Parrots For Dummies
2nd Edition
Published on 27. January 2021
448 pages
978-1-119-75368-1 (ISBN)
Description
Repeat after me: Parrots aren't just for pirates!
While parrots have a historical reputation for being a pirate's best friend, in the modern-day U.S.--where birds are the nation's third most popular household pet-thousands of landlubbers are in on the act! And that's not surprising--parrots are as affectionate, friendly, and fun to be with as a dog or cat. They are also relatively low-maintenance, with no rude 5 a.m. awakenings with demands for food or punishing walks.
Renowned avian care and behavior consultant Nikki Moustaki is your friendly guide to the colorful world of this intelligent and chatty pet. In this book, you'll be introduced to the vibrant diversity of the parrot world, which covers a wide variety of Psittacidae family members, including macaws, cockatiels, and parakeets. You'll also learn the best ways to choose, care for, and love your resplendently feathered companion.
* Pick your perfect parrot
* Devour the latest on nutrition
* Tame and train
* Make the perfect home
Whether you're just setting out in the parrot world or are a seasoned voyager on the parrot-y seas, this 2nd edition of Parrots For Dummies has something for you and your pet--and will repay the hard-won pirate gold you spent on it a thousand times over!
While parrots have a historical reputation for being a pirate's best friend, in the modern-day U.S.--where birds are the nation's third most popular household pet-thousands of landlubbers are in on the act! And that's not surprising--parrots are as affectionate, friendly, and fun to be with as a dog or cat. They are also relatively low-maintenance, with no rude 5 a.m. awakenings with demands for food or punishing walks.
Renowned avian care and behavior consultant Nikki Moustaki is your friendly guide to the colorful world of this intelligent and chatty pet. In this book, you'll be introduced to the vibrant diversity of the parrot world, which covers a wide variety of Psittacidae family members, including macaws, cockatiels, and parakeets. You'll also learn the best ways to choose, care for, and love your resplendently feathered companion.
* Pick your perfect parrot
* Devour the latest on nutrition
* Tame and train
* Make the perfect home
Whether you're just setting out in the parrot world or are a seasoned voyager on the parrot-y seas, this 2nd edition of Parrots For Dummies has something for you and your pet--and will repay the hard-won pirate gold you spent on it a thousand times over!
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Nikki Moustaki, MA, MFA, is a renowned avian care and behavior consultant, working with clients to heal strained relationships between themselves and their feathered friends. She has published 24 books on the care and training of exotic birds.
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- About This Book
- Foolish Assumptions
- Icons Used in This Book
- Where to Go from Here
- Part 1 Introducing the Parrot - Your Wild Child
- Chapter 1 Meeting the Parrots, Just the Basics
- Introducing the Parrots
- From pet to companion
- A little bit of wilderness
- Home Tweet Home: Welcoming a Parrot into Your Home
- Making birdy comfortable
- Parrot paraphernalia
- Parrot Care 101: Taking Care of Your Bird
- Health care
- Nutrition
- Parrot Behavior: Checking How Your Bird Acts
- Normal behaviors
- The parrot monster
- Parrot Pals: Socializing with Your Bird
- Making friends with your parrot
- Breeding parrots: Use caution
- A Caveat to the Wise
- Chapter 2 Knowing What to Expect with Your Companion Parrot
- Defining a Companion Parrot
- Just Being Themselves
- Recognizing the Joys of Parrot Guardianship
- Pondering Important Points about Buying or Adopting a Parrot
- Recognizing who's getting the parrot
- Answering why you want a parrot
- Factoring in the parrot's personality
