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Hi bird friends! I have (mostly) copy-pasted this from the Animal Questions Not Deserving Their Own Thread thread. I've recently got permission to keep a small pet bird or fish at my unit. I'm currently researching what kind of bird I want to keep. I live in QLD, Australia. My unit is small: one room, which includes a desk, bed, and kitchenette. I share the bathroom with one neighbour who lives next to me. My family and I growing up have kept budgies, cockatiels, and finches before, as well as small to medium sized native birds and poultry (chicken, ducks, pheasants). I'm looking for a bird that is small, friendly, and quiet (some of the other people in my building keep lorikeets which I hear squawking when I put the bins out though). I will probably get a boy bird, unless I don't. I'm a student and hang out at home most of the time because I'm boring. I live on my own and plan to continue doing so for the foreseeable future because girlfriends are for losers. Does anyone have any recommendations? Otherwise I will get a pair of bulgy eyed goldfish. E: I've also technically got permission to keep a rat, but in my experience they're much too smelly to keep in a unit of my size. There are no cats or dogs in my building.
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Jun 25, 2015 10:07
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A Saucy Bratwurst posted:Birds are noisy as hell. You can train them to be quieter but they will never be like a cat. Imo adopt an adult if you can because you get to skip the super needy (read:loud) stage if that's an issue in your complex. It does get better but it can be very very annoying. I'm in Brisbane, north side at the moment though I've mostly lived on the south side. I grew up in rural SE/Central QLD. Queensland sucks but all my family lives here so V  VOther people here have pet cockatiels, budgies, and tame rainbow lorikeets (some cockatiels lived across the hallway from me last year), so that's about the kind of noise level I'm planning for, and that my neighbours and the people I pay my rent to are fine with putting up with. So by "quiet" I don't necessarily mean "silent", I've had cockatiels and lorikeets/rosellas and know they can kick up a racket when they want to. More "not a screaming death metal cockatoo" noise! I've not heard of Quaker parrots before, they look really cute. I've been looking at conures but I know sun conures at least definitely get really loud! Apparently green-cheeked conures are quieter, though (as far as conures go).
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Jun 25, 2015 11:12
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Aside from budgies and cockatiels, and some of the quieter conures, I've also had lovebirds recommended to me. Apparently they are fairly quiet and very cuddly, though I've heard they get bitey if you keep them in a pair? Does anyone have experience with this? I've had finches recommended, though I've kept them as pets before and in my experience they hate being cuddled and are more "ornamental" than more friendly birds like parrots. They're really, really quiet by comparison, though, so I could travel back in time to gift some finches to myself when I lived in student accommodation and wasn't allowed to have pets. In looking for cute birds and reputable breeders, I came across this picture.  Box full of cockatiels!
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Jun 25, 2015 11:50
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A Saucy Bratwurst posted:The breeder I was talking about just posted on Facebook that her birds are starting their pre mating behaviour changes and that there might be early babies this year. Dunno about other species but that student who's name I can't get on my phone without losing the post, this is good news for you. You might be able to get a baby of the species you choose if you want one I'm just a few months. Oh, nice! I'm thinking of going with a lovebird or cockatiel and I'm talking with a few people about visiting them to see what their birds are like and maybe put my name down for a baby. I'll be dropping by an RSPCA too, probably not to get a bird, but just to pat the cats and throw things for the dogs. I did meet a pair of very rude rainbow lorikeets when I visited my home town's local RSPCA with my family over the holidays, though (we were dropping off blankets for them).
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Jun 26, 2015 08:24
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This might seem like a stupid question, but am I correct in assuming that buying birds from pet stores is generally not the way to go, just like buying rats or cats/dogs from pet stores? I know I would never buy a rat/cat/dog from a pet store. Are birds the same? Most stuff I've read seems to indicate this is the case and I can't imagine a parrot, especially, having a fun time of it living in a pet store cage.  e: Sorry if this sounds really noobish. I've had lovely pet birds before, but I've never been in the position of buying one myself. I'm making sure all the breeders I talk to are okay with me coming around to see how their birds are being raised and that the parents are happy and healthy. CROWS EVERYWHERE fucked around with this message at 09:36 on Jun 26, 2015 |
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Jun 26, 2015 08:53
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Bicyclops posted:This is so cool! This is something I liked about that too! The actual biology behind how music is understood is really interesting. Dogs and cats seem to have no idea what's going on when music is played, for the main part, and it's only really parrots that I've seen who actually react to it with dancing like a human would. The way music is linked to language and movement is really cool, like babies learning language a lot faster if it's sung to them. I also work with adults with disabilities, including people who are completely non-verbal, and yet can "sing" along with the choir with perfect pitch. It's something that's incredibly, intensely human, one of the few things that sets us apart from most other animals (except birds, who are just too awesome).
