10 Top Questions on the Bird Boards

Reading posts from the various bird boards and forums can be a great way to spend your time. But after reading them for a while you'll begin to see a pattern. Several questions are asked over and over again because most posters don't bother to read previous posts or search existing posts. Here are the top ten questions repeatedly asked on the bird boards and forums.

1. What kind of bird should I get?

   This depends on a LOT of factors (your age/maturity, your budget, your environment, etc) so in most cases this question isn't possible to answer with only the information provided by the person asking the question.

   In most cases, this question is posted by someone that has never had a bird before. So the starting point should often be a short list of beginner birds. Check out the top ten birds for beginners from Birds for Dummies and check out Choosing a Bird: How to Decide Which Species is Right for You!. Whatever you decide, check out Ten Questions to Ask Before Buying A Bird.

2. My bird has (insert a symptom) is it sick?

   This is always a sad posting to read. Diagnosing a bird's health via a posting on a bird board or forum is almost impossible. If you ever think your bird is sick, call your local avian veterinarian. You should know in advance the Top Ten Signs Your Bird is Sick and be prepared to contact your avian veterinarian at the first sign of sickness.

3. How can I teach my parrot to .... ?

   This type of question is very popular and ranges from 'teach my parrot to wave' to 'teach my parrot to talk'.

   The most popular and effective method for teaching parrots (or any animal) 'tricks' is Clicker Training. Most professional trainers use this method. You can find more information on Kibibi's Training Page. It can be used for everything from very simple 'tricks' to complex 'tricks'. There are some excellent training books on Kibibi's Books page. Also check out Jamie's Parrot Help Blog for some great examples of clicker training. If you're looking for ways to teach your pet bird to talk, check out Kibibi's Look Who's Talking article.

4. How can I make my parrot stop .... ?

   The solution to teaching your pet bird not to do a behavior is the same as teaching it how to perform a behavior. And the solution is Clicker Training. Once it's taught that it gets rewarded for performing desireable behaviors and not for undesirable behaviors then it will stop doing the undesirable behaviors. Karen Pryor wrote an excellent book titled Don't Shoot The Dog. I highly recommend the book. If you like, you can check out Karen's web site. Also check out Kibibi's Eliminating Pet Bird Behaviors article and Eliminating Unwanted Pet Bird Behaviors to see Kibibi's articles based on Karen's methods. If you're interested in Clicker Training, check out the Top Ten Clicker Training Questions article.

5. My bird won't eat fruits and vegetables, what should I do?

   We all know that it's important to provide our pet bird/parrot a balanced diet. And we've all read Kibibi's What's On The Menu article but our pet birds and parrots just won't cooperate. That would be too easy. Right? So we have to be creative and try (and try and try) different tricks, tips and ideas to get them to eat what is healthy. Kibibi's Top Ten Ways To Introduce New Foods is a good starting point but you'll still need a LOT of patience.

6. Can I feed my parrot (insert food type)?

   First of all, there are some Dangerous Human Foods that should NOT be given to your pet bird or parrot. And there are some species specific foods that you might need to avoid but the general rule is that if it's healthy for you then it's probably healthy for your pet bird or parrot. You can learn more about nutrition by reading Kibibi's What's On The Menu article. And don't forget to check out Kibibi's Top Ten Birdy Fixin's article for some fun ways to sneak in some healthy foods.

7. How big of a cage does a (insert parrot type) need?

   Generally you should provide the biggest cage possible. Of course this is limited by your budget and the space that you have for the cage. There are minimum quidelines for the overall size and guidelines for the bar spacing that depend on the type of bird you are buying. You can check out an excellent summary of Pet Bird Cage Size Guidelines in the Exotic Pets section at About.com.

8. I'm getting a bird! What should I name it?

   This is a very popular question and probably the oddest question (IMO) that is frequently seen on the bird boards and forums. Picking the name of your new bird should be fun and should be a personal choice made by you. Check out this method that Jamie Leigh used to come up with a Unique Bird Name.

   If you absolutely have no creativity and want to use the name that someone else suggests then here are a couple places to check out. Check out Boogie Pets and 20000 Names From Around the World for creative names to name your pet bird or parrot.

9. Should I clip the wings or not?

   This is a personal choice and there isn't an agreed upon answer for this question in the avian world. According to an ongoing To Clip or Not To Clip poll, it is nearly split 50%/50% among bird owners. Before you make this decision, check out Kibibi's Top Ten Reasons NOT to Clip and Kibibi's Top Ten Reasons TO Clip. If you decide to clip your pet birds wings, you should never attempt it alone without being trained by an experienced person. Serious damage and death can result of it is done incorrectly. There is also a matter of timing for clipping wings. Most people agree that a very young bird should not be clipped until it learns to fly and develops the musculature to fly. Even with clipped wings, the bird still needs know how to fly and be able to fly enough to land safely when it attempts to fly. Falling to the ground like a brick can cause serious harm or even death.

10. I found an injured bird! What should I do?

    If you are a bird owner, you should already have an emergency plan for dealing with emergency bird injuries. This will include a first aid kit, emergency first aid care and contact information for your avian vet. You can find more information about emergency parrot first aid in Kibibi's article. If you are not a pet bird owner then you'll want to check out the Wild Bird Care Centre for basic guidance to both assist with the rescue and to make the bird comfortable until it can be delivered to a animal care center or other rehab center in your local area. You should also check out this Ignorance kills wild birds! article to dispel a couple common myths about wild birds. Finally, if you have any questions about caring for an injured wild bird you can contact the Humane Society of the United States.