Parrot Facts for the Young

Anyone who is seriously considering buying their children a parrot needs to do plenty of research on parrot facts before even deciding which kind to buy. Parrots make wonderful pets, for the right owners, but some are more appropriate for children than others. Even the more appropriate ones can take quite a bit of energy and attention in order to maintain the bird's health. They need even more attention than kittens or puppies.
 

If you have very young children, you might not be ready for a parrot at all. You might want to consider a more social finch, instead. They are colorful, sweet, and require very little attention, compared to any one of the parrot species. If your child is old enough to assist with feeding, watering, and cleaning the cage, though, he might be ready for the smallest, gentlest one, the budgerigar parakeet. They come in all sorts of colors ranging from green, to yellow, to white. You can even get them in varying shades of blue. They don't require huge cages or much space in your home, and they live about the same length of time as cats and dogs, 10 to 15 years.

If your child is a little older and is willing and able to take on more responsibility, then he might be ready for a cockatiel. These birds come in pale yellow and gray and are about two and a half times the size of a parakeet. Though their bills can be sharp, and they can, like most parrots, sometimes be a little surly, they don't pose the danger of the bigger parrots, like Conures and Macaws. These larger birds have beaks and talons that can do serious, blood-letting damage to children and adults who don't know what to expect. Generally, cockatiels are loving and social without causing too much difficulty.

The larger members of the parrot family should be left strictly for adult owners and handlers, however. Because they require so much attention, they won't necessarily just sulk in their bird cages if they are ignored. They will do whatever they can to demand attention. Such birds can be quite aggressive if not handled properly, and the difficulty in teaching children how to deal with such a challenging bird is probably not worth the hassle. But whatever kind of bird you decide to buy, make sure you get as many parrot facts as possible before you take the plunge.

Alan is a lover of animals and nature. He writes on all types of alternative farming topics, as well as nature articles including those on tortoise facts and parrot facts [http://www.parrotfacts.org/].
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Parrot Cage and Toys

Toys and a Cage For Your Parrot

This for people who wish to cage their parrot; I don't believe in caging my parrots for humanitarian reasons. If you decide in caging your parrot, here are the best tips I can offer you.

Housing your parrot is a very important factor; it is the difference to between a healthy parrot with normal behavior and a parrot with behavioral problems. You really need to keep in mind the life expectancy of your parrot. Parrots have the ability to live beyond 20 years of age. That is why it is important to create a happy, healthy and fun home for your parrot.

 

Your cage should be considered carefully. You must allow enough space for exercise, entertainment and self-expression for your parrot. Remember it will be in a cage for a large part of the day while you are out. Buy a cage that fits into your home. If you want to buy a macaw, ask yourself, "Do I have room for that large of a cage," if the answer is "No," then it is probably not a good idea and to rethink as to what kind of parrot will fit best in your home. Get a parrot that fits into your home in cage size, then a parrot that you have no room for. You will both benefit from this decision.

Dimensions of Your Cage

Get a parrot cage that offers a comfortable and safe environment for you and your parrot making sure it is suitable for your home. At minimum; the dimensions of the parrot cage need to be considered, from the bottom of the cage to the top of the cage. The size of the cage should be twice the size for your parrot to fully expand its wings and one and half in length for room for its tail.

Bar Spacing on the Cage

The cage spacing is critical as it could be a difference between an injured parrot and a healthy parrot. It should be narrow enough so it cannot get its head through. The bars should both be vertical and horizontal so they have both bar spacing to climb around on. If you cannot find a cage with both bar spacing, get a cage with vertical bars; as it is easier for them to navigate on. The thickness of the bars is very important to keep in mind. Parrots have very powerful beaks. It is usually recommended that you get a wrought iron or stainless steel cage. Though they are costly, you will benefit and be grateful in the long run.

Design of the Cage and Perches

It is best to get a rectangular cage, as it fits best in your home, it may take up a little more room but there is more room for your parrot to hop from perch to perch and play. Tall cages are impractical as parrots do not fly up and down. Round cages lead to a situation of constant cleaning because the droppings will fall on the lower perches and into their food and water bowls. Also a round cage is ineffective because your parrot can only climb the bars and move from only one perch comfortably.

The perches should be made of hard wood like Manzanita or Iron Wood. I prefer Manzanita as it is easy to clean and it is difficult for your parrot to chew through. Getting a softer wood is costly and you have to replace them more often. Sand paper covered perches is not recommended because they can lead to serious foot irritation, sores and deep infections. Get different widths as it will be comfortable for gripping on their feet and it will give your parrot more of a chance to exercise.

Dishes for Your Parrot

Dishes are very important as it is what they will be eating out of and drinking water from. Get the dish for the size of the parrot, a cockatiel isn't going to eat out of a macaw dish and a macaw isn't going to eat out of a cockatiels' dish. Get dishes that are easy to clean and to disinfect. The positioning of the dish is very important put it where your parrot likes to eat and drink. I do not recommend putting them near the bottom of the cage or on the bottom of the cage; you will find you will be cleaning them constantly. Put them in the middle near a perch. Get dishes that attach to the cage. They will be thrown. Amazons in particular are renowned for throwing. If your cage does not have holders for the dishes, there are metal holders that can be attached to the cage.