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Jun 26, 2015 14:51
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Sekkira posted:I recall seeing a documentary or something some time ago where a quote stuck out in my head. The more we find out about the animal kingdom, the more we find examples of behaviour we thought set us apart from animals. Yeah, personally I love finding out all the ways that other animals can be amazingly smart. Corvids are always my favourite though 
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Jun 26, 2015 15:29
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Tendai posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TJaNDBI87s  :Look at me! I'm a loving bird! Doop de doop de doo!:Carl Linnaeus more like Carl WAAK WAAK WAAK WAAK WAAK-us am I right?: Haha, I'm so funny. I'm here all night, guys, tip your waitress.
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Jun 27, 2015 02:59
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Dreggon posted:the only bird that ever came into the house was a baby magpie who didn't know any better Hissing cockies sound like what I imagine dinosaurs sounded like. Also, I'm convinced that raptors were able to mimic sounds of things around them. "*whistles* Who's a clever girl? *squawk*" e: Imagine a T-Rex chasing after you, laughing like this, its pupils rapidly contracting and dilating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE8PTMSFMUg
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Jun 28, 2015 05:30
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I'm sure these have been posted here before, but they must be posted every day. "We can't prove they weren't huge fatbirds!"    
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Jun 28, 2015 05:34
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Birb question: I have been buying birb toys in preparation for getting one soon (cockatiel or lovebird). I've noticed quite a few rope toys being sold. I was wondering if rope toys are generally recommended for birds? I know that dogs and cats will sometimes swallow strands of rope and it causes all kinds of digestive problems. But I've also seen bird owners who seem to know what they're doing letting their birds play with rope toys. What's the general consensus in PI about rope toys for birds? I don't want to put my future bird through the distress of getting sick because they have string stuck in their stomachs (not to mention putting my wallet through the distress of paying for a vet to fix them up).
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Jun 28, 2015 08:03
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Dreggon posted:step 1: buy toy I've been stockpiling cardboard boxes and tubes for Future Birb, and since reading about lovebirds enjoying making paper strips and sticking them in their feathers, I've started stockpiling newspapers and magazines for them to play with too. In my experience birds LOVE boxes and tubes, perhaps even more than cats. A sparrow my dad raised from a baby especially loved toilet rolls for hiding in (including toilet rolls that were still in the bathroom).
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Jun 28, 2015 09:07
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DarkHorse posted:Rope toys are... problematic. If there are loose threads the bird can ingest them or get their toes caught in them. I think a good had a bird that self-amputated a toe when it got twisted around in a rope. However, if they're maintained in good condition they're great perches and make it easy to reconfigure a cage so that the bird's environment remains interesting. Yeah, what I've seen so far seems to be mostly "Birds loving love rope toys, but if you leave them with them unsupervised and/or let the toy get frayed, you will murder your bird." They also apparently can't get enough of lead paint, toxic dyes, any chemicals you might have lying around in your kitchen, bathroom, or laundry, and sticking their beaks/wings/toes/whole heads into those little loopy rings on keychains. Which I already was quite familiar with having owned idiot cockatiels/budgies/other native birbs/sparrows/finches growing up. For something so smart, birds are incredibly stupid. CROWS EVERYWHERE fucked around with this message at 12:52 on Jun 29, 2015 |
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Jun 29, 2015 12:49
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I'm sure sparrows could dangle off rope toys if they wanted but they're certainly great at dangling off shoelaces. And fingers. Lovebird bites hurt more, but I'm pretty sure sparrows have a higher aggression to body size ratio.
