Anna Hart asked:


1. Beak: Every parrot has a curved, hooked beak. The beak is very strong, and able to inflict a deep wound. Its primary purpose, though, is to ***** open strong nut shells or tear apart other food. A parrot uses its bill for “transportation” at times, too, pulling itself to a higher branch or perch with the strong bill.

2. Body: Every parrot has an upright body. Most birds, by comparison, have a horizontal body. Parrots’ bodies are upright like humans.

3. Legs: Parrots have 2 short legs.

4. Toes: How many toes does a parrot have? All parrots have 4 toes on each foot. Parrot toes are zygodactyl. That means the first and fourth toes are turned backward. The second and third toes turn forward. Song birds also have 4 toes, but they have 3 toes forward and 1 toe backward.

Useful Parrot Toes

Parrot toes make for awkward walking, but they are very useful tools. Parrots can use the 2-forward, 2-backward combination as humans use a thumb and finger, grasping objects tightly between back and front toes.

The 4 parrot toes produce a foot pattern that lets them grasp branches and move along a branch. Progress is always sideways in slow, deliberate steps.

The 4 parrot toes also enable a parrot to grasp food in its foot. Using its 2 front toes and 1 of the back toes, it holds the food tightly as it bites off pieces with its beak. A parrot usually holds the perch with its right foot, and lifts food to its mouth with the left foot.

Parrot toes are useful for tricks, too. Many parrots delight in showing off for your praise by dangling upside down from a perch or the ceiling of their cage, often by only 1 toe! In the wild, this trick helps them reach food.

Parrot Toes in Training

The first step in training a parrot is to acquaint the parrot with your touch. Its 8 parrot toes can be your bridge to success in this. Gently touch those parrot toes for a moment, and then withdraw your hand. Wait a few second, and then reach into the cage to touch the toes again. Let your parrot see that nothing bad happens when you touch its toes. When it accepts this touch, move on to touch its legs, and work your way up the parrot. Be sure other family members also touch the bird frequently so it does not become a one-person parrot.

When you are ready to finger train your bird, those parrot toes will again be important. Choose the evening, when your parrot has eaten and is less lively. In a quiet room, open the cage door slowly, and put your index finger into the cage. Slowly touch the parrots’ abdomen and it will hop onto your finger, clinging with its toes to maintain balance. Do not remove it from the cage the first few days. Simply repeat your finger training. When it is at ease with the action, slowly pull your finger with the parrot on it toward the cage door where you have placed a treat. With patience, your parrot will soon respond to a “Step Up” command and get on your finger when asked.

Always remember that a parrot will never step down – only up. Always hold your finger or a perch above the parrot’s toes.

A clever trick that is quickly learned by a parrot is a cute wave of those 4 parrot toes. You can also teach it to put its foot to its beak on command.

Parrot Toes and Toys

It is important to keep parrot toes busy and exercised. Parrot foot toys are an answer that provides entertainment as well as exercise. Parrot foot toys are small enough for a parrot to hold with its foot. The parrot will then chew the toy, getting great enjoyment out of its destruction!

How Many Toes Does a Parrot Have? Exactly the right number to walk, climb trees, move along branches, eat food, learn tricks, and play.

By: Anna Hart

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Jimmy Cox asked:


The practice of keeping a parrot as a pet in a cage is a very ancient one, going back hundreds of years, and calls to mind at once the almost legendary figure of the sailor bringing home in its round cage the parrot he has picked up in foreign parts; and this is no doubt how the very first parrots were brought to this country. Where to keep your parrot and what to feed him are the two main factors which are discussed below.

It is a very understandable practice to keep a parrot, for no other birds rival or even approach members of the parrot family in their combination of tameness, beauty, intelligence, and their power to imitate perfectly the human voice. In addition a tame parrot - particularly an African Grey - makes a wonderful and cheerful companion for anyone who has to live alone.

While I myself keep my collection of parrots in pairs in aviaries, I think there can be no doubt that of all birds the larger parrots take most kindly to cage life and, provided they are well cared for and treated with real love and affection by their owner, they seem perfectly happy.

