We’ve all heard about the dog-person or cat-person dichotomy, but there’s another special pet that takes a special kind of person to adopt: birds. Whether you want to hear your pet say “Hey!” when you come home or just spend time with your new companion, this guide will get you started on the exciting world of bird adoption.
What Types of Birds Make Good Pets?
There are plenty of friendly bird species out there that flourish in bird-lovers’ households. As a rule of thumb, for beginners, the best pet birds are those that are gentle, relatively low maintenance, and naturally friendly. There are plenty of great birds out there for beginners, but here are just a couple of examples:
Parrolets are tiny, personality-packed birds that are known for forming strong bonds with their owners. They’re small, averaging about 5 inches, and require a lot of socialization and playtime. As long as you can spend meaningful amounts of time with them every day, they’re great beginner birds!
Parakeets are small, trainable, and affectionate birds. They’re the smallest of the parrot species, and they’re generally playful and sweet. They can also mimic human speech and other household sounds like ringtones and opening doors!
Cockatiels are Australian birds known for their friendly and affectionate dispositions. They’re about twice the size of parakeets and have a few vocal tricks of their own, like whistling and mimicking some environmental sounds around them. Mostly, they can’t mimic speech. But they might start mimicking your doorbell!
For bird owners with more experience and time on their hands, there are a few other bird species that are incredibly rewarding companions! They just need a lot more attention. Let’s look at two examples:
Cockatoos are medium-sized birds with beautiful plumage. Overall, they’re quite playful, but they’re also very intelligent and socially needy. Once they bond with their owners, they can quickly become depressed if you don’t spend enough time with them. As such, make sure you know what’s needed from you to give a cockatoo a good life.
If you’re looking for a highly affectionate and playful bird, then the hyacinth macaw is a great option. Just understand that they’re big birds, averaging 40 inches! They’ll need a lot of room to live comfortably, and you’ll need a lot of free space to store their big cage.
How Do I Bond With a Bird?
Birds aren’t the same as dogs and cats — they’re flock animals and won’t naturally see people as their friends. That’s why bonding is so important. After all, by bringing a bird into your home, you’re probably the only significant relationship it will have for its entire life. Making sure your bird is happy and healthy means keeping a strong bond. Here’s what you should do:
Socialize: Birds are social animals. They need to have regular and meaningful mental stimulation to live happy lives, especially if they’re caged for the majority of their life. Make sure you talk in a gentle and friendly voice to your bird, hang out near the cage while doing other things, and gently handle your bird.
Play: Mental stimulation isn’t just about talking — birds also love to play with toys! It keeps their brain active. A bored bird can be very difficult to deal with, and with too little to do in so confined a space, your companion can become depressed. Great bird toys involve swings, foraging feeders, chewable kabobs, and more.
Share: Birds really appreciate when it looks like you’re sharing your food with them. You can pretend to take a bite out of a bird snack and then hand them the rest, or you can share bird-safe food with them. This shows your companion that you’ll take care of them — even if it means less food for you!
Comfort: Different birds appreciate different types of affection, but all birds want to be comforted. If your bird isn’t bonded to you yet, then slow and respectful movements will keep them comfortable until they’re ready to be petted and picked up. If you and your bird are already close, then figure out how they like to be petted and played with!
Help a Bird, Help Yourself
Pets are remarkable at keeping us healthy — they get us off the couch, give us plenty of love, and bring us so much joy. If you’re an animal lover, you may benefit from an emotional support animal or exploring animal-assisted therapy. I’d be happy to give you more information. Feel free to read more here or contact me!