Non-stick cookware fumes (PTFE) kill birds within minutes, with no warning. So do self-cleaning oven cycles, scented candles, aerosols, and cigarette smoke. A bird's respiratory system is far more efficient than ours — and far less forgiving.
Diet
An all-seed diet is the single most common cause of early death in pet parrots — fatty liver disease, vitamin A deficiency and obesity. Aim for a formulated pellet base with daily fresh vegetables, some fruit, and seed as a treat or training reward rather than a meal. Finches and canaries are genuinely seed-based, but still need greens, egg food and a cuttlebone.
Never feed avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, onion, garlic or apple seeds.
Company and enrichment
Parrots are flock animals with the emotional needs of a toddler that never grows up. Budgies, cockatiels, lovebirds and conures do best with a companion bird plus daily human time. Boredom shows up as screaming and feather plucking, and plucking is far easier to prevent than to reverse. Rotate foraging toys weekly; the cage should be wide enough for fully spread wings, plus daily out-of-cage time.
Moulting
Birds replace their feathers once or twice a year. Expect pin feathers, some irritability, and more sleep. Support it with extra protein and bathing opportunities. What is not normal: bald patches, bleeding feathers, a moult that never seems to end, or a bird that stops eating. Log each moult — a pattern of endless or unseasonal moulting is worth showing a vet.
Leg bands and hatch dates
A closed leg band is fitted in the nest and is proof of a captive-bred bird. The code usually encodes the breeder, the year and a sequence number. Record the band code and hatch date when you get the bird — it is the only reliable identity a bird has if it ever escapes or changes hands.
Signs to see a vet about
- Tail bobbing, open-mouth breathing or any clicking sound
- Sitting fluffed on the cage floor
- A change in droppings that lasts more than a day
- Weight loss — weigh weekly in grams, birds hide illness until it is severe
Track it in the Ark
Store hatch date and leg band on the bird's record, chart weekly weights, and log moults and vet visits.
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