Parrot Toys

There are no quality controls on toys for your parrots. Therefore you have to check the safety of the toys yourself. Parrots like bells, hanging toys, wood and rope. Rope toys you have to watch carefully, as they can get entangled in their feet when the rope tethers. If it tethers just trim it with scissors. Make sure the parrot toys you get do not have small parts that will come off, as they can be swallowed. Like a child's toy, just make sure it is safe for your parrot to play with. Experiment with toys and see what they like to play with. Get enough toys so you can rotate them so your parrot won't get bored.

A parrot cage should be fun and safe. Keeping this all in mind will lead to a healthy and happy life for your parrot. The expense will pay off in the long run as your parrot may out live you. It is not just housing your parrot; it is making them feel like it is a fun and a safe room to be in. Remember this is their room in your house as it is just like your bed room is for you.

Peter has four very proud parrot species from all over the world. We have lived with our four parrots for over 15 years. All of our parrots are domestically born. The joy we share with them is immeasurable.
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Bird Watching Tips - Make the Most of Bird Watching Tour

Indulge yourself in the pleasant and adventurous activity of birding by opting for a bird watching holiday this season. Explore the mystery and discover numerous bird species present in India. But before you plan for one such tour, make sure that you are ready for it all in all.

Here are some important bird watching tips that you should follow on your bird watching tour to make it a pleasant and adventurous expedition altogether:
 

1. Learn to make bird calls as this will help you in locating birds easily. While some of the bird species can be easily seen, there are many of them which you will not even get a glimpse of. Thus, to have maximum fun and to get best out of bird watching, develop basic mimicry skills as well as expertise in bird calls and singing. Your mimicry skills not just help you to get a great view but will also provide you an opportunity to get some great shots.

2. Buy yourself a good pair of binoculars as you will be requiring them quite frequently on your tour. You can get good bird views for some common bird species, but when it comes to species flocking around the area; the only way in which you can enjoy birding is using binoculars. Make sure that your binoculars have good magnification flair and excellent field of view.

3. Be a part of bird surveys before planning to go to one of the bird watching tours. This will help you to discover more about species being surveyed. Various bird surveys are organized by conservation bodies; you may even start your individual survey.

4. Get a Good Identification Guide (Naturist) and get the chance to enjoy birding in a right manner. These Naturists not just help you to get best view but also take you to the best spots that will help you get some great shots from your camera.

5. Walk quietly while on a bird watching tour. For this, you should prefer wearing trainers/sneakers rather than boots. Boots do provide protection, but are quite noisy.

Birding in India will let you explore diversified species of migratory birds, along with opportunity to be a distinctive part of nature. Being an enthusiastic bird watcher, you will get an experience that will definitely last for life. Do not forget to bring your camera and capture ultimate clicks of these mesmerizingly beautiful creatures.

Bird watching holidays in India- Are you a professional photographer who wants to get some great shots of birds or just a tourist looking for an adventurous birding experience? Discover the species by booking bird watching tours India at WildlifeToursIndia.co.uk.
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Do You Need Birding Guides?

One of life's greatest pleasures for many people is to be at one with the natural world. Whether hiking, swimming in a lake, camping, or spotting animals in the wild, the enjoyment of being out in the fresh air is immeasurable as well as the health benefits.

Another way of getting out and about and enjoying nature is to go bird watching. It is a very inexpensive hobby and is something you can do on your own or with a group of friends. Bird watching is also a good way of bonding with family and makes a lovely outing for the weekend.
 

You don't need much equipment to go bird watching but you definitely need birding guides otherwise how will you recognise the birds you see, especially if you haven't seen them before? Bird watching field guides are usually regional so be sure to get the right one for your area. You can look on the internet to see what's available; Amazon is a great place to start as they carry nearly all the good titles available or you can browse your local book store but they probably won't have such a big selection.

Sibley's birding guides are very well thought of and range from books suitable for beginners to books for experienced bird watchers.

When you've chosen your bird book, look through it to familiarise yourself with the layout. Most of these books are laid out by species so if you aren't sure which birds belong to which species you may need to do some research before you actually go out birding. Regional birding guides may be laid out by area so obviously your own area is a good place to start and you should be able to find out what types of birds you can expect to see. This will make it easier to recognise the birds when you actually see them in the wild.

The best birding guides will have photographs and illustrations of the birds from different angles as well as identification techniques and information about habitat, migration and so on.

Once you've checked out the available birding guides, you will probably decide that you need a pair of binoculars or a telescope to help you see the markings and colouring of the birds more clearly. You can do without these but if a bird is quite different you won't be able to tell what it is without some form of magnification.

For more information on birding guides and articles on choosing binoculars and what you can expect to pay for them, visit Worldwide Bird Watching.
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