Basic Parrot Care Infographic

NOTE: I am not a professional. Information in this poster is non-exhaustive and by no means a replacement for a visit to your avian vet.

Basic Parrot Care

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Nutrition

List of common safe and toxic food

"Others"

It is good to provide a variety of food. Hence, you can still feed other wholesome human food in SMALL AMOUNTS.

Other things to take note

"Do not give up when transitioning your bird to a pelleted diet"

Do take note that the proportion of feed mentioned will vary for different species of parrots.

In general, formulated pellets should make up the majority of a parrot's diet. However, do ensure to provide them with fresh fruits and vegetables to enrich their diet.

"Clean food and water bowl daily to avoid growth of bacteria"

Make sure to scrub and rinse the bowls well with mild detergent and water.

It can be a difficult and long process to change your parrot's diet from a seed to a pelleted diet for many people. So please be patient and continue trying!

What to feed daily?

"Vet's recommendation"

Housing

Cage placement

"No toxic fumes such as Teflon..."

Things that we can't see doesn't mean that it can't harm our birds!

Birds have very sensitive respiratory system and common fumes we can find in our households can irritate, cause damage to our bird's lungs and even death.

Heating Teflon or other nonstick surface to very high temperatures will lead to the release of a gaseous toxin called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). PTFE is known to cause death to birds within 24h of exposure.

Common household appliances containing PTFE:

Non-stick pots and pans
Self cleaning ovens
Hair dryer/ Curling iron
Clothes dryers
- Additionally, clothes dryers/washing machine left open can pose risks of trapping your bird inside. Placing the cage near laundry areas might not be suitable due to toxic fumes that some detergents give off

So please ensure to check your household appliances properly!

"Good ventilation"

Good ventilation can save your pets from potential toxic fumes.

"In a room where the family uses

This allows your parrot to interact with people in the household (and not get bored!)

"Adequate natural lighting, but not in constant direct sunlight"

Sunlight is needed for birds to make vitamin D.

"Chest level is the most ideal"

Birds get anxious when they are placed on the ground. While when placed higher than eye level, birds may feel isolated as there may be less interaction with the owners. It is also more difficult for owners to reach and observe their pets when cages are placed high up.

"Constant temperature of the environment is ideal"

Many birds are sensitive to temperature and rapid changes in temperature makes it harder for the bird to cope, resulting in them becoming ill.

Hence, avoid placing the cage in drafty areas, such as in the direct wind direction of fans or air conditioners. This is especially important for sick birds as heat loss from drafty areas can result in additional stress to them.

"At least one side of the cage should be against a wall"

This allows your pet to feel more safe. Pet birds like parrots are prey animals which still has wild instincts to protect themselves from predators.

Putting the cage in the middle of the room forces them to keep a lookout from all sides of the cage. This can result in stress.

Cage size

"The bigger the better"

This allow our birds to have plenty of space to move around comfortably.

"A wide cage is better than a taller cage"

Cage safety

"Cage should have secure locks at any cage openings to prevent escape"

When getting a bigger cage, it is important to also take note that birds fly horizontally and not vertically! That is why a wider cage will be better than a tall and narrow cage.

Parrots are highly intelligent and are no doubt also excellent escape artists that can open unsecured cage doors!

"Cage bar spacing should be appropriate for your parrot's species"

Cage accessories

"Perches"

When choosing the largest cage possible, it is important to consider the spacing between the cage bars.

Parts of your parrot's body (e.g. Head, feet) can get stuck between bars that are too wide/narrow for the bird, causing injury.

Perches should be appropriate in diameter, length and material for comfortable grip.

It is best to provide perches of varying sizes to allow your parrot to exercise their feet and choose what's comfortable.
Perches can be placed at different levels in cage to encourage movement.
Avoid same-diameter perches as it can result in sore feet
Avoid sandpaper perches as it can lead to the development of foot problems
Rope perches must be monitored carefully. Frayed rope perches are a hazard for your pet as it can result in entanglement around bird's feet and accidental ingestion

"Cage lining"

Newspaper and paper towels are commonly used to line the bottom of bird cages

"Food and water bowls"

Recommendation:

Stainless steel bowl is ideal for easy cleaning and maintenance. It is also less destructible which decreases the risk of ingestion.

"Enrichment"

Health

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Do take note that the proportion of feed mentioned will vary for different species of parrots.

In general, formulated pellets should make up the majority of a parrot's diet. However, do ensure to provide them with fruits and vegetables to enrich their diet.

"Others"

Grooming

It is recommended to first consult your avian veterinarian to show you how to perform proper wing and nail clipping to ensure that you can do it safely on your pet.

"Wing"

Wing clipping remains a highly debatable topic. It is encouraged to read up more on the risks and benefits of wing clipping before deciding on whether to proceed.

Though wing clipping can be done at home, clipping their feathers wrongly can result in injury (e.g. bleeding) from the clipping and flight impairments which can also lead to injury (e.g. crashing onto the floor due to inability to land safely with badly trimmed feathers)

"Beak"

Why do I have to go to the vet?

Normal beaks should wear down naturally. Any excessive growth or thickening may indicate underlying health conditions.

The beak tip of birds contain many blood vessels and nerve endings. Hence if trimmed wrongly, it can cause severe pain and beaks can bleed or break.

"Nails"

When trimming bird's nails, pay attention to the blood vessel and nerve (called "Quick") running down the middle of each nail. The quick can be seen in light coloured nails as a pink area.

When cut, the quick will start to bleed, but can be stopped with store-bought clotting agents. Cornstarch and flour may be used in emergencies, but is not as efficient as store-bought clotting agents.

You may consider visiting a professional groomer or vet for nail clipping if your bird:

Is hard to handle
Has dark coloured nails where the blood vessel is less/not visible

Bathing

"How to bathe"

Always observe your parrots reaction to bathing.
For example, if your pet gets extremely frightened by misting, try other methods like: Offering them a shallow dish of water to bathe own their own or with wet vegetables!

Ensure that there is sufficient heat for parrots to dry off after their bath. Hence, it is recommended to bathe them or provide a bath in the day and allow them to dry off in the sun or heating lamp if possible.

Note:

When placing your bird in the sun, ensure that shade is provided too to give them an option. The morning sun is recommended as it is less hot.
Do not blow-dry your parrot with hair dryers as some hair dryers may contain non-stick coating which is toxic to birds.

6 Common Signs of Illness

Other things to take note

"If your pet is displaying any of these signs, DO NOT wait and seek veterinary care IMMEDIATELY"

Birds are very good at hiding symptoms of illness. When a bird shows evident signs of illness, the illness has usually become quite serious.

"Rapid increase/decrease in body weight"

Pro Tip:

You can get a small kitchen scale to weigh your bird (before food) over the week to keep track of their weight.

Additional articles

Additional articles you may be interested in...

List of Avian Vets in Singapore (last updated: Dec 2019):

https://parrotfunhouse.com/pages/list-of-avian-vets-in-singapore

Common household hazards:

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/household-hazards-and-dangers-to-birds

Safe and poisonous plants for birds:

https://www.petcoach.co/article/bird-safety-poisonous-and-safe-plants-for-birds/

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