This is a list of the Top 5 Companion Bird Species available. Brief descriptions of these popular birds are sure to help potential owners decide which type of pet bird they should buy.
1. Parakeets/Budgies
The common Parakeet, or Budgerigar to be exact, makes a wondeful pet for children or those who are new to keeping birds. These hardy little jewels come in an array of beautiful colors, and require less space and maintenance than larger bird species. They are quite intelligent in spite of their small size, and while most are content to whistle and sing, some have been known to learn a word or two. Average life expectancy is 12 to 14 years.
2. Cockatiels
These medium sized birds are simply a delight to keep. Members of the parrot family, these Australian natives are known for their surprisingly advanced whistling and singing abilities. While Cockatiels are capable of learning to talk, many owners find that their birds prefer to whistle, and tend to mimic quirky, random sounds such as the ringing of a telephone. These birds are available in increasingly diverse color combinations and have an average life expectancy of between 15 and 20 years.
3. Finches and Canaries
Finches and Canaries are other popular types of pet birds. With most varieties measuring 5 inches or less, Finches and Canaries require less space than most other bird species. Unlike parrots, which are hookbills, Finches and Canaries are known as softbills or waxbills. These little birds thrive in small flocks, and generally pay little attention to humans -- making them perfect pets for those who love to watch birds, but would like a pet that requires minimal interaction. A well cared for Finch or Canary can live for up to 10 years.
4. Lovebirds
Lovebirds are one of the smallest known parrot species. These beautiful little birds should not be overlooked in favor of larger, more demanding parrots; any Lovebird owner will tell you that these birds possess all the intelligence and personality of the largest of macaws. These birds are fairly quiet companions, making them ideal for those who live in apartments or condominiums. At around 6 inches long, the Lovebird has a life expectancy of up to 20 years.
5. African Greys
African Greys have been said to be the most intelligent of birds, some boasting vocabularies of up to 2,000 words! Because these birds are so smart, they tend to be demanding pets, and will get bored quickly if not stimulated. If you are looking for a highly intelligent and affectionate friend, however, the African Grey may be right up your alley. Greys typically live 50-70 years.
So, you really want a pet bird. So much in fact, that you've already picked out a name, chosen a location for your pet's cage , and scoured the internet for information on your favorite species . While you might think that you are quite well prepared to dive into the world of bird ownership, there are many aspects of keeping a bird that most owners don't find out about until after they've purchased one -- and most of the time, they wish they had known beforehand.
Read on for some insight into what it really takes to care for a bird on a daily basis. You may be shocked to find that inviting a feathered friend into your life may require a few lifestyle changes on your behalf!
You may need new cookware. Teflon or non-stick cookware can be fatal to parrots and other pet birds. The coating gives off an odorless fume when heated that can kill a bird within minutes. This means that any non-stick cookware you may own will have to go, and you will need to invest in pots and pans made of stainless steel or another safe substance.
Say goodbye to candles and air fresheners. As with the Teflon and other fumes, scented candles, scented oils, and air fresheners can all pose a health hazard when you use them around your pet. Birds have extremely sensitive respiratory systems and are easily overcome by chemicals and fumes.
No smoking in the house. Period. You guessed it -- cigarette smoke is just as bad for your bird as it is for you. (If not worse!) If you do choose to use tobacco products, use them outside away from your bird to keep him safe and healthy. And don't forget to wash your hands before handling your bird if you've recently smoked!
Plan on waking up early. Birds wake up with the Sun each morning, and they are ready to start their days bright and early. They will expect you to do the same. Be prepared to adjust your sleep schedule as needed to accomodate your feathered friend. Your bird will need his breakfast soon after waking, and you'll have to be there to serve it.
Invest in a really good vacuum. Birds are quite messy, to put it lightly. In many cases, you will need to sweep or vacuum daily to keep up with the constant flow of seed hulls and other debris that will accumulate around your pet's cage. Be sure that you are up to this task before bringing a bird into your home.
You may have to get rid of some of your houseplants. Many commonly kept houseplants are toxic to birds and could kill your bird if he injests them. You will need to find new homes for them before you adopt your feathered friend.
