Ecology and the Birds

Services include: Content Writing Proof Reading Report Writing Blogging Pet Blogging Table of Content Birdwatching as a Leisure pursuit 2 22 incredible facts about birds: 9th is astounding 6 Can birds of different species talk to each other? 14 How do birds sleep without falling? 21 How do different birds build their nests? 27 Things to do before getting a pet bird 33 1

Article 1: Birdwatching as a Leisure pursuit What is Birdwatching? “Joy is when a tiny bird sings a big sweet song” Watching birds in their natural environment, listening to the majestic songs, and looking at them in silence for hours is called “birdwatching” or “birding”. Robert Lynd has said, “To see birds is necessary to become part of the silence”. Bird books have stimulated interest in people about this activity. “Bird watching” has become UK’s best-selling magazine. Print media has played its lion’s share to fuel interest among the masses. Audubon Magazine (United States) is also serving the same purpose. Birdwatching as a Hobby Birding was a popular hobby in Britain and the United States. Now, it has become a popular in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and other countries of the British Commonwealth. A person who loves birdwatching is called a birdwatcher, birder, or twitcher. They are amateur mostly. This hobby developed in the 20th century. Before this, in the 19th century, students used guns to shoot down birds for study and research purposes which was horrific practice. Watching, observing and feeding birds in their natural habitat has become a popular sports and a source of meditation and relaxation. It is an inexpensive activity as one just needs a field book for identification and a notebook to record his observation. Bird watchers may set up a feeding station to attract birds. It can could help a lot to make this activity more enjoyable. 2

Source: pixabay.com How to do birdwatching? To have more fun as a bird watcher, be quiet, and avoid sudden movements as these may startle the birds. Sit by silently and feed them to enjoy more or it is better to use binoculars to watch birds from a distance. Source: pixabay.com It provides you an opportunity to be close to nature to enjoy the scenic beauty and fresh air. It provides an opportunity to educate kids about nature. It lowers your stress level and unplugs you from your hectic routine in the true sense. 3

Birdwatching is an Ecotourism, How? This type of ecotourism is seasonal. However, it contributes $41 billion to the US economy. This is a good replacement for tax collected from bird hunters1. Revenue generated is also being used to conserve the sites and natural habitat. Ecotourism also contributes to the provision of opportunities for the local economy to grow2. It also helps to study the dispersal and migration patterns of a seasonal bird. Is birding a “boring activity?” Birders are perceived to be the most boring people, according to a new study featured in The Guardian. Birding needs some patience otherwise one may disturb local wildlife and may prove time-consuming if you don’t have a recorded history of birds' visits. However, it becomes delightful finding a new species of bird and adding an unexpected bird to your life list. Nothing can beat this excitement. It can be quite fun in case you make it a family activity and have smaller kids. To make it more enjoyable, please switch off your mobile phone. 1. 1 \"Could a birding boom in the U.S. help conservation take flight?\". Travel. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021. 2. 2 Aerts, R.; Lerouge, F.; November, E. (2019). Birds of forests and open woodlands in the highlands of Dogu'a Tembien. In: Nyssen J., Jacob, M., Frankl, A. (Eds.). Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains - The Dogu'a Tembien District. SpringerNature. ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6. 4

Source: pixabay.com 5

Article 2: 22 incredible facts about birds: 9th is astounding Birds, with the most fascinating colors, are quite bizarre and captivating creatures of the world. Birds can be found on every continent from the scorching heat of Africa to the colds of Antarctica. They belong to the “Aves” group of “Vertebrates” which exist and may migrate to a wide range of terrestrial ecosystems. There are almost 18,000 species of birds on this planet “The Earth” [1]. This group of animals is with “superpower” to “fly” that we wish we could have. Feathers, a pair of legs, a strong beak, and a light and strong skeleton are some of the prominent features of Aves. What else do we know? Here are some of the intriguing facts about this winged friend. 1. Descendant of reptiles Archaeopteryx or Urvogel (German name) is the earliest known bird. This bird is much different from the birds of today. It is a descendant of reptiles (Dinosaurs: Theropods), living about 147 million years ago (Jurassic period). It had teeth and a bony tail. These features brought it the name “dinosaur angel”. 2. The only creature all around With thousands of bird species (18,000), only birds can be found on all 7 continents of the world. They can acclimatize to a habitat or migrate to the new one. Their migration is seasonal to find food and shelter escaping from the harsh weather. 3. The largest known bird The Ostrich (a flightless bird), with a height of 8.85 feet (2.7 m) is the largest known living bird in the world. Although it has a wingspan of up to 2 m, it can’t fly. It lays eggs weighing up to 1.5 kg “the biggest bird egg”. 6