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Jun 29, 2015 12:56
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GoldStandardConure posted:Crows: Thanks GSC! I will look into them and order more things to hang strategically about my room once I get a little birb! I've been contacting lovebird breeders and asking them what food they are feeding their young lovebirds, so that when I adopt one I will be able to get a food that it likes, even if a vet and I decide another one is better for it to slowly transition onto. Finally after so many years of student accommodation, I might be getting a birb  e: Oh my gosh shredding toys, these would be the best for cockatiels (from personal experience) and lovebirbs (from the billions of videos I have watched). So many books and CDs gnawed on 
CROWS EVERYWHERE fucked around with this message at 13:02 on Jun 29, 2015 |
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Jun 29, 2015 13:00
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Oh, a few months ago at my work, one of the support workers heard a loud screaming and found a little cockatiel collapsed on the ground in the garden, being harassed by hungry butcher birds, with its legs and feet all tangled up in a mixture of thread/string and wool. She scooped it up in a hand-towel and rushed it inside, trying to find a box to keep it in while finding an after-hours vet. Our resident cockatologist was able to identify it as cinnamon, very young, and probably a boy (I'm not an expert on cockatiel sexing but she was right about the colour and age). While the support worker tried to get a vet, the cockatologist helped scritch the bird under the neck and patted his back while I cut away the thread with our smallest pair of scissors (and got quite bitten in the process). Once he realised we were friendly and giving it pats, he chilled out considerably and I was able to get all of the thread removed from his feet. We found a big Woolies cold bag to keep him in and he set to inspecting his new premises while whistling and running around. When we found a vet who was familiar with bird feet, they were very happy to take him in and thanked us for carefully removing the thread from his feet before he chopped off a toe He has apparently since been reunited with his owner, which I was very happy to hear!
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Jun 29, 2015 13:14
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Got a baby lovebird yesterday (~8 weeks old apparently.) S/he is a little peach-faced lovebird, one of two peachies and half a dozen to a dozen other baby lovebirds from the same owner. The other babies were mostly blue. They were all healthy and happy looking and loved seeing a new human. Their owner had a bunch of adult lovebirds, mostly female, all very friendly and most very cuddly, as well as a couple of conures. I chose Bitey (temporary name until they get sexed at our new bird vet visit this/next week) because they were very inquisitive, coming right up to me to get a better look, and very happy with being handled. Going off my knowledge of the personalities of chickens and other small parrots, I've been assuming Bitey is probably a boy, as they're generally bolder and more chill with people as babies, but I'll let a vet make sure. Bitey is enjoying his new cage and especially loves his swing. He has figured out where the water is and the food. He's been weaned onto a mostly seed-based diet with fresh and cooked fruit and veg (he loves millet) but I was going to talk with my vet about pellet diets. I gave him some of my lunch and dinner yesterday (cheese on corn thins for lunch, cooked carrot and corn, vegie sausage, and ???mystery lettuces??? for dinner), though he wasn't particularly interested in my breakfast this morning (cereal with milk). Bitey isn't actually particularly Bitey. He likes gently nibbling my fingers when I am cuddling him. If I whistle back at him when he whistles, then we can keep whistling together for a while. He likes ringing a couple of his bells around the cage and trying to scale anything and everything outside of the cage. His favourite toy seems to be his swing though, which he's realised he can make spin if he wiggles his body back and forth, or keep still if he stays still in one spot. The avian vet I've been talking to a little and am visiting sometime this or next week is one who used to live in the next suburb over, and now runs a specialised avian vet. He's a quick bus ride away and in contact still with the vets in my suburb, which is handy. Pics will be forthcoming soon! e: Bitey is currently staring intently at the window as the local noisy miners, lorikeets, and peewees tweet/screech away in some of our flowering plants. CROWS EVERYWHERE fucked around with this message at 23:04 on Jul 1, 2015 |
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Jul 1, 2015 23:01
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Battle Pigeon posted:
He is very little  And his squeaks are so much higher than the adult birds in his family. He's very good for cuddling and reading books to, and also seems to find the sound of my little fan heater soothing.
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Jul 1, 2015 23:17
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Battle Pigeon posted:
I'd say he's more fluffy soft, but to be honest I haven't cuddled a conure before! I only know about conures from reading, looking at pics, and watching funny videos of them. I'm taking him out for cuddles regularly, so he gets really used to me, but I'm giving him moments to himself to sit in his cage too, so I don't overdo it and stress him out too much. I put a towel over the top and a side of the cage, which seemed to make him happy. He's so soft and cuddly and lets me pat him on the head and back when we're hiding out under my blanket
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Jul 1, 2015 23:28
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I am decoding some of Bitey's squeaks and squawks. If he can't scale something (like the polished metal of the legs of one of my cupboards, or my painted cinderblock walls), he lets out an indignant squeak. And then tries to headbutt them anyway.
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Jul 1, 2015 23:42
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painted bird posted:That is loving adorable. That was one of my plans for a temporary name! I was thinking of giving him a Desert Peach name if he turned out to be a boy, but that would be too cruel.  Instead, he's going to be Furiosa if a girl, and Captain Fifi McAfee (Fifi for short) if he's a boy. Fifi is a much more dignified name.
