experienced and not-so-experienced bird owners
alike. Like any parrot they do require a considerable amount of time and
commitment from anyone considering adopting one. They can be quite
noisy and need to be thoroughly and consistently socialised all their life or
they will develop issues like aggression, feather plucking and/or become
one-person only birds. They are very intelligent and can be trained to do a
number of tricks using food rewards; they require a lot of enrichment to
keep them entertained.
Life Span: Approx 30 years

Macaws: Not common in Australia and especially not in shelters, these birds require
special permits to keep and are definitely NOT for beginners. If handled incorrectly,
Macaws can become very aggressive and inflict significant damage. Their size means
they are capable of dismembering digits like fingers, ears and toes!
Life Span: 50 + years

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 African Grey: Not especially common in Australia but growing in
popularity above all else, these birds require commitment and stability.
African Greys are very intelligent and bond very strongly with just one
person, so it is vital to keep them well socialised all their life to prevent
them from becoming shy and introverted with other people or aggressive. An exotic
bird license is required to keep this species.
Life Span: 50-90 years

Finches and Canaries

These are grassland birds that do better with lots of horizontal space
rather than vertical space. They can be quite shy and easily excitable.
They make quaint, inoffensive pets that usually do not upset the
neighbours so are suitable for most households. There are 18 native
species that can legally be kept as pets in Australia, plus a few imported
species such as the Canary and Java Finch (aka Java Sparrow). Finches
usually do better in outdoor aviaries rather than indoors, but mouse-
proof wiring is important to keep rodents out, or they will eat baby
birds, eggs and even the birds themselves!

Special requirements: Grasses to hide/play in, Pesticide free grass and

grass seeds such as chickweed, canary, millet and palm.
Life Span: 6-8 years

Your Bird’s Homecoming

Your new companion has just been through a life changing experience, some enter the AWL
with no prior history with their confidence and trust shattered. They are dealing with
a new environment, new people, new diet and often nothing familiar from home.
You, as their new parent, will need to take things slow and be very patient in this
transition period as they may exhibit behaviours that they normally would not
display due to fear and uncertainty. Time and effort will be rewarded but a lot of
patience in the interim will be required. You have only just met and you do not have
a trusting relationship yet- trust has to be earned!

Follow these points to kick start your relationship in a positive way:

Set your bird up in an appropriate cage in one place i.e. lounge or kitchen
(for more information on housing suggestions see page 10) providing
plenty of positive toys and healthy treats. Be aware that some bird’s
particularly older parrots that have never been provided with toys, will
never play, they may also not recognise some food items; offer a variety
until you find things they love.

Take it SLOW! Do not rush into trying to make your bird do tricks or step

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up; it will take months to build a relationship.

Allow the bird time to observe and adjust to your daily routine- Parrots
LOVE routine, and need to sleep at least twelve hours a night, cover at
dusk and uncover at dawn. A lot of behaviour problems can be caused by
not enough sleep.

Hand feed the bird healthy treats that they only receive from you to form
a positive association with you

ABOVE ALL ELSE: TAKE IT SLOW!

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Introducing Birds to Each Other
As with introducing your new bird to your home, introducing your new bird to an
existing bird is all about taking it slow! Remember every bird is unique and there is
no typical length of time it will take for them to be comfortable in each other’s
company. It could take anywhere from a week to 6 months- you just need to stay
positive and be patient.
NEVER put new birds into the same cage straight away!
Birds are very territorial and will not welcome a stranger into their home
and territory without getting to know them first.

You will need 2 cages to start with set up in the same room. Start with
the cages a distance away from each other and gradually bring them
closer together. This way the birds can see each other but cannot get
to each other.

Make sure both birds have places within their cages where they can
hide, this can be in the form of browse or a cloth hanging in the cage.

When you feel the birds are ready and safe to meet, allow them to
meet in a neutral territory under strict supervision.

Once the birds have had plenty of time to get used to each other and
seem comfortable in each other’s company you may allow them to be
in one cage together. Where possible try to allow them to instigate
this themselves.

CONSTANT SUPERVISION MUST BE PROVIDED AT THIS TIME.

