Our Jenday conure Sunny got himself a companion a few days ago. Our new baby sun conure and Sunny are getting on really well.

A growing community of bird enthusiasts not only enjoy the pleasure of bird-watching, which normally means observing birds quietly from a distance, they also extend this hobby to designing and building bird houses to attract them right into their own garden or backyard.

There are a variety of ready-made kits for the novice bird house hobbyists to get you started but if you enjoy a challenge, constructing a bird house would require some initial design planning, then it is just a matter of assembling pieces of wood and materials that can be easily sourced from any hardware stores together, dusting off and putting your garage power tools to good use!

To get some new ideas or inspiration, there are a host of websites on the internet that offer invaluable insight into the process of bird house design and construction. Many books and publications target bird house construction for a specific species such as sparrows, titmice, swallows and nuthatches which often take advantage of a readily available nesting box or custom-made bird house.

Understanding the type of birds for which the bird houses are built is important when designing any bird house. The design of your bird house often does depend on a range of factors such as the size of the bird, their nesting behaviour (for example sparrows are gregarious creatures and like living in groups, therefore a bird house that can accommodate at least 3 mating pairs would be ideal),

Most birds would choose a bird house that resembles a tree cavity, a place where the conditions are dry and relatively warm, free from dust or dampness and most importantly a place where predators cannot easily reach. Just like in their natural environment, use natural nesting materials such as coconut fibres, twigs and dry grass in your bird house to encourage mating. Weather proof the bird house with bird friendly non-toxic water-proof paint and ensure there are no loose bits that may come apart due to harsher weather conditions.

Building a bird house can be a family activity enjoyed by the young and old. Share your ideas with other budding bird house builders either through online forums, craft fairs or bird house suppliers. Not only is it a rewarding experience to design and create a bird house from scratch, the ultimate compliment will be when you find a contented mating pair nesting in it.

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If you have given it a lot of thought and you’re not sure what treat your pet bird likes, then you need to create a desire in your parrot to have a certain treat. Start by offering a small amount of the treat food with the parrots regular food each day. When you see the bird beginning to eat the treat before he goes to his regular food you have done it! Now you can stop offering the treat with the bird’s regular meals, and only use it as a reward during training sessions. The following is not a complete list of foods that you can use for rewards, but it is a great place to start.

• Walnuts (halves or pieces)
• unsweetened cereal
• toast cubes
• pepper flakes
• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• popcorn (without butter & salt)
• pasta (cooked or raw)
• papaya
• oatmeal
• millet
• hard boiled egg
• peanut halves
• grapes (or half grapes)
• granola
• crackers
• cornflakes
• chopped apple
• cantaloupe
• cabbage
• coleslaw
• carrot (grated or chopped)
• celery
• broccoli
• banana

While all of the foods listed above are generally health snacks, always remember that sometimes too much of a good thing really isn’t good at all. This especially applies to things like sunflower seeds and peanuts which can be very fattening if they constitute the bulk of your birds diet. I try to make sure all of my birds always have free access to a good brand of pellets all day long and I also offer a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with whole grain breads, sprouted or cooked beans, whole grain pasta (without sauce) etc. And I try to limit their intake of seeds as they tend to pick out just one or two of their favorite types and refuse to eat the rest. Which can lead to malnutrition. Good luck and have fun picking out new foods to use as rewards for your favorie feathered friend.

Rachel is a professional bird breeder and parrot behaviour consultant with over 20 years experience working with these amazingly complex animals. She shares her home with 12 different species of parrots (whose numbers vary with the breeding seasons) several salt and freshwater aquariums, snakes, dogs, and cats. And a very understanding and supportive family! You can find more articles by Rachel and meet a few of her birds here: http://talkingboutbirds.blogspot.com/

Author: Rachel F.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Most pet birds, loves to have food based primarily on seeds. However, it is deficient in many nutrients, including vitamin A and calcium. Besides that, it is too high in fat. By saying this, it does not mean we have to exclude it from their daily takings, but many birds prefer them to the healthy choices and can be very fussy when it comes to trying a varied dishes.

When it comes to parrot nutrition, consider seeds to be somewhat like junk food. Seeds should only make up about 10 percent of the food taking. Species like budgies are naturally seed eaters and can tolerate a higher percentage of seed but should not be more than 25 percent compared to other healthy foods.

Realizing that many parrots were suffering from nutritional deficiencies, pelleted products are produced for pet birds. It contains grains, seeds, vegetables, fruits and minerals and is baked into pellet. It provides a balanced nutritioun. However, many birds do not readily accept formulated based.