- Contemplating the parrot's home
- Going on vacation
- Remembering parrots have a longer lifespan
- Dealing with allergies
- Estimating the costs of parrot ownership
- Being cognizant of the responsibilities of parrot guardianship
- Spending time with your parrot
- Preparing for mess and more mess
- Getting used to the noise (Sorry, I can't hear over my screaming parrot)
- Understanding What a Companion Parrot Expects
- Tolerance
- Empathy
- Sense of humor
- Attentiveness
- Decisiveness and action
- Constant companionship
- A loyal friend
- Living with a Parrot around Nonbird People
- Chapter 3 Choosing the Right Companion
- Keeping Certain Considerations in Mind As You Choose a Species
- Parrots are individuals
- The chemistry between the two of you
- Not all species are created equal
- Noise: deafening or extremely deafening
- Space: Bigger is better
- Lifestyles of the neat and messy
- From easily affordable to taking out a loan
- Talking ability
- Child-friendliness
- One, two, or more
- Looking Closer at Species Profiles Commonly Kept As Companions
- African grey parrots
- Amazon parrots
- Brotogeris
- Budgies
- Caiques
- Cockatiels
- Cockatoos
- Conures
- Eclectus
- Hanging parrots
- Hawk-headed parrots
- Lories
- Lovebirds
- Macaws
- Other parakeets
- Parrotlets
- Pionus
- Poicephalus parrots
- Quaker parakeets
- Vasa parrots
- Chapter 4 Purchasing or Adopting a Parrot
- Considering Your Parrot Options
- Comparing handfed versus parent-raised birds
- Choosing an age
- Contemplating degrees of tameness
- The talker in the bunch
- Finding the Perfect Parrot for You
- Pet shops
- Bird shops
- Online classifieds
- Reputable breeders
- Flea markets
- Bird shows or expos
- Adopting a Rescue Parrot
- Identifying which birds are available for adoption
- Completing the rescue application
- Being prepared for the rescue home visit
- Looking for a Healthy Parrot
- Bright eyes
- Clear nose and nares
- Beak
- Shiny feathers
- Feet
- Vent
- Attitude and stance
- Requesting a Guarantee
- Knowing What to Ask Before You Buy or Adopt
- Part 2 Bringing Home Your New Parrot
- Chapter 5 A House to Call Home: Choosing Proper Housing
- Matching the Housing to the Species
- Finding the Right Cage for Your Bird
- Cage shape
- Sturdiness and material
- Housing bottom
- Door types
- Cage dangers
- Building Your Own Cage
- Placing Your Cage to Ensure Your Parrot Is Comfortable
- Cleaning the Cage
- Simplifying your cage cleaning
- Choosing the right cleansers
- Considering an Aviary
- The flight cage
- The habitat
- Chapter 6 Going Shopping: Avian Supplies and Accessories
- Giving Your Parrot a Place to Stand: Perches
- Wooden perches
- Concrete and cement perches
- Rope perches
- Plastic perches
- Keeping the Food and Water Accessible: Coop Cups
- Entertaining Your Parrot: Toys
- Ensuring safety at all times
- Considering different types of toys
- Creating the Right Ambience: Bird Lighting
- Setting Up the Cage
- Considering Play Gyms and Stands
- Lining Your Cage: Litter and Bedding
- Covering the Cage: Nighttime Covers
- Preventing Mess
- Mess accessories
- Air filters
- Chapter 7 Bringing Home Birdy: Making Introductions and Parrot-Proofing Your Home
- Making the First Night Stress Free (As Much As Possible)
- Naming Your Bird
- Thriving on Routine with Your New Parrot
- Welcoming Your Parrot as a Family Member
- Being unafraid
- being very unafraid
- Introducing people
- Introducing pets
- Introducing other birds
- Quarantining your parrot
- Understanding the Relationship between Parrots and Children
- Realizing the commitment to owning a bird
- Establishing some basic rules
- Familiarizing Houseguests to Your Parrot
- Parrot-Proofing Your Home
- Part 3 Caring for Your Parrot
- Chapter 8 Eating Like a Bird: Proper Parrot Nutrition
- Starting with the Basics: Water
- Keeping everything clean
- Adding supplements to your water: Yay or nay?