Do not leave the birds together unsupervised until you are 100% sure
they will not harm one another. Be sure there are plenty of places for
them to hide from each other and get away.

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DIET
Birds in the wild derive nourishment from a large variety of natural foods, which vary
seasonally and regionally. Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely replicate
the natural diets of parrots in captivity. A well-nourished bird will live longer, be
more resistant to disease and be a generally happier member of a family.

*** Seed alone is NOT a balanced diet for any parrot species***

SEED ONLY

Seed Eaters (Cockatiels, Budgerigars, Cockatoos and other Parrots)

Birds that are adopted through the AWL Qld should still have seed included in their
diet as most will have not known anything else. The transition to a healthy more
balanced diet needs to be done over a period of months and in some cases with
older parrots they may never recognise pellets as food and will need a combination
of both pellets and seed for the rest of their lives.

Seed-based Diets
The seeds commonly fed in seed mixes are not the usual seeds that parrots would
eat in the wild. They are excessively high in fat and deficient in many vitamins,
minerals and protein. Although some of these deficiencies can be corrected by
adding other foods to the diet (such as pulses, vegetables and some fruit), birds tend
to select only certain items, leading to malnourishment. Most seeds (especially
sunflower seeds) are a favourite of birds because they contain up to 49% fat – that’s
more than a Mars Bar! (17%) They should only be offered as a treat and are great
rewards in training sessions.
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Soaked or sprouted seed is an alternate to dry seed and one that most parrots will
take to readily, it is readily available in most pet stores always follow the instructions
on the pack.

Pellets
Pelleted diets are an alternative to seed-based diets, because the birds are forced to
consume the entire, balanced diet rather than to preferentially selecting certain
items. Please see page 16 if your bird needs to undergo the conversion process to
pellets.

Nectar Eaters (Lorikeets)

Lorikeets are very special as they are NOT seed eaters. Their
diet in the wild consists of mainly nectars and pollens. In
captivity they should be offered good quality commercial wet
and dry lorikeet mix twice a day. Wet mix should be mixed
fresh daily and needs to be changed regularly as it spoils easily
in hot weather. Lorikeets will eat seed if given no other
alternatives which can be very detrimental to their health. They should also be
offered native flowers such as bottlebrushes, grevilleas and eucalyptus blossoms,
and a small amount of soft fruit.

Other foods to offer:

For most parrots excluding Lorikeets 80% of the diet should be pellets with 20%
being vegetables, fruits and a small amount of nuts and seeds. This ratio should be
60% pellets, 40% others for cockatiels.
Generally darker vegetables are considered more nutritious.
Recommended vegetables:
• Capsicum
• Zucchini
• Broccoli
• Squash
• Carrot
• Beans, peas and other pulses.
• Spinach, kale and Bokchoy

Recommended fruits- Fruits should make up no more than 5% of the diet.

• Kiwi fruit
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Grapes
• Small amounts of apple
• Melons
• Passionfruit

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NEVER FEED AVOCADO, ONION, RHUBARB OR GARLIC (THESE CAN ALL BE TOXIC)
AVOID – celery, iceberg lettuce, excessively watery fruits – these are not toxic but
are too diluted to be nutritious.

Converting your bird to pellets

Converting your bird to a pelleted diet is very beneficial but should always be
overseen by an avian vet and monitoring your bird during this time to avoid
complications is essential. Your bird will need to learn to identify pellets as a “food”
that they can eat.

Weight: A pair of digital kitchen scales can be used to monitor your bird’s weight
each morning before changing the food (an empty weight). Any weight loss in excess
of 1% per week is excessive.

Droppings: A normal dropping has three parts – urine (liquid), urates (white) and
faeces (brown or green). A bird eating sufficient food will have “full droppings”. They
have bulk and volume and contain and adequate component of faeces. Empty
droppings (birds not eating enough) are small and may only contain urates and urine
and minimal or small volumes of faeces.