Ostrich: Image on pexels.com 4. The smallest living bird The hummingbird (Bee Hummingbird) is the smallest known living bird on this planet. It measures 5.5 cm in length and even weighs less than 2 grams. It lays pea-sized eggs, known as “the smallest eggs” in the world. Hummingbird: Image on Pexels.com 7

5. The poisonous bird Some birds are even poisonous in the world. Poisonous feather and skin of Pitohui of Papua cause poison to the environment. Image on istockphoto.com 6. The fastest bird on the earth Diving to go for the hunt can make a Peregrine Falcon reach an air speed of 389 km/h (242 mph). They live in wide-open space, on skyscrapers and bridges. However, common Swift can reach a maximum speed of 169 km/h (105 mph) on a normal level flight. Falcon: Image on Pexels.com 7. Birds with claws on their wings Hoatzin chicks are known as stink birds. They climb trees and even swim in water with the help of claws on their wings. They use this feature to escape from danger and predators in the vicinity. 8

8. Sleeping cum flying This is one of the most interesting facts about birds. This one is much fascinating about the seabird, Albatross, flying at 25 mph dozes. It soars effortlessly in the sky without flapping its wings. Occasionally, it spends years at sea without touching land. Albatross: Photo by Nareeta Martin on Unsplash 9. Sleeping with one eye open Can you imagine this fascinating fact about birds? Yes, the duck is an example. The ducks sleep with one eye open to get alert from the attack of predators nearby. Another interesting fact is about Millard Ducks, those sleep with open eyes and one leg on the water surface to conserve heat. 10. The most talkative bird The fact comes within the parrot family the most. The African grey parrot is the most talkative bird in the world. It can say more than 800 words which are far more than the normal parrot family (almost 50 words) 9

11. The most common bird You might have seen poultry farms raising chicken along the roadside. These poultry farms along with the homes for raring domestic chicken make (chicken) the most common bird in the world. 12. The rarest bird With only 25 members on this planet, Madagascar Pochard is the rarest bird in the world. 13. The jumping bird Birds can fly, swim, run and jump. Penguins, fascinating birds with black and white color, can walk upright and jump only. They are good swimmers too. Penguins are flightless birds that can jump up to 9 feet height in water and on land. This is the highest jump a bird can make. 14. The pecking bird The woodpecker peck the woods to make his nest. Its pecking speed is 20 pecks per second. They can peck 12,000 times in a single day making their comfortable nest. Photo by John Napier on Pexels.com 10

15. Feathers beyond flight Only birds have feathers. Birds use these feathers primarily for flight. Muscles at their base help them to carry birds long distances. Beyond carrying birds, feathers help to regulate temperature, help to attract mates, and work as water-resistant during rain to keep birds dry. 16. Earlobe and egg color: An interesting match The female bird lays eggs. There is an interesting fact about earlobe color and the color of the egg. A bird with dark earlobes produces a brown egg while a bird with white earlobes produces an egg in white color. 17. The mimicking birds Thanks to the mental ability of parrots, they can mimic human speech. A parrot can mimic hundreds of words and are the most talkative group of birds e.g. Africa Gray Parrot, the most famous bird pet. Some wild birds e.g. Ravens can also mimic human speech and the sounds of their predators. 18. The incredible intelligent bird You might have experienced the “Caw Caw” sounds of crows while passing through the woods. You might have harmed those weeks ago. Yes, crows belong to the Raven family. They are good at recognizing human faces. They can navigate easily and even mourn the death of their loved ones. These odd features marked crows as “the incredibly intelligent bird”. 19. The bird with the largest eyes You cannot escape eye contact with an ostrich looking at you. 11

The ostrich, with a long neck and speedy running skills, is the biggest bird with the largest eyes on the land. Even its eyes are bigger than its brain. 20. Under water flight What did you just read, flight under water…!!. Yes, it’s true in case of Puffins. They can fly even under water. Photo by John on Pexels.com 21. Birds with 360° vision Owls have tubular eye balls so they cannot rotate their eyes. However, they are blessed with a unique feature. They can rotate their heads up to 270°. This rotation enable them to achieve 360° vision easily. 22. Non-verbal communication Birds can produce different sounds like singing, warbles, trills, gurgles, and whistles etc. however, non-verbal communication is a dominating way they use to convey their messages. They beat their wings in the air to produce winnowing sounds during courtship or to establish a territory. They may puff up their feathers to show beauty and strength to attract female birds. 12