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Jul 1, 2015 23:55
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Tendai posted:it is illegal under laws to say this and not post pictures of it  This is Bitey! This pic is from last night, the one I sent to my family and friends to let them know I finally have a birb. He's had an exciting day and is ready to go to sleep.  A birb in the hand (demonstrating the law that a birb will sit nice and still until you try to take a photo, at which point it will flip out in every direction).  Bitey doing very important things on his swing.  Bitey posing under my very dirty louvre (don't look at it!).  What are those noises?  (It's lorikeets and noisy miners, Bitey tried his best to squeak louder than them.) Scoot scoot scoot Yeah I'm going to bust out the vacuum cleaner for those louvres, I forget how nasty they get when it's windy :V
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Jul 2, 2015 00:18
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Bitey is booked in for a new baby bird checkup and surgical sexing ( ) for next week. So by next week he will have a real bird name. I also had Toast (the Knowing) suggested as a girl name for Bitey, so she and Taco could team up as bird adventurers.
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Jul 2, 2015 01:21
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bassguitarhero posted:Is there anything outside that window past the grate? It looks like Bitey could squeeze out pretty easily Kenshin posted:I see a mesh screen Yeah, it's flyscreen all over. Part of the reason I picked this place to live: a couple of other options I was looking at had no flyscreen, and just open windows, which would be no good for a pet rat or bird. I've been looking for birdproof places even though I didn't know until recently that I could get a birb, it's been on my mind for a looooooong time e: Keeps the flies and mozzies out too, which is important as this suburb is full of lagoons and borders onto a full-on protected wetlands/swamp.
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Jul 2, 2015 03:02
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 THREAD ALERTBitey has eaten some of his millet woozle (he loving loves millet) and is now having a nap while listening to the classical music channel on the radio.  e: This picture is also going in my "evidence that these screwholes in the wall were absolutely there before I moved in, don't try to take fixing them out of my bond, you fuckers" photo folder. My walls are loving atrocious.
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Jul 2, 2015 03:37
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Grraarrgghh posted:Wait, vets still do this? This is in Australia, most vets I've spoken to do it. We may be backward though, just look at our internet. They do both, but apparently they recommend surgical sexing as it gets results quicker and is more certain, plus cheaper. I've got a week until it happens, though, so I can switch it to DNA sexing. The vets there are very good, if that helps.
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Jul 2, 2015 03:49
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I'll ask to change it ASAP in that case. Besides, I've put aside plenty of money for my "getting a birb" fund so even if it is more expensive I'm okay. Yeah, most things I read said DNA sexing is much less stressful than surgical sexing. It might help with picking up any other health issues, too. e: A Saucy Bratwurst posted:
Nice! I might do that too!
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Jul 2, 2015 03:54
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Got it switched to DNA sexing, apparently it IS cheaper I'm remembering my favourite bit of having a lovely pet bird, which is millet husks everywhere! e: Bitey seems to know how to squeak when he wants to come out of his cage, and then squeak again when he wants to go back in. The miners have quieted down a bit so he's not quite so insistent on crawling up and down the flyscreen now!
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Jul 2, 2015 04:01
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After the latest attempt to hug Bitey into submission, he was very happy to lie still and receive neck scritches Now he's back getting millet everywhere so that I remember to vacuum and stop being lazy.
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Jul 2, 2015 04:23
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What are some good Australian sites to order a little harness for a lovebird? I would like to ultimately take Bitey out on walks with me and a harness would be a better option than sticking him in my sleeve and hoping for the best. Little bird costumes are also good. If he turns out to be a boy I will get him a pretty dress, and a smart tuxedo if she turns out to be a girl. Because gender norms are for losers.
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Jul 2, 2015 06:22
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Yeah, those are Eclectus parrots. King parrots are roughly the same colour scheme, but in reverse: the girls are a dullish green, with a couple of red and blue spots, and the boys are bright red with a blue tum. King parrots in the wild are very shy and gentle and tend to get pushed around at prime feeding spots by other more assertive birds, so I have a deep-seated affection for them Thank you for the link goldstandardconure! I'm thinking of getting some toys for Bitey once I figure out a bit more what kind of things he likes, which might also change as he gets older. He's so far not fussed on bits of cardboard and paper to chew on, but loves his spinny swing, bells, and things to climb up and down. Maybe as he gets older he'll decide he must create a nest or personal decoration for himself with bits of paper and cardboard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agc02qNTyo4 e: he also loving loves millet. He sits next to his millet spray and puffs up and closes his eyes contentedly as he scoffs it down. I think it is going to be a good treat for motivating him to do tricks! e2: the son of e: Also, after many mandatory hug times, Bitey is now happy to sit on my arm or leg or tummy calmly for as long as I keep patting him. Once the patting stops he makes a dash for the metal legs of my sink cupboard which he is SURE he will be able to climb this time (spoilers: he can't). CROWS EVERYWHERE fucked around with this message at 08:37 on Jul 2, 2015 |
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Jul 2, 2015 08:30
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Thread Alert Bitey has had some more millet, had a good preen, spent some time on his cement perch sharpening his beak, and is now having a sleep with one leg tucked up in his body.
