# Birds!



## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

I know a lot of members have birds, and I'd like to see them! I think birds are beautiful creatures, although I don't know if I could handle them. Can you let them free range around your house? Does anyone have a bird that talks? Do your rats and birds ever hang out?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

http://imgur.com/W9O2Ked

I have five parakeets. The green one is Houdini, who got his name because he escaped five times before getting him home. Next to him is Sheldon the yellow keet who is the oldest, rotund but polite parakeet. Occasionally he will say hello. Up top is Blueberry who is my favorite and will sit and tweet with you. Next to him is Merrifeather, my only girl and baby. She's unfortunately permanently paralyzed in one foot and one wing and nearly died - needed a lot of care. Finally, turned around and being unsocial as always is Greywing. 

I let them roam the house when they live indoors. They currently (minus Merri and her mate Sheldon) live outside on an in closed porch. They only poop before take off so they can pretty much be potty trained. They're loads of fun even though I have a flock not a family (they're not terribly tame, will step up only for me though). 

As to rats, the birds aren't tht afraid of them but the rats only want to eat them so :/.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

Beautiful colors  I assume since Merrifeather is paralyzed in a foot and wing, she can't fly? How do you make sure she is still able to get around and live an enriching life?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I forgot I haven't been posting on here about her! She actually is joining the main cage in October so long as she passes her final examinations. She is able to fly slightly and uses that to get from perch to perch. I also have to keep the environment set up to allow for easier maneuvering. As to her foot, she uses her other foot her beak and her wings to compensate. I have a few videos on YouTube under merrifeather I'll try to find that shows how awful it was, though non recent as she can now perch.


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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

I don't have a bird but sometime in my life I really want some type of conure. I love them and always say hi to them when we go into a petstore that has them.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

There's a conure at my Petsmart that likes to press his tongue to the glass and entertain people, it's really funny. I saw someone selling Quakers, and they looked so cute. They said that they're easy to tame and are nice. 

So, another question for bird owners, do you have to be a germaphobe with birds? I've heard they're easily susceptible to illness. Can you handle them, or are they too delicate?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Well, mine haven't gotten sick. They're really easy to kill. Aerosols, nonstick pans, smoke, candles etc are toxic and the birds themselves are fairly idiotic at times. Fans are deadly, uncovered windows, strings, etc. 

For potential bird owners, I would advise that "easy to tame" is in respect to the bird world. Expects months of hours a day, unless you get a hand raised chick then you might have it easy. Also expect lots of time dealing with destruction and poop and feathers and seed. Messy creatures. They also need huge habitats, not those tiny little ones. Birds kept alone also need hours of socialization daily, and birds in pairs are hard to tame. Also expect to be hated by neighbors and housemates for the noise and don't expect to sleep in.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

Oo, I don't think I could handle the noise then. It drives me crazy when my mice run on the wheel and it squeaks loudly. Do birds usually bite or not bite? All the people I've known who had birds said they were evil and bit.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

No. It's like any animal. They warn before attacking. Birds are prey animal it's not normal for them to attack. I've been bit once and only because merrifeather needed restrained for medication. Males don't bite as hard as females usually and again usually only because you are doing something way wrong.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

They don't make sound at night normally. My males do sleepwhistle. But birds are constantly chatting unless asleep or thinking it's night. And this can be screeching, singing, talking, whistling, clucking.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

What does it mean that they will "step up?" Is that a trick?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Stepping up simply means on command they will step off the perch and onto whatever you've presented (generally your finger). My birds also know "pretty bird" which means stop screaming sing pretty and "cage" which tells them to go back to the cage.


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## Pandorascaisse (Mar 12, 2014)

I have to ask... I had parakeets when I was younger and I absolutely hated every second of it. 

Are most parakeets super aggressive? Every single one we've had has hated people. They also seem fairly... well, no offense, but they seem fairly stupid. Perhaps it's just because I'm not very up on bird body language. But we had one who would escape and constantly try to get out of a window.

The same window.

Every time. 

I know birds are supposed to be super smart in general, but I'm wondering if parakeets may fall on the lower end of this scale....


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

How do you train birds? Is it anything like training rats? Is it hard to keep their attention?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

No parakeets are one of the smartest birds. They hold every vocal record out there. Birds are very hard to tame and you need to work with them on taming them and you need to work on your and reading their body language.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

ksaxton said:


> How do you train birds? Is it anything like training rats? Is it hard to keep their attention?


It's not like training rats. It's a matter of consistency and reward, it isn't done in one hour but rather over time. Step up takes me two months, cage takes about three. And that's with my original two showing newbies the ropes.


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## Mrs.Brisby (Jan 4, 2014)

If you want a bird that doesn't make a lot of noise, ducks are really awesome (the males don't quack).


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

It is really important that you get your birds from established breeders who hand raise them - it's not impossible to tame an unhandled bird, but it can be very difficult, and they may never come around. I know people who have had their birds 10+ years and cannot even touch them. If you can appreciate a bird from afar and form a bond with minimal handing you may be okay with a pet store or rescue bird. They are so incredibly smart and their personalities and tolerance for handling can vary immensely. I have a cockatiel right now, though I want to get a quaker in the future when I am living in a more noise tolerant building. I've read a few people who've owned many kinds of parrots for years prefer quakers of them all. Birds are NOT for noise sensitive people. My cockatiel can get loud when he whines for attention - but it's nowhere near as my budgies used to scream. I really love my boy - he's feisty and cranky sometimes, but generally he's loveable and a lot of fun. His favorite thing to say is "what ya doing?" and his favorite song to whistle is if you're happy and you know it. He can go back and forth between the two for HOURS. He also really loves being scritched around his face/neck - and not gently, either - he fell off my hand earlier getting a bit too into it. He's a clown.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

Jaguar said:


> It is really important that you get your birds from established breeders who hand raise them - it's not impossible to tame an unhandled bird, but it can be very difficult, and they may never come around. I know people who have had their birds 10+ years and cannot even touch them. They are so incredibly smart and their personalities and tolerance for handling can vary immensely. I have a cockatiel right now, though I want to get a quaker in the future when I am living in a more noise tolerant building. I've read a few people who've owned many kinds of parrots for years prefer quakers of them all. Birds are NOT for noise sensitive people. My cockatiel can get loud when he whines for attention - but it's nowhere near as my budgies used to scream. I really love my boy - he's feisty and cranky sometimes, but generally he's loveable and a lot of fun. His favorite thing to say is "what ya doing?" and his favorite song to whistle is if you're happy and you know it. He can go back and forth between the two for HOURS. He also really loves being scritched around his face/neck - and not gently, either - he fell off my hand earlier getting a bit too into it. He's a clown.


He's so cute! Do birds just repeat what they hear, or can they respond to things you say? Like can you have a basic conversation with them, or is it just them repeating random things they hear and maybe it will coincidentally have to do with what you said?


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

It's pretty much just repetition with possible triggers like a question. There are tons of videos of birds like african greys responding to questions with a certain sound/word/phrase, but I don't believe they actually comprehend the question or what they are saying, they just know they get a treat when they do it.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

Are most birds solitary creatures? It seems like smaller ones usually are in group, and larger ones live alone from what I've seen


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## Pandorascaisse (Mar 12, 2014)

I feel like that has more to do with the care and space requirements for large birds - as far as I remember a lot of parrot species live in flocks, don't they?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Yes but domestically speaking the bigger birds can be very territorial. Often you have to separate your house into two zones for birds. Even small birds like parakeets can be territorial so you never mix them with certain birds.


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