Formulated diets do not provide the variety and stimulation that many pet birds crave. Pellets can be considered the main component of the birds’ diet, comprising 50-60 percent of what the bird eats. Some good brands of formulated diets include Harrison Bird Food, Pretty Bird, Rainforest and Sun Seed. As these diets grow in acceptance and popularity, manufacturers are now producing diets formulated for particular species.

These diets come in different shapes. You may need to experiment with trial and error to find the type that your pet prefers. Some birds may find it difficult to switch to a formulated diet. If you are in doubt over what would be best for your bird, consult your birds veterinarian for advice.

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Author: Muhammad Mirza Abdullah
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Being a parrot owner can be fun and rewarding. Birds have a long lifespan, and are very loving and entertaining pets. It’s essential to start off on the right foot with your parrot, as your behaviors in the first few days and weeks will build the foundation for your relationship.

Earning trust is an absolute must with any pet. Even more so with parrots, as they are very sensitive animals and are not quick with forgiveness of hostility or mistreatment. There are many things that are threatening for birds, and it’s important that your parrot does not perceive you as a threat. Take your time! As the old adage says, Rome wasn’t built in a day. The same applies to building a strong and trusting relationship with your new pet.

Placement of the cage is key in making your parrot feel comfortable and at home in his new environment. There are a few things to keep in mind when considering the best placement for the cage. Birds are happiest in high places. You’ll no doubt notice, no matter where you house its cage, that your bird will spend the majority of its time on the highest perch. It’s a good idea to put the cage on a table or cage stand, but be sure that the highest part of the cage is not above your head. When your bird is constantly higher than you, it feels dominant, and can quickly become difficult to handle and train.

Also, be sure that the parrot’s cage is roomy, and provide plenty of toys to prevent boredom. Bored parrots turn to attention-seeking behaviors such as loud screeching, cage pecking, and biting. Providing a variety of quality toys, as well as spending time with your parrot on a regular basis, will prevent many common training problems.

Rewards are an absolute must have in parrot training. Birds respond very well to food treats as reward for desired behaviors. Each time that your feathered friend allows you to touch him, steps onto your hand, attempts to mimic a sound or word, offer a treat as reward. Fruits, vegetables, millet spray, seeds, and nuts are all good treats. Just be sure that what you’re feeding your bird is safe for it to consume, and that it’s getting a well-rounded, nutritionally sound diet.

Above all, go slowly. Be patient and gentle with your parrot. Be respectful of his space… parrots are very territorial. Let your parrot get used to its surroundings first, and then your presence in the room, before attempting to remove him from his cage. Once your bird is comfortable with you, you can move forward to more advanced training, such as teaching him to talk to perform tricks. Once you’ve built a good foundation, your training options are limitless. Be good to your parrot, and he’ll do the same for you!

For all the most recent and practical information on teaching your parrot to talk [http://www.easyparrottalk.com] and general parrot training visit [http://www.easyparrottalk.com].

Author: Tony Bick
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Since a parrot is not a predator like a lion or a tiger, taming a parrot should not pose a big problem. However, you should know how to tame a new parrot properly as otherwise, you might run the risk of being bitten or worse still, the bird may fly away from your custody.

Before Anything, Try To Earn The Trust Of Your Bird

But before trying to tame a new parrot, you need to earn its trust. This can be achieved in several ways. To begin with, offer bright colored juicy fruits and berries like blueberries and cherry to the parrot so that the bird can associate you with tempting treats. At first, don’t try to give the treats with your fingers as the parrot is likely give a peck causing injury – the bird does not know yet that you are a friend. However soon, the parrot will come to know that the fingers offering the treats are not harmful. As the parrot starts eating out of your hand, the bond begins to develop.

The second stage starts as you try to take the parrot out of its cage. But here again, you are going to face a problem. To a new parrot that has spent several days in a cage, the cage representing his fortress – he/she will vehemently protest against anyone trying to dislodge him from his sanctum. But continuous coaxing with various allurement and softly spoken words will at last make the pet respond to your wishes. Make him/her stand on a perch or allow the bird to perch on your fingers and survey the surroundings by moving the head from side to side. Praise profusely for cooperating with you and offer good treats because the parrot may feel somewhat bewildered at finding himself or herself free from the confines of the cage. However, by now you have achieved the second stage in taming your new parrot.

