I have promised that I’d write a diary about Exotic Birds, so here I am.
As the title of my post indicates, Exotic Birds, or Parrots or Psittacine (hooked beak) birds, are wonderful pets to have around the house. They’re often strikingly beautiful, sociable, and can be great to have as pets, and as companions. On the flip side, however, some are more temperamental than others by nature, and must be dealt with more sensitively and carefully than others, because they can be very messy, dirty, and dangerous. Some types of parrots are what are known as powder-down birds, which means that they naturally produce a very fine, white, and somewhat oily and sticky powder, as a means of insulation and protection for them. These powder-down birds generally originate in the desert, although some, like the Amazon Parrots (which originate in South and Central America), also produce this kind of a powder, also, as I’ll write more about in this diary.
The Parrot or the Psittacine (hooked beak) bird family is a very large family, with many subspecies of a number of sub-species. Many of them are extinct, while many others are still flourishing. As I pointed out in another diary, however, the extinction has nothing to do with the pet trade, especially since a ban on the import of all wild-caught exotic birds, except for occasional breeding programs, was implemented back in the early 1990’s, during Bill Clinton’s Administration, which is excellent, for the following reasons:
A) Wild-caught birds are virtually, if not downright impossible to train to be decent pets, due to the fact that they’ve been so traumatized by the ordeal of being taken from their natural habitat, and badly manhandled...with gloves, nonetheless. I’ll also add that the conditions to which imported wild-caught exotic birds are so inhumane that most of the birds don’t survive the whole ordeal.
B) Wild-caught exotic birds, unlike exotic birds that have been born in captivity (domestically, here in the United States) are far more likely to harbor diseases, such as psittacosis (or parrot fever).
C) Taking them from their natural habitat, in itself, is totally inhumane.
Having said all of the above, domestically-raised exotic birds (or birds that were born in here in the USA, in captivity.), are safer than imported wild-caught exotic birds for the following reasons:
A) Exotic birds bred and raised in captivity make far better pets than wild-caught imported birds due to the fact that they’re raised from tiny chicks and hand-fed special formula by breeders and/or pet store staff who are competent and know a great deal about the care, housing, training and feeding and raising of exotic birds.
B) Due to being hand-fed, exotic birds that are born in captivity are not only much easier to train, but are more likely to bond to their owner(s) more readily, as well.
C) Domestically-raised exotic birds are far less likely than wild-caught imported birds to carry disease (I’ve already mentioned that.)
D) They’re not traumatized by the inhumane conditions of importation from other countries, so that, too, makes them easier to train and socialize, and better pets.
E) This is a bit off of this particular part of my diary, but one reason that more exotic birds are being raised domestically, and in captivity, is that it takes into account the popularity of exotic birds as pets, while preserving what are left of wild-caught exotic birds in the rain-forests, tundras, etc., and hopefully preserving what’s left of the rain-forests, as well.
I’ve known people who’ve had imported birds, but as recently as 25 to thirty years ago, people didn’t know as much as they know now about how unsafe imported wild-caught exotic birds could be, in many ways. People know better now.
As I pointed out earlier, there are different species in the Parrot or the Psittacine (hooked beak) bird family. I’ll only give afew of the subspecies of each, however.
African Greys: African Greys are wonderful. They’re intelligent, sociable, and they’re about the best mimickers and talkers, so it’s best to try to be careful about what one says around them! Most African Greys, although not all of them, do eventually talk, beginning at around a year old. I do have lots of fun with Aziza. She’s great to have around the house, and she evokes a lot of laughs.
A person who obtains an African Grey Parrot, a Cockatoo, an Amazon, or even a Cockatiel, however, should definitely get a good HEPA (High Efficiency Particlae Arrest) Air purifier, however, due to the very fine, somewhat oily and sticky white powder that they produce, as a natural means of protection and insulation for them, since their origins are in the desert. HEPA filters actually trap the dust particles, as opposed to blowing the dust back out into the air and spreading it around. There are a number of different types of affective HEPA Air purifiers on the market. The super-cheap air-purifiers that’s available in these big-box stores are not recommended, however, for the following reasons: First, they’re not really that affective, and they don’t pick up nearly enough of the dust and dander that the birds produce. Secondly. since these cheap air-purifiers that’re obtained in big box stores are often made out of plastic, and in countries that use really cheap materials and don’t have their technology together, plus these cheaper air-purifiers can and often enough will off-gas, and aren’t good for either the pet bird(s) or their owner(s).