You will need to watch what you wear. Birds are naturally attracted to shiny objects, which makes things like jewelry and sequins great targets. You will need to take these off before handling your bird, to protect yourself, your pet, and your items. Also, you should be prepared to lose many buttons to your feathered friend. It's a good idea to have some spares and a small sewing kit on hand.
Owning a bird takes a lot of time. Birds are not domesticated like cats and dogs, so they have to be tamed on an individual basis. If you buy a tame, handfed bird, you can be assured that a lot of time and effort went into shaping his little personality. To maintain the fruits of all that labor, you have to be able to handle and interact with your bird every day. Aside from that, daily cage cleaning also takes up more time than many are willing to spare. You should be absolutely sure that you are able to devote enough time to maintaining a bird before buying one.
You'll have to put up with some noise. Sure, some birds can talk, but all of them can scream, chirp, cackle, screech, tweet, or coo, amongst other things. Your bird will probably make a variety of these noises, and it may not always be at a time when you want to hear them. If you want to own a bird, you'll have to figure out a way to cope.
Don't expect your bird to be a social butterfly. You may well end up with a bird that is completely tame when you deal with him, but refuses to tolerate other people. While there are certain species that are more prone to becoming "one person birds" than others, it can happen to any bird, particularly if only one person cares for and interacts with it. If you are buying a bird for your family, it's imperative that everyone learns as much as they can about the bird, and participates in its care and maintenence. Otherwise, your pet may decide to play favorites, which can lead to sore fingers and hurt feelings.
If you are prepared to deal with all of the issues on this list and more, then a bird may be an ideal pet for you. Remember, the more research that you do before you buy a bird, the better off you and your feathered friend will be. Although it takes effort to keep a bird as a pet, the relationship that you can form together makes it all worthwhile -- just ask anyone with birds of their own, and they'll be more than happy to tell you all about it.
The first transport of March 2015 will transport 9 rescue dogs from South Carolina to the Buddy Dog Humane Society in Massachusetts; also making the trip will be 4 cats that have placements in New England! Please support this transport fundrazr so that 12 animals can find their forever homes! All of these pups were rescued from death row or high risk situations, they now need your help to make the thousand mile journey - the last leg of their rescue story! The excessive snow storms in New England have delayed our transports for the last several weeks, we now have the opportunity to get these guys on the road. We can not rescue new dogs and cats until space becomes available - the only way to create space for a no kill rescue is to get dogs placed! Dog4U, Inc, is a volunteer run no kill 501 c 3 non-profit organization. Our tax Id number is 20-5311280 - your donation is tax deductible! If you would like to make a donation, click here:
About: Dog4U, Inc. Animal Rescue and Sanctuary is a no kill 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. Our goal is to save as many animals as possible with a no kill policy. We take in dogs, horses and a limited number of cats and farm animals. We provide local adoptions, though we primarily place our dogs through other no kill shelters and rescues in New England, where there are more homes available for them. All donations go directly and exclusively towards the needs of the animals. Dog4U, Inc. runs on a volunteer and family basis. Donations are tax deductible and can be made by going to www.dog4u.org/make-a-donation or by mailing a check to : Dog4U, Inc. P.O. Box 1514, Camden, South Carolina 29020
Last week, our Field Services Officers were honored at Equinox Restaurant. We'd like to give them a HUGE thank you for making DC safer for animals. Our officers are working around the clock to protect animals in the District. If you see an animal in distress, please call 202-576-6664. If you suspect abuse or neglect, call 202-723-5730. For over 100 years, the Washington Humane Society has been on the front lines of animal protection. The WHS Humane Law Enforcement department (HLE) is congressionally authorized and maintains the statutory right under District law to investigate animal abuse and neglect. We take this responsibility very seriously and are available to help animals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of weather conditions, time of day or night and regardless of species of animal in trouble, HLE responds. Combating animal cruelty is a job that no one can do alone. We rely on members of the public, people who care about the well-being of animals to help us in this fight. Please visit the WHS HLE pages to learn more about what we do and how you can help. Don’t look away from animal cruelty. Do something. To learn more on the WHS Humane Law Enforcement department (HLE), click here: Fight Cruelty