- Recognizing a Parrot's Dietary Requirements
- The digestive system
- Eating in the wild
- Identifying Nutrition-Related Disorders
- Vitamin A deficiency
- Calcium deficiency
- Comparing Seeds versus Pellets: The Big Debate
- Eyeing What the Cooked Base Diet Is
- Purchasing and Storing
- Knowing Which Vegetables to Feed Your Parrot
- Focusing on Fruit to Feed Your Feathered Friend
- Being Aware of Pesticides
- Giving Your Bird Snacks
- Adding Table Foods to Your Bird's Diet
- Avoiding Toxic and Irritating Foods
- Considering Grit and Clay
- Contemplating Nutritional Supplements
- Feeding Nectar Eaters
- Getting a Parrot to Eat
- Making Some Easy Recipes
- Parrot muffins and bread
- Parrot mac and cheese
- Parrot omelet
- Parrot juice and smoothies
- Parrot pancakes
- Parrot grain
- Creating a Healthy Diet Routine
- Chapter 9 Pretty Bird! Grooming Your Companion
- Examining What Your Bird Fusses All about: Feathers
- Fluffing up: Your bird's feather types
- Looking closer at feather anatomy
- Recognizing what you can do
- Clipping Your Parrot's Wings
- To clip or not to clip
- Examining how flight effects parrot behavior
- Considering options in between
- Dealing with clipped and unclipped parrots
- Clipping Your Bird's Wings Properly: The How-To
- Holding the parrot properly - Toweling
- Clipping the flight feathers
- Considering special circumstances
- Clipping Your Parrot's Toenails
- Grooming the Beak
- Beak breaks
- The misaligned beak
- Bathing Your Parrot
- Caring for Molting Parrots
- Dealing With Blood Feathers
- Chapter 10 Taking Care of Your Parrot: In Sickness and in Health
- Taking a Closer Look at a Parrot's Anatomy
- Eyes
- Ears
- Feathers
- Preen gland
- Feet
- Beak
- Cere
- Tongue
- Neck
- Skin
- Syrinx
- Skeletal system
- Muscles
- Respiratory system
- Digestive system
- Circulatory system
- Reproductive system
- Recognizing Indications of Illness
- Choosing an Avian Veterinarian
- Finding a qualified avian vet
- Knowing what to look for at the first visit
- Divulging important information
- Identifying Common Health Disorders
- Nutritional disorders
- Parasites
- Bacterial infections
- Viral infections
- Fungal infections
- Foot disorders
- Feather disorders
- Reproductive disorders
- Being Aware of and Preventing Common Dangers to Companion Parrots
- Predators and animal bites
- Standing water
- Nonstick cookware
- Household products
- Poisonous houseplants
- Ceiling fans
- Toxic foods
- Electrocution
- Feet and doors
- Lead and other heavy metals
- Mirrors and clean glass
- Night thrashing
- Temperature changes
- Frostbite
- Overheating
- Oil on feathers
- Broken blood feathers and bleeding nails
- Physical injuries and seizures
- Flying away
- Unsafe toys
- Humans
- Caring for an Older Parrot
- Handling an Emergency
- Medicating Your Parrot
- Creating a Hospital Cage
- Creating a Parrot First-Aid Kit
- Part 4 Parrot Behavior Made Simple
- Chapter 11 Understanding Your Wild Child's Instincts
- Looking At a Daily Life of Parrots in the Wild
- Appreciating the Plight of Wild-Caught Parrots
- Differentiating between wild caught and captive bred
- Getting involved: Conservation organizations
- Understanding Your Parrot's Instincts
- Being the prey
- Finding a high spot
- Flocking
- Sleeping
- Vocalizing
- Making a mess
- Blending into the background - Camouflage
- Making eye contact
- Picking a mate - gender preference in parrots
- Chapter 12 Recognizing Normal Companion Parrot Behaviors
- Examining Your Parrot's Most Natural Behavior - Flying
- Heading to the Heavens - Climbing
- Hanging Out on the Ground - Foraging
- Gnawing to His Heart's Content - Chewing
- Staying Completely Still - Freezing
- Chatting Up a Storm - Vocalization
- Contact calling
- Screaming
- Hissing
- Growling