African Grey Parrots are mainly grey (several shades of grey at once, ranging from almost black to almost white), with bright red or dark red tails, yellow or silver-colored eyes, and black or blond or rose/black combo-colored beaks.
On the flip side, African Greys can be quite stubborn, and, if they’re not socialized properly, or if there’s a change in routine or environment that they really don’t like, they can and will get into such nasty habits as feather-plucking, biting ( or even excessive noise). I’ve seen grey (even domestically-raised ones), with severe feather picking problems. There are supplements available, however, that can prevent, or at least minimize such bad habits. I know that Aziza can be, and often is quite stubborn about being put back into her cage after her playtime out of her cage, but that’s how it goes, sometimes. She’s sweet, intelligent, and lovable. To circumvent bad habits, I do give her supplements, including a small amount of flaxseed oil, by mouth, on a daily basis.
Congo African Greys, which Aziza is, originate in the Congo of Africa. They are regular grey, with bright red tails, and yellow eyes, and black beaks. They are the most popular as pets, but the Timneh African Greys (which I’ll describe next) are gaining in popularity, too.
Timneh African Greys: The Timneh African Greys are more of a brownish grey, with dark red tails and silver-colored eyes, and a black/blonde or rose combo-colored beak. They’re reputed to be somewhat more laid-back than the Congo Greys, and less likely to get into nasty habits such as feather-plucking/chewing, but then again, as in the Congo Greys, and all exotic birds, generally, there are individuals, if one gets the drift. The Timneh African Greys originate in a different part of Africa, which escapes me, at the moment.
Ghana Greys, which are bigger, are generally more silvery in color. They’re not popular as pets, because very few of the Ghana Greys, have any history of importation to the United States, therefore, few or no Ghana Greys have been born and bred in captivity. Subsequently they’re not very well known.
The smaller exotic birds of African origin are also supposed to be great and funny pets. The Senegal Parrots are cute, often mostly green, with either a black, or sometimes an orange crown on the head. They’re reputed to be somewhat nippy, however. I’m not sure if they’re powder-down birds or not.
Cockatoos: Cockatoos come in medium-sized to large, in size. Cockatoos are very intelligent and extremely sociable—in fact, they can be real party animals, if one gets the drift. Cockatoos also originate in the desert; they’re from Australia and/or Indonesia. I did some research on exotic birds before purchasing Aziza, and even looked at a Goffins Cockatoo ( one of the smaller cockatoos), but after doing research and reading some rather frightful stuff about cockatoos, in general, I decided against the Goffins Cockatoo. I also noticed, after having looked at it, that the Goffins Cockatoo was rather hyper and jumpy, so it was just as well that I had decided against it. I’ll also add that none of the pet stores and/or legal breeders of exotic birds sell imported wild-caught exotic birds as pets, partly due to the reasons I mentioned above, and partly because they’re not available as pets here in the United States...and with good reason.
I think that one has to be much more confident and experienced in order to have a cockatoo. They’re even more prone to such nasty habits as feather plucking, and biting, plus the noise they make is a real cacophony: To sum it up as best as possible; at best they sound like a crying, wailing baby, and at worst, they sound like a woman being murdered! Therefore, it’s not recommended that one get a cockatoo if one either lives in an apartment building, or in a really densely-populated area where even single-family houses are extremely close together. Noise can be a problem with exotic birds, generally, because, due to their origins in the tropics, and their habits of calling to their flock(s), even in the wild, their voices are designed to carry long distances. Cockatoos, however, top the list when it comes to noise, loudness, and unpleasantness. i’ll also add that cockatoos are also powder-down birds that are extremely dusty, even dustier than the African Grey or Amazon Parrots.
