Pet bird

So, you’re thinking about bringing a parakeet into your life. And, like any responsible pet parent, you want to learn everything you can about your new feathered friend before adding them to your family. Parakeets are some of the best birds around (that’s why they made our list of the 13 best pet birds). Ahead, we’re here to help get you up to speed on this wonderful bird, with an overview of the most important information and supplies you’ll need to provide the proper care for a parakeet.

When it comes to choosing the best bird cage, you’ll want a cage that is sturdy, spacious and easy to clean. Other handy accessories like moveable perches, feeder doors and rolling stands will help you set up a fantastic and functional dwelling for your beaked buddy. We’ve rounded up Chewy’s top-selling and top-rated bird cages that are approved by bird parents like you. Whether you’re shopping for cages for budgies or a parrot cage, you’ll find the perfect place for your beaked buddy to call home.

Sun conures are expressive and social, but they don’t often mimic human speech.  These birds tend to be louder than other parrots, so be comfortable with the noise.  Sun conures can live up to 20 years or more with proper care. ,Sun conures, also known as sun parakeets, are bright, colorful, rowdy parrots who are brilliant creatures. If you’re thinking of bringing home a sun conure, here’s how to give them a welcoming environment. 

Among the many ancient treasures of Asia are wall hangings and paintings showing a variety of species of finches and songbirds, some wild, some caged. A few of these hangings, some many centuries old, depict a finch species apparently already domesticated. It is still being commonly kept all over the world, and it is known nowadays as the Bengalese finch, or the society finch, (Lonchura striata domestica). The name Bengalese is not all that commonly used, so you’ll more often hear these little birds being referred to as society finches. These charming finches have gregarious natures and are highly sociable. They don’t just enjoy hanging out with each other; they generally enjoy the company of other bird species, too, and they don’t tend to be picky about a bird’s size, shape or habits. Society finches normally come in a charming variegated pattern of dark chocolate and white, or the fairly common gender-linked recessive color of fawn and white. If you find a good finch breeder, you can usually choose from a range of colors, from all light to all dark, and various colors in between.

It’s a jungle in here! Sharing your home with a pet bird is more than a hobby. It’s a lifestyle. Because our birds have such sensitive respiratory systems, we must be extremely careful when choosing cookware and other kitchen appliances. Nonstick coatings contain polytetrafluoroethelyne (PTFE), a polymer that deteriorates when overheated. The resulting fumes (gas and minute particulate matter) may kill pet birds. Humans sometimes report flu-like symptoms after exposure to these fumes. Teflon is a brand name. Nonstick surfaces containing PTFE are marketed under many different brand names. Just because a product does not say Teflon, it does not mean that it is free of PTFE. Manufacturers disagree about the temperature levels that nonstick surfaces must reach to emit harmful fumes. Some place it at 560 degrees Fahrenheit while others somewhere above or below that figure. Past research showed that products actually begin releasing such fumes at the beginning of the heating process, and some people reported that pet birds died when nonstick products were heated to temperatures below 560 degrees Fahrenheit. A few manufacturers, like Corning Revere, print warnings in product instructions against using nonstick cookware around pet birds, but you must read the fine print to find it. Instead of nonstick cookware, try: Stainless steel Copper-clad stainless steel Copper Corningware, the classic, white oven-to-table ware Glass Aluminum Cast iron A stove, heated the first few times, might emit fumes from components treated with chemicals intended to inhibit rust and deterioration. A self-cleaning oven might also give off toxic fumes, perhaps from parts treated with nonstick coatings. Emissions are often strongest when appliances and cookware are new. (This does not mean that older nonstick products are safe for use around birds.) When moving into a new home, run the stove/oven at a high heat level for several hours in the days prior to moving, before you and the birds are in residence. Open the windows for ventilation during this process. Use a range hood that vents to outdoors, as opposed to ventless hoods that blow pollutants back into the room. It’s difficult to say which stove would be safe, as models change frequently. When considering the purchase of a new stove or appliance, contact the manufacturer prior to buying. You’ll usually find an address or telephone number on the label or packaging. Ask if the products include polymers containing PTFE or other potentially harmful chemicals. You can follow the same procedure for any cooking appliance or tool. If you are told they do not, insist on written assurance of that fact. Of course companies cannot guarantee that any product is absolutely safe for use around birds because most products are not routinely tested on birds, and manufacturers do not have control over how you use the product. By: Susan Chamberlain Featured Image: Via Joseph_Fotografie/iStock/Thinkstock

Baby sun conures may begin their lives mostly green, but by the time they are 2 years old, sun conures are one of the most colorful companion birds around. Native to Brazil and Guyana, these South American beauties have big personalities—and big voices. While their volume may not be for everyone—and therefore, bringing a new bird into your life should be a well-thought-out decision—these playful, emotive social birds make loving feathered friends for the right parrot parents. Here are a few facts you may enjoy about sun conures, also known as sun parakeets.

Is your feathered friend itchy? Mouth breathing? Developing a crusty beak? They could have bird mites, a type of parasite that feeds off your bird and can cause a host of issues for them. We spoke with Dr. Laurie Hess, DVM, an avian veterinarian with 30 years experience, to learn what signs to watch for, how bird mites are typically treated and how you can prevent these tiny pets from wreaking havoc in the first place.

The following scenarios describe various manifestations of what are often called cage-bound behaviors that are frequently seen in companion parrots. As with all behaviors, each has a purpose. Nothing happens for no reason, so they become more comprehensible when each scenario is analyzed.

A half-shredded palm leaf toy, a pile of feathers and a layer of paper strips are all bundled up in the corner of the cage, and standing atop the mess is a peach-faced lovebird, nibbling a paper strip in her beak. She’s building a nest: an elaborate pad to which she’s been carry strips of paper and palm to all day. A Fischer’s lovebird takes bits of corn husk, cat tails, honeysuckle and weeping willow leaves and drags them into a nest box, where she will spend days weaving them into a little tunnel to lay her eggs. A masked lovebird does the same, diligently working away at her nest, similar to the Fischer’s, but adding a little pad before the tunnel. What makes these birds so unique? They’re all lovebirds, but three different species of lovebirds. It’s their differences that make them so unique.

Cockatiels are one of America’s favorite pet bird and for good reason. They’re friendly, affectionate, and can form close bonds with their pet parents. In fact, according to Byron J.S. de la Navarre, DVM at the Animal House of Chicago, cockatiels, especially those that are hand reared, are happy to be the only bird in the household and relate so well to their human companions, they seem to forget they’re birds at all. But say you want to expand your flock and add another cockatiel to your family. How can you introduce your current cockatiel cohabitant to the new addition without ruffling too many feathers? Here are some tips to help.