Amount eaten: Monitor the food dish to see how much of the pelleted diet was
eaten. Each day the birds should be given fresh pellets in a container, placed in a
favourite perch or position in the cage. Vegetables, greens and a small amount of
fruit can also be placed in the cage as well. At the end of the day, if an insufficient
amounts of food has been eaten (using the above indicators), the bird should be
allowed access to the normal diet ( in a different container to the pellets) for no
longer than 30 mins. After that time, the normal diet should be removed, leaving the
pellets, vegetables and fruit. Alternately a combination of pellets and seed should be
offered to begin with particularly for older birds who have been on total seed diet,
slowly reducing the amount of seed over a period of time.

Never starve your bird to make it eat pellets!

This can result in serious complications.

Other things that may help:

Birds like to eat as part of a flock; meal times can be used as a stimulus for the birds
to eat pellets. Don’t have the normal diet in the cage prior to meal time as this
advantage will be lost.

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For birds used to hand-fed treats, pretend to eat the pellets yourself and then offer
the pellets by hand.
Budgerigars will often peck at the pellets if placed on a mirror or on the floor.
Praise the bird for eating the pellets.

When to attempt a diet change

Never change the diet of a thin or sick bird or your new bird when it first comes
home – the stress of the diet change may be too much to tolerate. Feed thin or sick
birds their usual diet until they have recovered, then look at changing the diet to a
better one. It may take up to 4-6 weeks to fully convert a bird over to pellets, so
ensure that you have the time and patience available for monitoring the bird during
this time.

Housing
Imagine spending the rest of your life in a room the size of a toilet. This is how a lot
of caged birds spend their entire lives! Make sure that the housing you provide your
bird with is suitable for its size and allows the bird to move freely about its cage.
Whether your bird is a companion bird or an aviary bird will influence the size its
cage needs to be, however NO CAGE IS TOO BIG! The cage should be large enough
your bird to express its natural behaviour, house enrichment items including
branches of native browse with enough room left to stretch its wings, and move
around the cage freely and must be sheltered from complete direct sunlight, wind
and rain.

** If purchasing a new cage of galvanized wire, to eliminate the risk of heavy metal
poisoning, you must rub it down with neat vinegar and a scrubbing brush before
rinsing with water. The cage will also need to be cleaned daily with an avian
disinfectant to ensure all food particles and faeces are removed.

You will need perches for your bird to sit and walk along. Plastic or dowel perches
are detrimental to feet conformation and are best replaced with natural tree
branches as these provide greater exercise for the feet. Varying shapes and sizes are
best being wide enough that the toes do not wrap all the way around the perch. Be
sure that you are using non-toxic branches that are free of pesticides or chemicals.

Enrichment
Birds are very intelligent animals requiring mental stimulation and interaction on a
daily basis. Keeping them occupied reduces unwanted behaviours, reduces stress
and helps keep them happy and well-balanced pets. The majority of behavioural
issues such as feather plucking, screeching, aggression and self-mutilation, often
arise due to poor enrichment leading to boredom and stress.

Environment
In the wild large parrots will chew through branches and on bark daily. It is
important that they still have this option in captivity. There are several native tree

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branches that can be offered to your bird. It is important to check with a
horticulturalist that the species you are offering your bird is non-toxic. Some
favourite plant species are: Yellow Gum and Ironbarks, Casuarinas, Coastal Tea Tree,
Firethorn, Honey Myrtle. Natural branches can also be used as perches. They should
last anywhere from one week to a month depending on thickness and should be
replaced as required. Chewing is a natural healthy habit and can also be encouraged
with native flowers, gumnuts and pine cones (collected away from major roadsides).

Toys
There are a multitude of commercially available bird toys. The most important thing
is to ensure that the toy is a suitable size for your bird. There are toys available that
you can hide food in, which allows them to investigate and explore. Make sure these
products are non-toxic.

Foraging
In the wild birds spend hours each day foraging for their food. It is important that
we replicate this in captivity to give them a similar amount of mental stimulation and
problem solving activities making them ‘work’ for their food. There are many
different easy ways in which you can do this. A couple of examples are:

1) Placing food in cardboard boxes (tape removed), brown paper bags, used
envelopes, egg cartons etc. so the bird has to rip into it to get food
2) Commercially available puzzle toys

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3) Foraging bowls- a bowl filled with different bird safe items (i.e. no toxic paints)
with small amounts of food hidden in the mix. Things to include can be wooden
beads and sticks, shredded paper, Popcorn, small foot toys, Wooden shapes,
paper kitty litter, millet etc.

