Posts tagged “Travel Carrier”

Even though lovebirds are part of the parrot family, they aren’t talkative.  Lovebirds exhibit unique communication, using sounds to ​​communicate with each other.  These birds require a lot of attention; regular socialization helps them avoid becoming aggressive toward you, themselves, or other birds. ,Lovebirds are small birds in the parrot family, and they come in various colors. They make wonderful pets, and with proper care, lovebirds can live 10 to 15 years.  

Caiques, like this black-headed caique, can be susceptible to polyomavirus, but they don’t need always need to be vaccinated. Unlike the numerous vaccines for cats and dogs, parrots really only have one: the Polyomavirus vaccine. (A brief description of polyomavirus can be found here.) But, as it turns out, your parrot might not even need it. “Birds only need the [polyomavirus vaccine] in certain circumstances,” said Laurie Hess, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Avian Practice), owner and medical director of Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics in Bedford Hills, N.Y. “Polyoma is a virus that we used to see a lot more of, but really the only [parrots] that tend to need it in my opinion and I would bet in many avian veterinarians’ opinions are ones that are breeders or they’re going to be in pet stores around a lot of other birds.” That’s something that Larry Nemetz, DVM, owner of The BIRD Clinic in Orange, Calif., agreed with. He said that he sometimes have people coming into his clinic, asking for the vaccine, but he always recommends testing first. “How do you know bird isn’t already sick?” he said, “Birds, like people, can carry diseases all the time. And if a bird already has polyoma, the vaccine won’t work.”

Where I live, the temperature rarely hits 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and I put my cockatiels outside occasionally in this cool weather. We have all adapted to this climate, and it feels hot to us at 70 degrees. From reading about wild cockatiels, they live in the desert, and the temperature in their native habitat ranges from 30 degrees to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Wild cockatiels live outside year round, so they must be adaptable! If your cockatiels are inside, and you keep the temperature at a certain degree, then you and your birds have adapted to that temperature. As a quick answer to your question, you probably don’t want to shock your bird’s system by putting it outside in temperatures that are more than 15 degrees higher or lower than the temperature it is used to. That temperature could vary as the seasons change during the year. If you move your cockatiels to an outside aviary, then you would want to do that in nice weather, and let them adapt to colder winter temperatures gradually. Your bird’s body language will tell you whether it is comfortable when outside. Signs of a bird suffering from heat stress include: panting; slick feathers close to the body; holding the wings away from the body, and it might stand in a dish of water if there is one available. Birds lose heat through their feet, so if their feet are warm, they are adjusting to the outside temperature by losing heat that way. When birds are cold, they might fluff up their feathers to make good use of their natural down; they shiver, and they might tuck their beaks into their backs and stand on one leg, holding the other leg closer to their body to conserve heat. When your bird is outside, you don’t want to see any of these behaviors. You want to see natural climbing, calling and sitting contentedly on bird perches.,Q.