Here Are Some Basics For Taming A New Parrot

Your new parrot should have its wings clipped. If you do not find yourself adept at doing the job, get some help. Contrary to common belief, wing clipping is not painful for the bird, and it does not cause any physical harm as well. According to avian experts, this practice makes the bird more dependable to its owner/companion, thus helping the person to tame/train the bird better.

Your new parrot should have a cage with a door that is large enough for easy removal of the parrot – it can measure anything up to a foot from the beak to the tail end.

Keep your parrot at a quiet corner of the home where there is no harsh light.

Parrots are highly sociable and needs company. Provide this yourself while talking in soft undertone.

Do not indulge in quick body movements while you are in the proximity of your newly acquired parrot as this may unduly alarm the bird.

As you have by now learnt how to tame a new parrot, take the bird with you perched on your shoulder. However do remember that the parrot may still try to escape, and in the process may fall to the ground – prevent this by keeping your hands ready. The poor bird may get injured by falling headlong on to the hard ground. Also, you may call your parrot by giving the bird a suitable name. There was a caustic fellow who named his pecking parrot “Gregory Peck”. This may sound funny – but avoid such names of course.

Good luck with you beloved bird!

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Author: Andre Gomez
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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How easy is it to train a parrot? Funny you should ask. Oddly enough this question comes before nutrition, cage size, compatibility, and life expectancy. The answer? Well that depends not so much on the parrot, but on the owner looking to train the parrot. How much time do you have to dedicate to training? How much patience do you have?

The first two things to look at are dedication and speaking ability.

Are you dedicated to training your parrot? This can be a very slow process and will require a lot of patience. They do not know what you want them to do, so it is up to you to teach them that. The more human interaction you have in training your parrot, the better your results will be.

What is the birds general speaking ability? Do not expect a cockatiel to speak like Alex the African grey. Not all birds will speak either. Just because you own an African grey, doesn’t make him a good talker. He may not be a talker at all, or he may never shut up. Choose your bird wisely and spend a lot of time with them and chances are you will be rewarded. Birds should be chosen for companionship anyway. Talking ability is just a plus.

So what is the trick? Positive rewards. Plain and simple. Rewarding a parrot for a positive behavior, no matter how minute, is the best way to train a parrot to do just about anything you want. Just as you teach a child to talk, it is the same for parrots. Repetition is the key. Repeating the word over and over and rewarding for any attempts. Find your parrots favorite cracker, seed, treat, etc and give it to them right after they make an attempt at what you are wanting. Eventually they will repeat exactly what you want and guess what, since you were positively rewarding them, you can now get them to do it on command.

Usually parrots learn their names first. Why is this? Because they associate their name with human interaction, which for parrots is a good thing. You will notice that parrots are most happy when they are getting attention from humans.

By raising the pitch and tone of your voice, you can get your birds into a happy state and the words you speak will have more meaning. A dull and boring low pitched voice will hinder the reception of what your bird gets. Parrots are very emotional birds and they pick up on your emotions faster then you do theirs.

Petarticles.net is dedicated to teaching everyone the importance of having a healthy relationship with their pet. Teaching your parrot tricks is time well spent that will lead to a long lasting bond.

Author: Daryl Grammer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When we talk about animal acts, parrots can showcase a wide variety of entertaining tricks. They are a great fun to watch. Not many people realize that they are a great fun to train as well. Not to forget the fact that they can learn and remember truckloads of tricks.

Unlike other birds, parrots are highly intelligent, and they have a very sound memory. If you teach them a particular trick, they might even remember it for lifelong. One often feels the need to demonstrate tricks time and again when it comes to training other animals. However, this is a rare case amongst parrots.

Most importantly they are receptive to training. You will notice the eagerness and curiosity to learn and explore new things which makes the training task very easy for pet owners. One need not be a professional to train them. If you keep the basics right almost each and every pet owner out there will be able to teach several varieties of bird tricks to their parrots.

Their intellectual skills help them learn most bird tricks very quickly. One will always find it easier communicating instructions to parrots in comparison to other animals. Despite endless hours of training, you can’t imagine any other bird mimic human voice like a parrot. Most parrots can be trained at any age. However, when it comes to training any pet, it’s always advisable to start early.

The entertaining tricks and the ability to attract your friends with its art, brings in a sense of pride and accomplishment amongst most pet owners.