SB-393 / HB-362 - Costs of Care for Seized Animals - will hold owners of abused and neglected animals accountable! If your Senator or Delegate sits on one of the committees hearing this bill ACT NOW on Care for Abused Animals. Update 3/12/15: The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee voted favorably with amendments. The House Judiciary Committee can vote at anytime! If your legislator sits on this committee Act Now! Update 3/4/15: The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing today on this important bill and can vote at anytime! The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee held its hearing last week and can also vote at anytime! If your legislator sits on one of these committees Act Now! One of the greatest obstacles to enforcing animal cruelty laws in Maryland is the expense of caring for the animals while cruelty charges are prosecuted. As it now stands, shelters are often forced to care for abused animals for extended periods. Abuse cases can go on for months, even years, and the care to help these abused animals is paid for by the shelters and taxpayers, instead of the people who abused the animals. That's wrong and needs to be fixed. Maryland has one of the weakest "Cost of Care" laws in the country. It's one of the reasons Maryland is ranked in the bottom tier in the nation on its animal cruelty laws. Meanwhile, the shelters are tasked with caring for abused and neglected animals and can be saddled with costs so steep they might not be able to afford to take in other animals, or provide other essential services to the community. ACT NOW and help get the Costs of Care bill passed and shift some of this finanaical burden to the owners of these abused and neglected animals! The other sad reality of this situation is what happens to the animals. These animals have already suffered from neglect and abuse and, although they are safe and cared for in shelters, they can be caught in legal limbo that leaves them stuck in shelters for months-or even years while their alleged abuser is prosecuted for cruelty. This bill provides a hearing process that can require the person to post a bond to pay for care or relinquish the animals so they can be put up for adoption, thereby allowing seized animals to find a new home. Please ACT NOW to provide much-needed relief to animal control agencies and taxpayers, and save the lives of countless animals!
Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, issued the following statement in response to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ announcing that it will retire its performing elephants in 2018: “This is a startling and tremendously exciting announcement. With consumers now so alert to animal welfare issues, no business involved in any overt form of animal exploitation can survive in the long run. Whether it is locking pigs in metal cages on factory farms or chaining elephants for long-distance travel in performing circuses, businesses must adapt to public concerns in order to succeed in today’s humane economy. "We’ve said all along that the public won’t tolerate the abuse of elephants with sharp bullhooks to get them to perform tricks or the constant chaining of these highly intelligent and mobile animals. There are better forms of entertainment that don’t harm animals. Cities like Los Angeles and Oakland have recently banned the use of bullhooks, and the trajectory was clear that this practice had no future in the 21st century.” Six reasons Ringling made the right call
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Stories like this truly makes my heart melt. A 13-year-old dog named Sunshade was diagnosed with cancer and to give her the best memories in the last few months of her life, her owner decided to grant her biggest wish: to have guinea pigs of her own.
According to Sunshade’s owner, the Airedale Terrier has always adored guinea pigs. Whenever they went to the pet store, Sunshade always stares at the guinea pigs for the longest time. She was so in love with them.
Sunshade finally got her wish and even got two guinea pigs. Her owner intended to get the dying pooch two females but something unexpected happened. Check out the video to know the surprising twist to the story.
Alfie Date began knitting in 1932 when he was just twenty-six years old, but it wasn’t until 2013 when Australia’s oldest man started knitting sweaters for Phillip Island’s little penguin population. The penguins, who were still being affected by an oil spill that occurred in 2001, had been unintentionally swallowing dangerous chemicals as they attempted to clean the oil off their feathers. When he heard about the Penguin Foundation of Phillip Island’s call for knitters to create “jumpers” for the flightless birds, the 109-year-old Alfie put his eighty-plus years of experience to work. Phillip Island is home to about 32,000 little penguins. They are the smallest penguins in the world, and the only species with blue (rather than black) and white feathers as an adult. Their feathers are waterproof when clean, but when oiled they can separate and leave the penguin open to exposure. The sweaters, besides preventing the penguins from swallowing toxic oil, keep the little penguins warm, dry, and snuggly, and ultimately keep them alive.