Quiz 1) What bird can live everywhere but Antarctica? Answer: Peregrine Falcon 2) What bird can cannot fly? Answer: Penguin 13

Article 3: Can birds of different species talk to each other? Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity. Every creature in this universe communicates. You just need to listen and understand. Have you ever considered “can birds of different species talk to each other?” Whether all whistles, chirps, tweets, and tuts of birds have some meanings? This is quite a fun question!! Stick with me to have more interesting information about the bird’s lifestyle. Do birds have language? Humans are not the only species to craft their language. Birds do have their own language to communicate with others just like humans. Their modes of communication are verbal and non-verbal. You might have observed birds talking like humans in a “bird version”, in your backyard, at your feeder, or high on the tree. Why do bird species talk to each other? Birds send signals to contact their family, attract their mates, beg for food, call their chicks, defend their territory, and most likely “the call of danger” to warn about the presence of a predator. 14

Image by Lukas Bieri from Pixabay Photo by Chris Sabor on Unsplash They communicate by whistles, honks, screeches, chirps, squeaks, gurgles, tremolos, howls, croaks, pops, trills, warbles, gulps, etc. Even a birder can get the signals of the presence of a particular species. This is termed “birding by ears”. Birds vocalize to signal happiness, danger, distress, alarm calls, desire for matting, pleasant weather a much more. However, one may feel the difference as all these calls have different tones and intensities.  Matting calls are usually soft, back and forth, and rhythmic.  Melodies are quite long and tend to be a complex sequence of whistles.  Territorial calls are usually short-lived, aggressive, intense, and loud.  Alarm calls are an expression of fear, surprise, and anger. These are intensive loud.  Baby birds use peep sounds to get parents’ attention. 15

But, the question is, do a cardinal’s tweets and cheeps mean anything to crows, sparrows, flickers, robins, etc.? This matters a lot in various situations. In this article, we are going to talk about “can birds of different species talk to each other”. What are the examples of different bird species talking to each other? Inter-specific communication of birds is usually non-verbal. Just take an example; you are in a place surrounded by people speaking an unknown language. All of sudden, they start screaming and running in one direction, what would be your response? The same case is with the birds of different species talking to each other just by their expression (non-verbal). Robert D. Magrath, a behavioral ecologist, and ornithologist from Australian National University studied the behavior of different bird species towards alarm calls by other species. It is of no surprise that all the species respond to alarm calls almost equally. Birds send warning cries when they see any predator around. Istockphoto.com Magrath added that birds of different species can not only recognize the alarm calls of others, but they can respond to their songs as well. Birds of different territories have different dialects and melodies to play. Birds respond to other territorial songs by singing their own. It looks like there is a singing competition in the woods or your backyard. They respond to contact calls and love to form mix-species flocks and go searching for food in groups. Chickadees: The researcher has shown that different species can decode alarm calls and can know the degree of danger that their friend is advertising. For example, chickadees and nuthatches, songbirds of North America, are wary of 16

raptors. When chickadees see a winged predator, it produces high-pitched alarm calls to make other species aware of the raptors flying around. It produces “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” cries to signal other friends. Nuthatches also become cautious after this signal. A birder can locate predators like a cat, hawk, mountain lion, nest-robbing squirrels, and owl using the alarm calls of the birds. An interspecies response also heralds the oncoming threat. Even non-avian friends like squirrels may get alarm signals from birds. These mammalian friends also spread the signal of distress to others. Cuckoo: Then there is another example of a cuckoo “a notorious brood parasite”. The female cuckoo lays eggs in the nest of other birds. Baby cuckoos are so tricky that they imitate sounds similar to the host’s species. You may call it deceptive communication they use to talk to other species. Image by Vinson Tan ( 楊 祖 武 ) on Pixabay 17