A proof of this is that if such a bird is put out in an aviary, even with another parrot as companion, it is at first liable to mope but will show every sign of joy once it is back in its cage and among its human friends again. I think the reason for this is that parrots are extremely sociable creatures.

The central perch is usually made of some very hard wood, and this is essential as a parrot would soon chew up anything softer. The exercise of its beak is, however, very necessary to its general health, and a considerate owner will not fail to supply a cotton-reel from time to time, or a small bundle of twigs which it can utilize for this purpose.

Parrots enjoy whittling, which in addition to helping to keep their beaks in order gives them something to do. This is very-important for it is partly boredom which leads to feather-plucking in caged parrots. The most important thing of all with a caged parrot is to let it out of its cage for an hour or so at regular intervals - preferably every day. A pet parrot will become extremely attached to its owner provided its affection is returned.

Now as to the feeding of the bird, I give sunflower and a few monkey-nuts, with the addition of a little canary-seed, groats or oats, and hemp. Particular care must be exercised with the latter which, in excess, is over-stimulating and fattening, and can cause heart troubles and feather-plucking.

Given sparingly, however, hemp is one of the most valuable of seeds particularly when birds are rearing young, at which time the amount can be considerably increased. At other times, and particularly in the case of a caged bird, a few grains every day or, better still, every other day, are quite sufficient, and it is better to omit it altogether than to give too much of it.

Far too many parrot owners seem to imagine that a daily supply of seed and water constitutes the sole requirements of their pets. This is quite wrong, for they need other things as well. Chief among these are fruit and green-foods, which can take various forms, but perhaps if the parrot were given its choice it would choose sections of sweet ripe apple and the leaves of spinach beet. These, or other fruits and green-foods, should be given at least twice a week.

As to tidbits, this is rather a moot point, and I can perhaps do best here by referring to my own much-loved and very long-lived Senegal Parrot. She was particularly fond of scraps from the table such as new potatoes, boiled white fish and scrambled egg - all of course given only occasionally and in very small quantities. Meat and savories, etc., should definitely not be given.

With these simple suggestions in mind, you will be able to enjoy your pet for many years to come. No more delightful companion can be found.

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Barbara Heidenreich asked:


 

My blue fronted Amazon parrot, Tarah, does not have clipped wings. However like many birds that were clipped during the fledging process, he has never quite learned the kind of flight skills that might earn him the title of a “flyer”. I often said “He has his flight feathers, but he doesn’t fly.” One day I learned, the hard way, that this wasn’t exactly true.

I was visiting my parrots as I was moving from southern California to northern California. When I arrived I brought Tarah in his cage to my old bedroom. I opened the door to the cage to allow my bird some much needed free time. Before I knew it, he bolted off his cage, through the bedroom door, took a right and made his way down the hall. He then banked left and flew through the living room. At that very moment my father was just opening the sliding glass door to step out onto the deck. Guess who went through the door too? The deck was on the second floor, so my bird had two stories of lift to assist him on his grand flight down the fairway of the golf course behind the house. Thank goodness he was a green flying brick. He ran out of gas and slowly descended to the soft green grass before a tree offered its branches as refuge. Juiced by adrenalin, my feet barely touched the ground as I ran after my bird.

I have always been very careful about the choices I make having a flighted bird in the house. But I was very surprised by the amazing flight my bird made on that day. Sometimes birds that we think will never fly do indeed fly. Sometimes birds that have flight feathers trimmed surprise us when feathers return. Sometimes experienced flyers get frightened or find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Whatever the situation, there are some strategies that can be very useful to recovering a bird that has flown to a location undesired by you. The following information is provided to prepare you for that day when your bird may find itself airborne and heading in the wrong direction. These strategies apply if you bird has no flight skills or is a world class flying athlete.



Bird is flying away



Call to your bird loudly as he is flying- it may help him find his way back to you.