- Begging
- Differentiating between Beak Clicking and Clucking
- Getting Clean and Looking Pretty - Preening
- Clearing His Ears - Yawning
- Hearing Your Parrot - Beak Grinding
- Bobbing Up and Down to Say, "I Love You" - Regurgitation
- Cleaning His Face - Beak Wiping
- Considering Different Tail Behaviors
- Exhibiting Breeding Behavior
- Being Annoyed with Their Cage Mate - Bickering
- Identifying Eating Habits
- Rub a Dub Dub - Bathing
- Taking a Nap - Sleeping
- Getting Rid of Dirt and Itches - Scratching
- Achoo! Bless You - Sneezing
- Warning You to Back Off - Nipping
- Reading Body Language
- Flapping wings
- Crest position
- Fluffing and ruffling
- The please dance
- Head down
- The attack stance
- Stretching
- Bowing and bobbing
- Head shaking
- Leaning forward, wings shaking
- Quivering wings
- Beak language
- Potty language
- Chicken scratching
- Eye pinning (dilate/contract pupils)
- Wing drooping
- Wing flipping
- Blushing
- Back down, feet up
- Recognizing When Your Parrot Is Training You
- Training method 1: Noise
- Training method 2: Display
- Training method 3: Biting
- Training method 4: Plucking
- Chapter 13 Handling More Than One Bird: Multiple Parrot Households
- Keeping More Than One Parrot: The Pros and Cons
- The pros
- The cons
- Interpreting Different Parrot Interactions
- Parrot pals
- Parrot enemies
- Romeo and . . . Romeo
- One-sided love
- Keeping the peace
- Falling in love
- Introducing a New Parrot
- Wondering Why Everyone Just Can't Get Along
- Changing Your Relationship
- Chapter 14 Addressing Behavior: When Good Birds Go Bad
- Figuring Out the Problem
- Understanding Dominance
- Height dominance
- Aggression
- Socializing One-Person Parrots
- Preventing possessiveness
- Reversing one person-ness
- Dealing With a Screaming Parrot
- Trying these strategies for a screaming bird
- Staying away from these remedies for a screamer
- Handling Bad Words and Sounds
- Taking a Chunk out of You: Biting
- Considering why birds bite
- Responding after your bird bites you
- Paying attention to your bird's biting body language
- Addressing Fears and Phobias
- Considering the causes
- Trying these tactics with a fearful bird
- Identifying and Handling Hormonal Issues
- Pulling Out Her Plumes - Feather Plucking
- Figuring out why parrots pluck
- Helping your feathered friend stop plucking
- Figuring Out What's Bugging Your Bird
- Maturity
- Other birds
- Environmental changes
- Cage placement
- Temperature
- Noise
- Sleep
- Helping or Hurting: Why Your Actions Are Important
- Hiring a Behavior Consultant
- Considering the Last Resort: Rescue and Adoption
- Part 5 Taming, Training, and Beyond
- Chapter 15 Bird Brains: Understanding Parrot Intelligence
- Taking a Closer Look at Mr. Smarty Pants . . . er, Feathers
- Studying What Parrots Really Understand
- Introducing Alex the Amazing Grey
- Helping Your Bird Understand You
- Teaching Your Parrot to Converse
- Comprehending Why Parrots Talk
- Chapter 16 Taming and Training Your Parrot
- Beginning Training When Your Parrot Is Young
- Understanding the Importance of Socializing Your Parrot
- Seeing how socialization affects a parrot's quality of life
- Socializing your parrot: The how-to
- Bonding with Your Parrot
- Building trust
- Creating the bond: The how-to
- Praising Your Bird: Positive Reinforcement Goes a Long Way
- Considering Different Training Strategies
- Finding your bird's motivation
- Considering clicker training
- Teaching the Step-Up Command
- Training a tame or semi-tame parrot: The how-to
- Using stick training for this command
- Whittling down to teach this command
- Taming a Bronco Parrot
- Disciplining a Parrot
- Considering Some Simple Fun Behaviors You Can Teach
- Potty Training Your Parrot: Is It Even Possible?