Coal tit and Japanese tit For communication to be clear and effective, it should have some visual effects too. A study was conducted by Toshitaka Suzuki involving two bird species, coal tit (Periparus ater) and Japanese tit (Parus minor). Carrying his research at Kyoto University’s Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Suzuki reported that birds with shared predators respond to the “alarm calls” of each other. Birds in the same taxonomic group often share the same predator but their calls are massively different. However, at the time of danger, they can mentally visualize the “predator image” from the shouted warning calls. “When birds visualize snake, they make snake-specific calls, and all other species respond to it,” states Suzuki. It only depends on the observation of different species to talk about their communication. It has been observed unanimously in North America that birds often call their friends even across the species to the feeders. Black- camped chickadees when approaching any feeder, it’s a cheerful message “chick-a-dee-dee..” appears to be well understood even by other birds like white-breasted nuthatches, red-bellied woodpeckers, northern cardinals, tufted titmice, etc. Some believe that chickadees use a different number of singing sounds “dees” to attract feeders and different for different forms of danger. “The more number of “dees”, the more dangerous is the predator”. This type of behavior is called “mobbing”. 18

Photo by Brian Yurasits on Unsplash Like humans, birds also have different languages. Birds living in the adjacent ecosystem would learn different calls with time. It is not a sort of innate learning but it is learned through observation. Especially intensity of sound at the time of danger (alarming calls) can easily be recognized by all members of other species. You may have observed all bird species responding to “cat warning calls”. Walking through a forest with your pet, you may have noticed warning calls by the birds of different species. The warning signals are usually three to four sort loud beeps. 19

Birder calls to attract game birds: Hunters often produce a short cluck sound to mimic a hen. This is used to attract turkey in the evening when it wants to stay out and away. Sometimes, making a crow sound “caw, caw” may surprise turkeys. Photo by Mohan Nannapaneni on pexels.com Communication between Birds and Humans Birds even learn to communicate with humans when tamed or trained. They may come up with repeated phrases that have been learned by them by heart. Pigeons and parrots are trained as bird pets. This is one of the best examples of cross-species communication. It can be concluded that birds of different species can talk to each other to some degree. The most obvious is the warning call and they get it by their observation. Different species of birds can easily learn to respond to the interspecies response. However, there is no indication that communication among birds of different species is complex. It is a non-verbal type of communication in most cases. 20

Article 4: How do birds sleep without falling? A night of deep sleep is the best cure in the doctor’s book. Good sleep is needed for healthy living and successful and energetic life. Sleep relieves the weary laborer and heals one’s mind, body, and soul. Shakespeare has said, “Sleep soothes away all our worries”. A sound sleep is the best meditation. Have you ever wondered where do the birds go at night? Do they sleep? The answer is yes…. but complicated too. They don’t do like other mammals. How the answer is so complicated? Here are some interesting stories. For a sound sleep, you need to have cozy bedding, surrounded by a peaceful environment, free of any type of hustle and disturbance and deep dark all night long. All these combinations are rare in the case of birds. You may say, “no rest for the feathered friend”. Usually, birds fall asleep whenever they get a good footing. How they manage to do that, is a surprising question!!! What are Nocturnal and Diurnal birds? Some birds like owl, whip-poor-wills, and nighthawk, wake up at night and do hunting while spending their day sleeping. During the day they find a safe place to take a nap and are called nocturnal fliers, “night riders”. Diurnal birds perch on branches or a safe building at night. 21

Photo by Rahul Singh on Pexels.com Where do birds sleep? Birds are good at finding a place to feel comfy. They can find spots inside dense bushes, on the branches, and in the holes on the trunk of a tree. They usually go to the shelter where they raise their young. However, in stormy weather, they may make an extra effort to find a safer place. For how much time does a bird sleep? Usually, birds enjoy 10 to 12 hours of nighttime sleep. With threats of predators and cold, noisy neighborhoods all around, “cat naps” are common during the daytime “daydreaming”. Nighttime sleep is not continuous but small snatches until stunned awake either by a gust of wind, cold, and disturbance in the neighborhood or by a predatory threat. Photo by Tyler Moulton on Unsplash 22

What are the possible positions and postures of a bird while sleeping? The beak and legs of birds are free of feathers and may get cold during sleep as the temperature fall. To manage this, a bird fluffs out its feathers to cover the legs, turns its head around to tuck its beak into the feathers, and falls asleep. This position holds in heat to keep the body warm i.e. thermogenesis. Some birds may also undergo nocturnal torpor, “hypothermia”. Photo by Stephen Tafra on Unsplash Hummingbirds have been found taking a kind of sleep like a bat. Sometimes they may perch upside down overnight. A bird can enjoy sleep while it stands, lays down, perches swims, hangs upside down, etc. all these are some possible sleeping postures. What is Unihemispheric slow-wave sleep (USWS)? To be aware of the predatory threat, some birds e.g ducks, frigatebirds, and waterfowl sleep with one eye open. These opened eyes remained connected to the alert hemisphere of the brain. This kind of sleep is called 23