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Author: Wylly Fox
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you’ve been doing internet searches on how to teach your parrot to talk, you’ve no doubt come across various programs and softwares that claim to reveal secrets and guarantee to get your bird talking in one month. Don’t waste your money. These programs are effective, no doubt, but there’s no need to pay for this “secret”. It’s simple. The secret is repetition.

Birds learn to speak by hearing certain sounds and sound combinations repeated frequently. Even someone who is not actively trying to train their bird to talk will notice that eventually their bird will start to utter words or phrases that are used around them on a regular basis.

Training your parrot to speak in one month or less is definitely a goal that can be reached. Just follow these tips:

- Have patience. Patience is the key to parrot training. It’s not likely that you’ll teach your bird a new word in the very first training session. – Be consistent. Repeat the same words and actions every day. Having a schedule is comforting to parrots. It makes them feel safe, secure, and comfortable.

- Don’t get discouraged. Keep at it. Don’t give up if you don’t see results within the first few days. You will get there, it just takes time. It’s important that you don’t get frustrated or aggravated with your bird. Parrots are very sensitive to human emotion, and they will quickly get discouraged if they feel only negative vibes from you.

- Have daily training sessions. Spending an hour or so each day with your parrot, during which time you repeatedly say the same words or phrases in correlation with certain actions or objects, will quickly send you down the road of success.

- Reward for good behavior. Rewards are absolutely essential in parrot training. Each time your bird attempts to make a new sound, steps onto your finger, or does anything desirable, offer a reward. Food treats like fresh fruits, veggies, leafy greens, seeds, and nuts are great motivators, as are toys and lavish praise. Find what works best for your parrot, and be consistent in your offerings.

- Avoid “punishment”. Physical punishment, such as “thumping” or hitting your bird, have no positive consequences. In fact, this will cause your bird to lose trust in you, and encourage bad habits like biting and screeching.

As long as you spend time with your bird each day, offer rewards, and remain consistent, there is no doubt that your bird will be talking away in one month, or less.

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Author: Tony Bick
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Yes, it of course does. Although clicker training was originally reserved for dogs, it is now commonly practiced for training parrots too. As a matter of fact, it is one of the surest means of training a parrot various tricks like picking a nut from between your lips, ringing a toy bell or sorting playing cards. It also involves a subtle communication between you and your parrot.

A clicker basically is a small hand-held device which when pressed, produces a clicking noise that is somewhat louder than your mouse click. Every time the bird does something correctly or acts in a definite way, the trainer does the click, which is immediately followed by a tasty treat. So you see, it works two-ways – firstly, the parrot knows that he/she has done something correctly, and it thereby encouraged to continue, and secondly, it can link the success with a treat.

Clicker Training Represents Brain Gym For Your Parrot

Just as humans cannot live by bread alone, needing something else to stir the gray matters, animals and birds prove no exception too. An intelligent and sizable bird like a parrot or a cockatoo may become bored unless it has something witty and interesting to play with. As humans enjoy solving cross-word puzzles, birds also get pleasure from hitting on the right point during a clicker session. It stimulates their natural desire to figure things out, thereby enriching their ability to learn more.

“Bridge” Solves The Communication Gap

People researching clicker training often come across the word “Bridge”, which in realty means a conduit between the trainer and the trainee. The bridge is also the signal for the parrot to know it has hit the right point, while the clicking noise is the indication that tempting food items are following behind. In fact, it is the positive reinforcement for the bird to associate right solution with alluring olives or tempting walnuts.

Wait For The ‘Behavior’

The fundamentals of clicker training include the behavior of the trainee parrot. You may have to wait for the behavior to occur. Undesirable behavior may be ignored or treated with a warning sign for the bird to start all over again. But if you find that such undesired behaviors are rising rapidly, you must discontinue clicker training at once as otherwise, the parrot will become perpetually averse to the training procedure.

Food Reward And Clicker Training

To train your pet parrot or for that matter any other animal, it is essential that you offer prizes, and food is of course the most important prize always. After all, unlike us humans, no other species are materially concerned – to them, food represents the most important thing – the other important things being shelter and sex.

So now matter how you are training your parrot, you must always offer food rewards whenever the bird does something correctly or follows your order accurately. This is true for clicker training as well. For a parrot a good treat can be seeds and nuts. And the best time to train your pet might be just before feeding time because your parrot is sure to feel hungry and is more likely to follow your orders if it can associate food with performance.

Good luck with your beloved bird!

Best regards
Andr

Do not wait any longer – visit http://www.parrottraininginfo.com and start training your parrot now!!!

Author: Andre Gomez
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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