- Teaching Your Parrot to Talk
- Recognizing what you need to get your bird to talk
- Focusing on breeds that are known for talking
- Getting your bird to stop talking
- Dealing with a bird that doesn't talk
- Chapter 17 Taking Your Training to the Next Level: Advanced Techniques
- Determining Whether Your Bird Learn Advanced Skills
- Getting Started on the Right Foot
- Discovering your parrot's favorite treats
- Giving praise
- Recognizing other items you need to begin
- Implementing Preference Training
- Incorporating a Target into Your Training
- Adding Colors to Your Training Regimen
- Differentiating between Yes and No
- Developing Your Bird's Vocabulary
- Playing Games with Your Parrot
- Focusing on "more" or "less"
- Playing war
- Training How to Count
- Handling Wrong Answers
- Chapter 18 Breeding Parrots
- Taking Heed: A Warning Before You Begin
- Having Realistic Expectations When Breeding
- Realizing how much time and expense is required
- Considering the associated risks with breeding
- Finding homes for the babies
- Getting Started: Breeding with Paired Parrots
- Recognizing What Breeding Equipment You Need
- Meeting Nutritional Requirements When Breeding
- Understanding the Breeding Process: A Timeline
- Incubating Eggs When the Parent Parrots Aren't Interested
- Hatching - Time to welcome the new peeper
- Making your own brooder
- Using Leg Bands - A Bird's ID Tag
- Handfeeding Baby Parrots
- Recognizing the equipment you need
- Choosing a formula
- Handfeeding your birds: The how-to
- Being aware of handfeeding potential problems
- Weaning Baby Parrots
- Parrot Genetics 101 - Just the Basics
- Chapter 19 In the Ring: Showing Your Parrot
- Being Wary - Words of Warning for Showing
- Looking into Parrot Clubs and Societies
- Walking You Through How a Bird Show Works
- Knowing the Show Standard
- Looking at Different Show Equipment
- Conditioning Your Bird for a Show
- Preparing Your Bird: Show Training
- Helping Out at the Show
- Part 6 The Part of Tens
- Chapter 20 Ten Things All Parrots Should Know
- Understand the Step-Up Command
- Comprehend Stick Training
- Know Her Carrier
- Identify Windows and Mirrors
- Say Her Name and Phone Number
- Recognize Her Cage As a Safety Zone
- Know How to Take Medicine
- Be Able to Trust You
- Eat Well
- Understand the Word "No!"
- Chapter 21 Ten Ways to Entertain Your Parrot
- Feeding Him - Food
- Entertaining Your Bird - You're the Star
- Stimulating Your Parrot's Mind - Parrot Toys
- Turning on the TV and Some Music
- Spending Time Outside - The Great Outdoors
- Letting Him Spread His Wings - Flying
- Shaking Your Groove Thang - Dancing
- Belting at the Top of Your Lungs - Singing
- Introducing a Friend - Parrot Pets
- Training Him Different Tricks
- Chapter 22 Ten (or So) Tips When Traveling with Your Parrot
- Being Prepared - Packing Your Parrot's Suitcase
- Thinking Safety and Comfort - Bringing the Right Carrier
- Hitting the Friendly Skies - Traveling by Air
- Taking a Road Trip - Traveling by Car
- Keeping Your Bird Hydrated - Bringing Bottled Water
- Sleeping for the Night - Staying in a Hospitable Hotel
- Feeding Your Bird - Helpful Travel Tips
- Dealing with an Emergency - Finding an Avian Veterinarian on the Road
- Relying on Help - Using a Parrot Sitter
- Chapter 23 Ten Surprises for Parrot Guardians and How to Respond to Them
- Handling the Inevitable Mess
- Being Ready for the Noise
- Feeling Guilty
- Requiring Constant Supervision
- Preparing to Open Your Wallet - The Expense
- Bonding with You . . . to an Extreme
- Seeing How Funny Parrots Are around Mirrors
- Recognizing How Smart Parrots Are
- Figuring Out Who Inherits Your Parrot When You Die - Estate Planning
- Being Prepared for the Unexpected - When Your Parrot Dies
- Index
- Supplemental Images
- EULA