Unihemispheric slow-wave sleep (USWS). Eurasian Blackbirds and Peregrine falcon can enjoy the same USWS- type naps. During USWS, half of the brain remains active to alert the birds of any threat while still, they can catch some zzzzzs. Do birds sleep while flying? When birds are migrating in search of food or a suitable climate, they may have to travel long distances flying without rest and stopping. They have to fly, navigate and enjoy naps concurrently. Alpine swift is an example that can fly for 200 days using USWS and fall asleep while flying. Ornithologists claimed that Apline Swift may fly for almost their whole lifetime. During long cruises over the ocean, birds typically take a brief nap. Albatroos do the same. Albatross: Photo by Nareeta Martin on Unsplash 24

Where do birds sleep in rainfall? All birds have different behavior toward rainfall. Sea birds can smell a storm from miles and can manage to outrun it. They perch in dense foliage or under manmade structures. Birds can withstand light showers and can fly. However, when it becomes more challenging they may seek shelter in bushes, tree cavities, under bridges, in abandoned buildings, or barns. They stay motionless, covering their legs and head to conserve heat. While all the birds are in their hiding places, the raptor will do the same. Raptor won’t waste their energy on fruitless hunting. There are two main reasons for birds to hide from the rain. Firstly, they hide themselves to escape hypothermia. Birds trap air to keep their body warm but in rain, these air spots may be filled with water. Secondly, birds may starve out on rainy days as no prey outside in a heavy downpour. istockphoto.com How do birds sleep while clinging to a support? You might be surprising, birds enjoy dreams and fall asleep on branches of the tree and wire of a pole without falling. Chimneys Swift is a good example of this type of rest. They have been reported to have rest while clinging to the insides of chimneys. Why birds don’t fall off their perches while sleeping? Birds don’t slip off while snoozing and resting on a branch, which is quite interesting. How do they do this? When the birds lower their body and fluff out their feathers to cover the legs, they put their whole body weight on their feet. Muscles and tendons in the legs and their toes close and get tightened and this position keeps the feet closed and a “vice-like grip” around the branch. This grip is supported by three toes in the forward and one in the rear 25

direction. The rear toe is the strongest and pulls the tendons tight. This is how a bird clamps its feet and doesn’t fall off the perch. Photo on istockphoto.com To unlock this clamp, the bird stands up and straightens his legs and thus tendons are relaxed. Thus a bird is free to fly again. 26

Article 5: How do different birds build their nests? Nature is not a place to visit, it’s “a home” and nothing is as attractive and comfy as one’s home. We plan and build our homes but, have you ever thought of a tiny bird, and how it builds its home “the nest”. If you keep yourself observing throughout the spring from March to April, you will see remarkable engineering. These tiny engineers will be shaping their homes in the trees, bushes, on the wall, under the bridges, on the poles and you may say all around. A bird is secure in its nest. Do you know some birds don’t build a nest? Yes, lazy and talkative birds don’t build their nests. Photo by Petr Ganaj on pexels.com The nest building process The process of building a nest is a tedious, and time taking process and needs consistency. We can divide this process into different steps as follows; Selecting a suitable spot Birds are quite careful and usually keep their nest place a “secret”. It is observed that they keep on stopping and checking for whether they are being watched or not before plunging into a bush or tree. However, rooks are big 27