I’ve also read and heard about an occasional cockatoo that has either picked a padlock, or, horribly enough, have even taken off fingers and toes of their owners! It’s rare, but it has, on occasion, happened. The smaller ones, however, don’t seem to be capable of doing that.
Umbrella Cockatoos: All white and beautiful-looking, with a crest on top of their heads (which all cockatoos have.).
Moluccan Cockatoos: Also very large and beautiful, with somewhat pinkish-orange feathers and a black beak.
Leadbeater Cockatoos: Somewhat pinkish (various shades at once) orange feathers. Beautiful, as well. Large.
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos: White with a bright yellow crest on top of their heads.
Goffins Cockatoos: Smaller, with white feathers on top, and sort of salmon-colored feathers underneath.
Rose-Breasted Cockatoos (or Galahs): Rose-Breasted Cockatoos (Galahs), are bright grey, with rose-colored breasts, and, unlike most cockatoos, which are shorter, chunkier, and have shorter tails, the Rosies (as they’re sometimes affectionately called) are somewhat more streamlined and have longer tails. They’re beautiful, but like other cockatoos, are much more prone to nasty habits that I mentioned above. They’re also quite expensive, as well.
Cockatoos, in general, are very intelligent, but, as I said, they can get kind of rowdy. Like other large parrots, they can be a real danger to smaller, younger children, toddlers and infants, as well as to teens and adults who are unaware of how to deal with them, so it’s best if the owner of a cockatoo or any other large parrot is around at all times in the presence of guests, or other people around the house. That being said, the stories that I’ve heard about both cockatoos and African Greys vary: Some turn out to be wonderful pets, while others have proved to be so much trouble that their owners have ended up getting rid of them.
There are other cockatoo species, but I’ve decided to limit my descriptions of species to those I know about. Here’s another thing about cockatoos, however: Unlike other larger exotic birds, female cockatoos often have reproductive issues, so the female cockatoos are more susceptible to egg impaction, which can require emergency care if the bird’s unable to pass the egg on her own, even after putting some olive oil into the cloaca in the hopes of getting the bird to pass the egg.
Cockatiels: Cockatiels are much smaller, and they’re often recommended for first-time bird owners, due to their extreme loyalty and affection. They, too, originate from the desert (Australia), and are also powder-down birds, but they’re smaller, so they’re not as dusty as the African Greys or the cockatoos. it’s still best to get a good air purifier, however. The cockatiel looks kind of like a miniature version of a cockatoo, with a crest on its head, ranging from sort of tan to Albino (all white with red eyes) and/or Lutino (all yellow with red eyes). They’re cute, sweet and playful, but they’re also prone to night-flights and broken blood feathers, and, since they’re much smaller, more prone to egg-impaction, as well, which can be a life or death matter, especially in a smaller bird.
Macaws: Macaws are known to be sweet birds, also. They, too, range from being quite small to quite large. The Noble Macaws (which McGee was), and the Hahn’s Macaw are dwarf versions of the larger macaws, and they’re lots of fun to have around. They’re green, with olive-colored feathers underneath, red shoulders, and a smattering of blue on top of their heads, as well as a black beak. They can, however, get into feather plucking, and have somewhat thin, piercing voices. They’re very sweet and playful, to boot. Like all macaws, however, they’re famous for making soup out of their drinking water (That’s what my now-deceased Noble Macaw, McGee did!), so it’s especially important to change their drinking water daily (twice a day, if possible.).
The Scarlet Macaw, which is red, with blue-trimmed wings, is much larger, as is the Blue-and-Gold Macaw, which is turquoise blue, with a golden-yellow breast, a black beak, and bare flesh, with black stripes, around the eyes. Very striking, indeed, and also much larger.
The Yellow-collared and the Severe Macaws are sort of medium-sized, roughly the same size as the African Grey and the Amazons. Both of them are mostly green, with bare -flesh around the eyes. The yellow-collared macaw has a yellow ring around the neck, thus giving it its name. The Severe macaw is mostly green, with red, white and blue under the wings, and bare flesh, with black stripes around the eyes, and is bigger than the yellow-collar macaw.