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Jul 2, 2015 08:57
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Introduced Bitey to my neighbours, they like him and think he is lovely and want birbs of their own Apparently one of the neighbours up the hall has a big yellow bird in her outside area. I'm going to talk to her (or spy on it from the garden) and see what sort of bird it is
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Jul 2, 2015 10:24
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Thread Alert Bitey was cold (window still open) and now he's in my hoodie sleeve! He crawled in on his own!
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Jul 2, 2015 10:31
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Bitey was perched in his second favourite spot, atop his cage (his top favourite is in my hoodie sleeve) and started scratching his head with his claw, fell over on his butt, and is now glaring at me accusingly.
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Jul 3, 2015 06:46
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Today I sang to Bitey for half an hour or so, which made him sit happily on my hand/tummy/chest during a Mandatory Cuddle Session. Later he spent a bit over an hour chilled out in my shirt. Now he's hanging out in his cage eating millet (he loving loves millet), playing on his swing, and playing on his new palm frond, which seems to be a new favourite (I got it on my way back from grocery shopping). e: Back in my sleeve
CROWS EVERYWHERE fucked around with this message at 09:05 on Jul 3, 2015 |
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Jul 3, 2015 09:02
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Pile of Kittens posted:Might want to cool it on the millet - it's great as a treat, but you should rotate with other healthier snacks like fruit or whatever you're eating (vegan food, no avocado) because he wants to share food with you. Millet is super fatty and you might be surprised how fast fatty liver can catch up with a wee bird. My bird's bloodwork came back with elevated liver enzymes from just half a spike of millet a week, but she's a lightweight. Pretty sure my vet didn't believe me when I said that was all she was getting. My boyfriend maybe sneaks her more? Yeah, I'm giving him this millet for now and not planning to add a stick of it once he's finished it. It's mostly there for now because he got a very millety seed diet with his previous owner and to make his new cage feel like a nice place. He was on a seed diet with bits of fruit and veg but I'm switching him slowly over to pellets with fruit and veg. He likes sharing the fruit and veg I eat so far - carrot (I shred some for him as well as giving him my carrot ends), corn, cauliflower, celery, peas, ???mystery lettuce??? and spinach (I love spinach) (cooked and raw), pear and apple cores. I think millet is going to be a really good treat for when I'm teaching him to do tricks, he REALLY loves it. Despite the fact that he drops more than he eats
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Jul 3, 2015 09:24
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Also, how good is a parrot's sense of smell? I know most birds are meant to have poor senses of smell, except for vultures and other carrion birds, seabirds, etc. What about parrots?
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Jul 3, 2015 09:33
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Battle Pigeon posted:Just in case you didn't know, the seeds of these are unsafe for parrots to eat (since you mentioned cores specifically) I've been making sure to watch him while he's eating it so he just gets the fleshy and fibrey bites. He usually gets bored or it dries up by the time it gets that far too! I've elected for that reason not to leave apple or pear cores in his cage, in case I forget to take them out before night time. I've stuck a couple of little apple and pear slices around his cage though for him to nibble on. e: Yessssssssssssss I have a shoulder parrot e2: Bitey got to experience the fun of a fire alarm (a neighbour was cooking toast). He seemed more curious than frightened about it and now seems ready to have a sleep. CROWS EVERYWHERE fucked around with this message at 11:24 on Jul 3, 2015 |
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Jul 3, 2015 10:07
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Shirec posted:While I noodle over my Nanday decision, please enjoy this picture of my Sammy bird playing with a bottle cap Yeah, I need to take more pics of him! I've been sending Snapchats to everyone of him doing all sorts of cute things. Sitting in my shirt, squeaking, preening and stretching, sharpening his beak, hanging upside down on his swing. He really loves his swing
CROWS EVERYWHERE fucked around with this message at 01:05 on Jul 4, 2015 |
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Jul 4, 2015 01:02
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