Training

Just like dogs, birds require training to make handling easier, vet checks less stressful
and to improve your relationship and understanding of each other. Training is also
an excellent way of providing mental enrichment and stimulation. The only way to
successfully and humanely train any animal is through positive reinforcement
training. This is rewarding the behaviours we do want and ignoring those that we
don’t.

Bird Body Language

Being familiar with and respectful of bird body language is an essential element to
becoming a good bird owner. Knowing how your bird is feeling will allow you to be
more sensitive to their needs and wishes. This will in turn create trust and allow
them to bond with you on a greater level. Having a good knowledge of your bird’s
body language is also very important in noticing when something is wrong and may
allow you to detect illnesses in their early stages.

When reading body language we must always remember to look at the big picture!
Individual behaviours by themselves can mean a number of different things and
need to be paired with other behaviours to understand their true meaning.

For example: ‘Pinning’ or ‘Flashing’ (when a bird rapidly dilates and enlarges its
pupils) can be a sign of excitement, fear, aggression or great interest in something.
We need to be able to read this in the context of other behavioural markers to
understand exactly what our bird is trying to tell us.

We could not possibly hope to teach you all about body language in this booklet but
strongly recommend doing your own research into the topic.

One of the foremost Parrot Behaviourists in the world Barbara Heidenreich has
produced a very informative DVD called ‘Understanding Parrot Body Language’ and
has an educational blog called Good Bird Inc.

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 Keeping Your Parrot Healthy!
Birds are flock animals. In a flock any sick bird is viewed as being a threat to the
safety of the rest of the flock. As a result, all parrots will hide or “mask” signs of
illness until they are too weak to do so any more.
This makes picking up signs of illness in early stages very hard and usually by the
time a bird looks obviously sick to an owner they are usually extremely sick. This
makes annual check-ups and testing extremely important for our pet parrots.

Health check-ups are recommended for all newly purchased birds

Annual check-ups are recommended for all parrot species

Newly introduced birds should initially be quarantined for a period prior to

introducing to an existing bird.

Is my bird sick?
Signs of illness in birds can be very subtle. Most birds will
start to show signs of illness in a “comfortable”
environment. I.e.; sitting alone in their cage at home you
may notice less vocalisation; reduced or lack of food intake,
less preening and playing. The bird may also start to look
“fluffed” when not disturbed. Their feathers will be fluffed
up and they will look sleepy. If any of these signs are
noticed (even if your bird perks up and looks normal when
you disturb it), this is the time to go to the vet ASAP. By the
time your bird is fluffed most of the time, your bird is extremely ill.

Identification
The majority of birds that arrive in shelters and pounds as a stray are never reunited
with their owners because they are not identified. To avoid the heartbreak of losing
your new companion, identify your pet via these forms of identification:

A microchip is permanent identification. Remember to keep your personal details

up to date as a microchip is useless if the phone number attached is
disconnected! To get your new bird micro-chipped, contact your avian vet.
A leg band stating that your bird is micro-chipped is also a good idea as a visual
marker- check with your avian vet whether they have these available.

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Important contacts for Birds
Specialists in Avian Veterinarians

• Bob Doneley, University of Queensland Veterinary Medical Centre

Avian and Exotics Service Gatton, QLD, (07) 5460 1788
• Deborah Monks, Brisbane Bird and Exotics Vet
Kessels Rd, Macgregor, (07) 3420 6773
• Dr Peter Wilson, Currumbin Valley Veterinary Service
1596 Currumbin Creek Rd Currumbin Valley QLD 4223, (07) 5533 0381
• Dr Michael Woodcock, Vet Lounge,
5/2 Sierra Place Upper Coomera QLD 4209, (07) 5502 3333

For a full list of Avian Veterinarians in Queensland see Association of Avian

Veterinarians website at www.aavac.com.au

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