The Hyacinth Macaws are the largest exotic birds in the world. They are about 3 feet in height, from the top of their heads to the tips of their tails. They’re gorgeous-looking as well; They’re mainly royal blue, with bright yellow bare flesh just above the beak, and around the eyes. They have a black beak. They, too, are expensive. One pet store not far from where I live originally called Boston Pets (but has long since been taken over by PetCo.) had a Hyacinth macaw, which not only was able to talk, but mimicked sounds such as a barking dog pretty well. He was a favorite of everybody in the store to come and visit. Eventually, however, a couple paid $5, 000.00 for the Hyacinth macaw, which, I later heard, would bring to work every day. There are days when I miss going to that store and seeing that Hyacinth macaw. That store no longer sells exotic birds, btw.
These are only some of the species of the macaws, however. Macaws originate in South and Central America, in the rainforests and/or the tundra (grassy plains). Macaws can be kind of loud, although not as loud as the cockatoos.
Conures: (pronounced “con-yer”) Conures, like the macaws, also originate in South and Central America. Here are some subspecies of the conures, as well:
Nanday conures: Mainly dark green and black. Like all conures, they’re among the smaller birds.
Jenday Conures: sort of yellow and orange; smaller, as well.
Sun Conures: These conures are relatively small, and rather striking, to boot. They’re mainly bright yellow, with a smattering of orange and green.
Dusky Conures: Mainly green, with a dusky brown color to their wings.
Blue-crowned Conures: Mainly green, with a smattering of blue on top of their heads
Cherry-headed and Mitered Conures: Similar-looking. Mainly green or dark green, with cherry-red, or bright-red crowns on top of their heads. They’re beautiful, as well.
Conures are cheaper than many of the other exotic birds, which, unfortunately has a downside to it; this is something that makes them more vulnerable to neglect by their owners, not to mention the fact that conures have a rather thin, piercing sound that’s not always the most pleasant for people to listen to.
Amazon Parrots: Amazons, like African Greys, have the most parrot-like personalities. Amazons, however, have a tendency to be somewhat rougher and rowdier, and they, too, can be noisy, and are somewhat more prone to biting than other parrot species. The Lilac-crowned Amazon, which is a somewhat smaller Amazon, and is green, with a smattering of lilac purple on top of its head, however, has a reputation for being somewhat more even-tempered and easy-going, although, as in other bird species, there are individuals, if one gets the drift. Since Amazons are generally a little fiestier and not quite as intelligent as African Greys or Cockatoos, however, they’re less likely to get into things as feather-plucking and other nasty habits like that. They can and do make a good bit of noise, however, whenever they feel like it. Amazon Parrots, like the Macaws and Conures, also originate in South and Central America.
Now that I’ve given some species of exotic birds, I’ll tell you a little bit about their behavior in the wild, some of which the domestically-raised birds retain and exhibit, also. In the wild, parrots eat fruits, nuts, and even clay from the earth. They’re also ground foragers, climbers and flyers. In the wild, they tend to reside in the hollows of tree-trunks, in the tundras, the rain-forests, and in the deserts. In the wild, they call to their flocks. Since exotic birds (and birds, generally) are often part of a flock, they often don’t show any type of illness until it’s very advanced. That’s to protect themselves against attack from the rest of their flock. This underscores the importance of owners of domestically-raised exotic birds of observing closely if their birds seem under the weather; long periods of sitting with their feathers fluffed up, and refusing to preen, eat or drink, being less vocal than usual, or not playing.
Exotic Birds tend to chew on things a great deal and can be very destructive, so it’s important for them to have as many toys as possible. In getting a cage, it’s important to get a cage with at least two sides of horizontal bars, so they can really climb around and get exercise, because, as I pointed out, they’re also climbers, as well, and they use their hooked beaks as sort of a third foot, if one gets the drift. Also, having good toys in the cage keeps them occupied, and they’re less likely to get into excessive noise, or feather-plucking, or other nasty habits. Unlike Macaws and Conures, which are more streamlined (slimmer bodies and longer tails), African Greys, most Cockatoos (except the Rose-Breasted Cockatoos), and Amazon Parrots, are shorter, with chunkier, more compact bodies and shorter tails, are more prone to becoming obese, and to fatty liver tumors, so it’s especially important that they be on a healthy diet and have parallel bars in their cages so that they can get some good climbing exercise in each day.