birds and can afford to build their nests on bare trees along the roadsides. Rook’s nests are obvious and can be seen clearly. First of all, the birds choose a suitable tree and the height where they want to build their home. The other possible locations may include a pole, a bush, a naturally available hole on the wall or the tree trunk, a broken edge of the roof, a ceiling hole, etc. Gathering necessary material A bird uses its sharp beak to collect fibers, twigs, and sticks to be used in nest building. It gathers the material and drops it into the tree or any other place, he has already chosen. Over time, sticks, twigs, grasses, mosses, and fibers are woven to outline the nest. Bird uses his sharp beak to weave the materials and glue them using their saliva, mud, or threads from the spider web. Some birds also use human or pet hair in building their nests. However, hair treated with chemicals or other hair products used to kill fleas or other hair problems may be harmful to the birds. No matter which material they use for building the nest, one thing is common there: they depend upon the material accessible. Spiders are of immense importance for birds throughout the year and especially in the spring. They are a source of food for birds and their web threads are “a building stone” for bird’s nests. Birds e.g. Chaffinches make landing pads on the forks of branches with cobwebs. Tits build their cup-shaped, luxury, elastic nests with moss and web threads. Lichens are also used to cover the nest from all around for camouflage. The final shape of the nest depends upon the breed of the bird. The nest may be, cup-shaped, adherent to the wall or branches of the tree. Sometimes a bird may rent a spot from others. Blackbirds and robins build cup-shaped nests woven with grasses, and twigs and lined with mud. 28

Tools for nesting With only paws and beaks to carry the nesting material, a bird can design a masterpiece to be secure to reside, lay eggs, grow nestlings, and spacious enough for stretching his wings. Beak can perform this delicate business with perfection. Building process At first, a bird will land on the outline or base of the nest and will knit grasses and twigs on the floor. It will turn to a side, build a layer, and will turn around again. This turning, again and again, results in a smooth and compact structure. This smoothness and softness are supportive to receive eggs and nestlings. Photo by Noel McShane on pexels.com After completing the structure of the nest, the bird visits nearby ditches and ponds to collect mud to strengthen the nest. This helps the nest to resist and survive any gust of wind. 29

Ready-made nests Some birds e.g. owls use holes in the tree trunk as their nest. Natural holes provide a ready-made home to the birds. Similarly, one of the most common birds, the house sparrow, can take up holes in the roof as his nest. Sparrows just need lining of the hole, a less labor-intensive work. They stuff these holes with grasses and feathers to make them comfy. Australian babblers also make their nests restful in the same way. Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash Tits make the interior of their nest luxurious, adding warmth, and softness with feathers. This type of nest is most common in regions with cold climates. In warm climatic regions, birds build their nests with gravel and pebbles as air gaps allow better aeration for eggs and nestlings. 30

Photo by Kiwihug on Unsplash Building a nest… It takes time! Building a home is not an instant action, it takes a long time. You will have a lot more respect for a bird after you see it building a nest. Birds usually spend very short time building their cozy nests for their young ones. In this short time, they engineered and designed their home in a way unique to every breed. How can we help birds in building nests? Birds use the material available in the vicinity. We can help them by providing those materials.  Leave out natural fibers  Try to make straw, grasses, and natural fibers available for house sparrows  Starlings use green leaves from the lawn cuttings  A muddy patch in your garden may be of great help for blackbirds and song thrushes FAQs How a nest is so smooth? During building a nest, a bird turns around, again and again, to complete the nest in perfect layers. This turning action makes a nest smooth. What are the essential ingredients for building a nest? Sticks, twigs, cobwebs, moss, lichen, mud, gravel, and feathers are the essential ingredient of a nest. How spiders are important for nesting? Spiders not only serve as a food source for the birds but their web also is an indispensable part of the nest building material. Spider web is used to hold the hanging nests. 31

Which bird makes the most complicated nest? Long-tailed tits make the most complicated and delicate nest. Which bird doesn’t make their nests? Lazy and talkative birds usually don’t build their nests at all. 32

Article 6: Things to do before getting a pet bird Some folks are bird lovers. If you look for the list of animals as a pet, you will find birds in the top five on the list. Their attractive color, shape, vocalization, talkative behavior, personality, morning songs, and tweets brought them this status. If you are thinking of getting a pet bird, this article is for you. A pet bird should match your personality and lifestyle. Owing to a bird as a pet needs an entirely different approach and a different set of responsibilities as compared to a cat, dog, or fish. There are still a ton of factors that need to be considered before getting a bird into your pet picture. Here are some points you should ponder upon before buying a bird pet. 1. Species Selection This decision should be taken wisely keeping in mind size, biting nature, eating habits, personality, level of commitment it needs, compatibility with lifestyle, maintenance, life span, etc. Their mode of feeding i.e. either vegetarian, granivores, omnivores, etc too need to be considered before specie selection. Some important considerations are;  If your child is looking for a playful bird, cockatoo, or cockatiel would be the best option.  Parakeets (budgies) can become family friends quickly.  Lovebird gets its name for strong bonds and connections with partners.  Finch would be a perfect option if you are looking for a bird that requires less attention.  If you are ready for a long-term commitment, a pionus with an age expectancy of up to 40 years is the best pet bird for you.  For a beginner, canaries and finches are a better choice. 33

