Making Your Bird Happy

In the ten years that I've been a bird keeper, I've come to believe that there is no greater joy than making my birds happy. After all, they constantly make me happy with their pleasant sounds and silly antics. Why shouldn't I do something to return some of their loyal friendship?

At first it was hard for me to tell what exactly it would take to make birds happy. I mean how do you really know if a bird is happy anyway? There are several ways.

First, if your birds increase the amount of time that they express themselves verbally, it is a good indication that they are happy. If your birds are usually pretty quiet, even during normally active times for birds, i.e. mornings and evenings, you might need to work on some things.

Physical activity is another sign of a well adjusted bird. Most birds don't sit still on a perch for very long at a time. If your birds are fairly inactive, this could be another indication that they are unhappy. (Of course you need to rule out illness before you do anything else.)

Once you are assured that your birds are healthy, start introducing them to some new things, paying special attention to the way they respond. You might want to take notes so you can use the information later.

I always start with environment first. I try to supply my birds with an environment that closely resembles a place they might choose for themselves if they were living in the wild. This is a bit more difficult with the larger birds such as Parrots but you can improvise with satisfactory results.

Putting a bird away in a barren cage is as boring for them as it would be for you. I find that the larger the cage, the better. I like to buy or make cages at least twice as big as is normally recommended. I like to provide natural perches. For larger birds you can buy suitable lengths of hardwood perch materials at most pet supply shops that carry even a few of the larger bird species. For the smaller birds, tree limbs work best and I've found that Lilac branches work especially well. Position the perches in a way that they might be used in the wild. The smaller birds enjoy a tree like setup where as the larger birds prefer horizontal perches. Once the perches are in place, you need to work on the landscape. I like to use non-toxic edible plants and a lamp that provides all the natural elements of the sun. The light is great for your birds health and well-being and the plants will like it too. If your bird is going to chew the plants up right away, you will want to choose something that is inexpensive to replace on a regular basis. I find that for small birds, herb plants work well.

Plants not only increase oxygen flow, but provide your birds with privacy. All living creatures deserve privacy. Your birds will react to their environment by keeping you entertained with behavior that is normal for their species. Giving your birds a desirable living space is no different that your wanting to live in a clean, well decorated home.

In addition to a pleasant environment, a variety of foods can make your birds extremely happy. If your birds are usually on an all seed diet, try a few Nutri-berries on them. If they eat mostly pellet foods, give them a few seeds as a treat. All birds enjoy a tasty treat of fresh foods such as leaf lettuce or other greens. You will see them happily pecking away at whatever foods you decide to introduce. My birds recently discovered the joy in an occasional feast of corn, freshly cut off the cob.

Birds vocalize much more frequently when they are happy. They also interact with their human friends more often if they are well fed and housed.

Large birds have a special fondness for toys, but just like children, they get bored playing with the same toys all the time. I suggest changing toys on a daily or at least a weekly basis. You can buy interesting toys for birds or you can make them yourself.

Contrary to what most people think, even small birds enjoy toys, they just prefer a different type of toy. My Finches will play with a leaf for hours. As soon as one bird picks it up, the other ones all want it. It's very comical to watch. Small birds also find anything unusual in their cage to be a constant source of entertainment. During Easter this year, my four year old stuck a piece of Easter grass through the bars on the Finch cage and they entertained themselves for days with a single piece of the flat, glittering string. (Ed. note: Please check with your vet before offering any household item as a toy.)

A bath is something that your birds will really enjoy. You can supply this in a variety of ways. Larger birds, if properly tame, will enjoy taking a shower with you. For more timid birds you could try a light mist from a spray bottle.

Small species of birds enjoy a small bath attached to the side of their cage. My small birds take at least two baths a day as long as I provide them with clean water. Try adding a piece or two of grass to their tub for some interesting visual stimulation.

Other birds enjoy dust baths. You can buy sand but I've found that I can wash and dry my own sand rather quickly on sunny days and I do enough that it will last a while. The time invested in cleaning your own sand is very little and the joy it brings these dust loving birds is immeasurable.

Don't forget the all around easiest way to make your birds happy, interaction with you. Birds respond to your voice when you talk to them in soothing tones or attempt to mimic their sounds. Once they get used to that interaction and realize that you listen to them, they will begin using their voices to let you know when they are happy and also to let you know when they need something.

Making your birds happy only takes a few minutes of your time each day and you are rewarded in kind by pleasing sounds, bird antics and interaction with your flock.

Besides being an avid bird keeper, Rhia is editor of two magazines, Writer's Workshop Review and Young Authors' Review. She lives in Vancouver, WA and you may contact her through E-mail at: rhiad@pacifier.com.