Exotic birds, even domestically raised ones, can tolerate a good temperature range; 60-90/95 degrees Fahrenheit (inotherwords, from pretty cool to pretty hot.) Temperatures below and above that general range, however, are not good for them. Exotic birds in captivity can overheat, without the owner’s help, whereas in the wild, parrots can and will find a place to ride out a heat wave. I have found that the best way to prevent a bird from overheating, is to keep the living room fan on, spray her, and, if possible, keep an extra bowl of water at the bottom of the cage to play in. During a heat-wave, when temps hit the upper 80’s or hotter, I keep my Venetian blinds closed, in order to prevent overheating. One can tell if a bird is starting to overheat, if it holds its wings away from its body, and breathes/pants with its beak open. Spray the bird, or get it into the shower, or even near an air-conditioner, if possible. If the bird fails to cool off in a few minutes, and/or seems listless, get the bird to the vet immediately, as this, too, is a life or death emergency!
Since I reside on the fourth floor of a 5-story building, I know from experience, that without both my A/C in my bedroom, and my ceiling fan in the living room, my place can be like a furnace in the summer time. I’ve always made sure that my birds never overheated, by keeping the A/C and the ceiling fan on, but turning off the fan when I have the birds out of the cage.
One of the things that I do with exotic birds is to spray them with water. I did that with my now-deceased Noble Macaw, McGee, and I do it with my Congo African Grey, Aziza. With Aziza, however, I make a solution of human-grade, unflavored Aloe-Vere Juice by putting some of the juice in the bottom of the spray-bottle, and then filling it with cold water. This, too, cuts down on the dust considerably, but having the Austin Air HEPA Pet Machine Purifier (which I keep on 24/7, at the highest setting), although it helps, doesn’t preclude my having to vacuum my place every day, with a good HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner, and vacuuming the outside of the air purifier (which is steel, and U. S. A.-made) every 2 weeks or so. I change the filter every 6 months or so, as well.
The temperaments of exotic birds depend on a number of things; Genetic influence, the people who’ve raised them and sold them, and how the owner(s) treat them, as well. So, it’s a whole combination of things that determine how a pet exotic bird turns out. Since parrots like darkness at night, I have found that covering the bird at night is very helpful. They’re better rested, they don’t make noise at night when covered, which, especially if one lives in an apartment building, is better for the neighbor(s), as well. I’ve made it a point to have two covers for Aziza’s cage: A thinner cover for the warmer months, and a thicker, quilt cage cover for the colder months.
I also feed Aziza fresh veggies every day, as well as a mixture of Roudybush pellets and Boca nuts (a combo of nuts and dried fruits), although I don’t feed her the Boca nuts that often, because they’re very fatty. I give them to her every 2-3 days, when I change Aziza’s dry foods. Changing the drinking water every single day, especially during the warmer months, is extremely important. Sometimes, during the warmer months, I’ll change the water twice a day, to make sure that unfriendly bacteria don’t form in it.
In the event that one is interested in an exotic bird, s/he should not only do some research on their care, housing, training and feeding, etc., but should also take into account his/her life-style, budget, living situation, and whether or not s/he has air-born allergies or asthma that could be made worse by the presence of an exotic bird. In any event, it’s good to have an air-purifier if one has any kind of pet that sheds, allergies or no allergies.
It’s also important to obtain an exotic bird at either a good, reputable pet store, or a good, reputable legal breeder. Fortunately, when McGee passed on, I began asking around about pet stores, and all roads pointed to Bird & Reptile Connection, down in Walpole, MA. The owner of the store is also a legal breeder of African Greys, so she knows a great deal, as do the staff working under her, and many of the regular customers, as well.
All of the above having been said, exotic birds are wonderful as pets, they’re fun to have around, are a good conversation piece, and, if treated right, will have a long, healthy life, and present much joy and happiness to their owner(s), and I fully savor the joys of having Aziza around.