 Pigeons are quiet and social and could be a good choice for a person with a compatible personality. Cockatoo: Photo by Jiří Mikoláš on Pexels.com Finches: Photo by Kiril Gruev: on Pexels.com 2. Cost of owing The cost of owning a bird as a pet varies considerably. The initial cost of owning a bird may be in terms of a sizeable cage with swings, perches and toys, a bowl, and some food for a week at least. Buy new cookware too as your bird will be uncomfortable with the smell of nonstick cookware. However, birds do not need a regular visit to a vet. They are easier to take care of. Bird’s cage: Photo by Jessica Cortez on Pexels.com 34

3. Name your pet bird A birder may have selected a name for his/her pet far before getting it. Select a beautiful one-word name for your pet that you can say easily. 4. Birds are messy This is an indisputable fact and you can’t escape this as all bird species are naturally messy. Birds toss food out of the bars of the cage, and onto the floor. Their food is mostly grains and birds love to scatter them all around while feeding. However, if you are going for having a pet bird, arrange for a vacuum cleaner or be handy with a broom. 5. Adjust your sleep Which bird species is quiet? The answer is “none”. Birds are noisy. Some birds create lovely melodies (canaries) but not all. Their screaming, chirping, and squawking may cause disturbance as these powerful voices travel far off. They wake early in the morning (chickens) and can be intolerable for you. They even start screaming if you are unable to provide food on time. You need to adjust your sleep or consider it properly before species selection. If you want to enjoy sound sleep, you should cover the cage with a cloth to block light. Anyhow, immediately remove the cloth when your pet is awake as it needs fresh air and light to start its day. 6. Bird’s special diet Your pet should be healthy and happy. Considering this, you should have proper arrangements for fresh fruits and vegetables as birds love them. Your bird will experience lovable tastes and will be more comfortable with fresh fruits. However, some birds are granivores (cockatiels) while others are omnivores (crow, cockatoos) too. 35

7. Bird bites and chew Sometimes, birds may show aggressive behavior and can bite. They may injure your nose, cheeks, finger, ear, or lips. Provide them with toys or wood to do this exercise that would not cost your health. You can provide a wood piece in the cage. However, consider the selection of wood pieces carefully. Try to consider this issue and it depends upon the size of the beak. Don’t go nearer to your bird pet when it is in violent mode. 8. Birds need your time Are you comfortable with your schedule and can spare maximum time for your bird pet? This is a special case with the birds. They are wild and need a friend for a longer time. If you have time for them, do consider getting a pet bird. 9. Quit smoking and air fresheners Birds don’t feel comfortable with the smell of burning match sticks, candles, volatile organic compounds, smoke, and smell from cookware or even air freshener. If you have smoked, rinse your mouth and wash your hands before visiting your pet. 10. Care for its living Birds need special care. Although you have a cage for them, they need to stretch their wings and do exercise. Consider the following things if you are planning for petting a bird.  The cage must be spacious  The cage should be with a water pot and swing inside it  The cage should be durable, and strong so that other pets (cats, dogs) may not harm it.  The material of the cage should be non-toxic. 36

 Ensure to place the cage in a well-ventilated place.  Invest in a vacuum to deal with the messy nature of the birds.  Avoid using aerosol sprays and burning match sticks or candles in the vicinity.  Birds love to play with toys for mental stimulation, provide them.  Keep a clipper to cut their nail short.  In case you let your bird out to fly around, close windows and switch off ceiling fans.  Wash their bowls before every feeding.  Wash your hands after every visit Photo by No Revisions on Unsplash 11. Change your cookware Birds are sensitive to non-stick cookware and Teflon. These give fumes disliked by birds. These fumes may kill the bird in a few minutes. The best option is to use non-stick, cast iron, and stainless steel cookware if you are going to get a pet bird. 37

12. Bird’s life span Birds live longer even up to 100 years in the case of some parrots. You should be ready to share your time, food, fruits, and feelings with your potential pet for longer. You should show the commitment they entail. They are caged and rely on you for their needs and to get social. It is good to engage a friend to take care of your pet during your busy hours. If you are confident enough that you can manage its needs, clean its cage properly, and can manage your time for this little friend, consider having a bird as your pet. 38