Author: Chewy Editors

Cockatiels seem to suffer from “night frights” more than any other species of bird. By “night fright,” I mean that they become easily spooked or unnerved in the darkness and quiet of the night. Any sort of disturbance, whether it is a shadow, a noise, a bright light or a sudden waft of cool air, can send a single cockatiel or an entire aviary of cockatiels off into a mad frenzy. This is not only distressing and potentially dangerous for the pet birds, but upsetting for the owner, too. To help understand the psychology of the cockatiel and why it suffers from this heightened unease and trauma, we have to look at the cockatiel in the wild. A wild cockatiel flock spends a good portion of the day on the ground foraging for food. Because of this potentially hazardous practice, nature has had to provide them with the perfect survival technique to enable them to get airborne fast. Cockatiels possess ultra-quick reactions and a super-efficient capability for rapid and powerful vertical flight. This makes cockatiels well equipped to react to and flee the clutches of predators stalking them on the ground. Even in the wild, a certain level of noise is maintained during the night by the other inhabitants of forests, which offers a degree of comfort to a dozing cockatiel flock. The muted lighting provided by the moon and stars adds to this reassurance. On such occasions when a “blanket of silence” descends over the area, it often indicates acute danger. A flock of cockatiels will instantly become fearful and anxious, as their responses become intensely heightened. It is not surprising, therefore, that darkness and silence, followed by a sudden disturbance, can seriously spook a cockatiel, too. This is compounded by the fact that pet cockatiels housed in bird cages might feel especially panicky and tormented, because they cannot “escape” this perceived threatening situation, thus sending them into frenzies. Cockatiels that become spooked are simply responding to their deep-rooted natural instinct to fly upward in an effort to get airborne. But, as a consequence, they often crash into the cage bars at the top, and then flap around wildly, knocking into the perches and sides of the cage in total panic. A cockatiel can see very little in the dark and, while in this state, is likely to do itself much damage. This phenomenon can also cause distress to other birds, such as finches or budgerigars. But, generally they are not affected to the same degree and regularity as cockatiels seem to suffer. If injuries are incurred, they will serve to intensify the cockatiel’s anxiety and sometimes can even prove to be fatal. If other cockatiels are housed nearby, either indoors or outside, they can suffer from the domino affect; all quickly become panic-stricken, thrashing around in their cages or aviaries, not even knowing the source of the scare.

With the recent outbreak of salmonella on tomatoes, the BeChewy editors decided to take a look at this particular fruit and how it affects your birds. “Tomatoes are an acidic fruit,” said Larry Nemetz, DVM, of the Bird Clinic in Orange County, California. He does not recommend, at any time, feeding birds raw tomatoes (including cherry tomatoes) because of their acidity. He once had a case that a cockatoo was hyper-sensitive to the acid in tomatoes and would, after a few days after eating one, vomit up blood. The bird had stomach ulcers and, after careful review of its diet, the tomato turned out to be the cause. Once the tomato was removed, the bird no longer became ill. Nemetz said fresh tomatoes are the only thing for owners to worry about. Items such as dried tomatoes and spaghetti sauce are fine. For dried tomatoes, it’s because only a little of the acid is left over from the drying process. The tomatoes in spaghetti sauce are cooked, removing the acid and also, there isn’t a lot used in the sauce. Jill Patt, DVM, of Alta Mesa Animal Hospital in Arizona, usually doesn’t recommend feeding tomatoes to birds. “There are other foods out there that are more nutritious, such as leafy greens, which birds can tear up and eat, providing mental stimulation,” she said. What if you do feed your birds tomatoes? “It’s a one in a million chance,” Nemetz said, on there being major problems feeding your birds tomatoes. “But I’d rather not risk it when there are better foods out there.” Posted by: Chewy Editorial Featured Image: ungvar/Shutterstock.com

You want your feathered friend to be comfy, so choose a travel cage that’s specifically for birds and one that contains a perch. That way, your bird will have something to sit on, which makes your bird more comfortable, says Quesenberry. If you’re taking your bird into the cabin, you’ll need a soft-sided carrier that can stow under the seat during takeoff and landings. Whatever type of carrier you get, make sure your bird gets used to it a few weeks before you travel, Quesenberry recommends. Let your pet explore their new cage and give them plenty of treats and praise for going inside. It helps if you put in a favorite toy or foods to entice them further. If your bird is stressed whenever they goes in their carrier, then covering a clear-sided one may help calm her down once you’re onboard the plane. Although sedatives are generally not recommended, talk to your vet about them, especially if you have a cockatoo or other species of bird who screams a lot.,Nothing beats airline travel for its speed and convenience. So it’s not surprising that many pet parents are choosing to bring their birds along with them. The good news is that it’s absolutely safe to fly with your pet, says Dr. Katherine Quesenberry, head of avian and exotic pets at New York City’s Animal Medical Center. If you’re flying with your pet bird, however, you need to prepare. Not every airline allows parrots to come onboard with their parents. And even when you can carry on your bird, all airlines have restrictions on when and where you can travel. Plus you’ll have to pay—many airlines charge extra fees that can set you back on average $100 per flight per pet. Here is everything you need to know about flying with your pet bird so both of you can have a safe and happy trip.

Knowing your pet bird’s gender can tell you more about your bird than simply what to name it. For a lot of pet bird owners, when they first set eyes on “the one,” the name comes quickly and effortlessly. You know that no other name will do but “Freddie” for your pet bird. And for a year, Freddie goes about his life as the feathered little man of the house. Then one morning, you notice that Freddie has started constructing a pile of feathers, papers and other items in a corner of the cage, and is weaving feathers in and out of bars and bird toys. Not only that, but he is dead set on not letting anyone get near his cage, even you! A few days later, you finally manage to coax Freddie out from his cage and pile of papers. Then, you see it: a little egg. Now that Freddie is confirmed a she, you have your “Duh!” moment and have retrospect flashback: she had some really large, odorous droppings and her posture has been a little different lately. Had you known Freddie was a hen/female, you would have given her extra calcium; after all, you had read that hens especially need a calcium source because laying an egg depletes the body of this vital mineral. You also might have removed her nesting materials so she wouldn’t lay another egg not long after you removed the first one. “Freddie” is officially changed to “Freda.”