As your bird is flying, do not take your eyes off of him. Note the last place you saw him, the level of his flight, how tired he looked. He may have landed in that area. (Radio or phone contact for a group of people searching can be very helpful in this situation. Grab your cell phone!)



 

Searching for your bird



If you have a group of people, spread out and circle the area you last saw him.

If you cannot locate him, call to him. He may call back. Say words or sounds he knows or mimics. Most parrots are located by their screams.

If he has another bird he likes, put that bird in a cage and bring it to the area you last saw him. Walk away from the bird in the cage. It might encourage the bird in the cage to scream. This may inspire the lost bird to scream. Keep talking to a minimum so you can listen for the scream.

Look carefully in a limited area (within 1 mile) in the early stages of your search. Parrots usually do not go far unless, blown by the wind, chased by a bird of prey or extremely frightened.

Keep in mind your parrot may see you before you see him. When this happens, parrots are sometimes very quiet. This may be because the parrot is more comfortable now that you are present.

Despite some parrots bright colors, they can be very difficult to see in trees. Look for movement buried in the trees as opposed to your whole bird perched prominently on the tree.



 

You have located the bird, but he is out of reach



Once you find you bird, relax (unless the bird is in immediate danger.) It is better to let the bird sit where he is (if he is inaccessible) while you work out a strategy. Do not frantically try to grab the bird, hose or scare him down.

If the bird has just landed. He will probably not fly again (if at all) for awhile.

Bring the bird’s favorite person and/or favorite bird friend (in a cage) to the area where your bird is located.

Bring favorite food items, familiar food bowls and the bird’s cage if possible.

Be careful not to ask your bird to fly from a great height or a steep angle. Try to position yourself (or bird buddy, or bird cage) to allow short flights or short climbs to lower places.

Try to lure your bird to fly or climb to branches/objects that are similar to those upon which he is sitting if possible. A bird may be too frightened to climb onto a distinctly different perch. (For example, the bird might be afraid to climb off of a tree onto a fence.) If you have no other option, expect the process to be slower and be patient with your bird as he builds his confidence. He may also fly again if he touches the new perch and is frightened by it.

Do not raise unfamiliar objects up to your bird to have him step onto it. More than likely this will only scare your bird to fly farther away. If you have a familiar item, you may have a chance that the bird will step onto it. Keep in mind things like ladders, people climbing trees, cherry pickers etc. may also scare your bird. Go extremely slowly if you resort to using these items. Stop any action if your bird looks like he wants to fly away.

Try to call your bird down when his body language indicates he is ready to try to come down. Do not constantly call.

Try hiding from your bird on occasion. This will create a level of anxiety in your bird which may cause him to try to come to you once you reappear. Usually birds will scream and or start moving around a lot when they are ready to make an effort to return to you. If you notice this activity, come out from hiding.

If you hear your bird screaming while you are hiding, he may be ready to fly or is already in the air. Come out of hiding right away. Most parrots scream when they are flying in this type of situation.

Birds also often relieve themselves and also scream right before they fly. Be alert for this. You may need to see where your bird flys. Be ready to run if necessary.

Avoid having a crowd of people around the bird’s favorite person. A scared bird may not want to fly into a crowd of strangers. Give the bird’s favorite person lots of room.





The sun is setting and your bird is still out.



Parrots will usually fly again shortly before the sun starts to set. This is probably your last opportunity to get your bird back before he will begin to roost for the night. Take advantage of it. You can try to get the bird “pumped” up by yelling and creating a level of excitement. This may encourage one last flight.

As the sun starts to set, your bird will start to fluff his feathers and get ready to roost for the night. At this point it is best to just allow him to go to sleep. Keep an eye on him until the sun has set completely. Remember his exact location.

Before the sun rises the next day, return to that location. Your bird should still be there, unless he was frightened in the night (owls can cause this).

Usually by 8:30 or 9:00 AM your bird will be ready to fly again or make an attempt to get to you. Repeat the steps described in the section “You have located your bird, but he is out of reach”.



 

Your bird has flown off and after 24 hours of searching he has not been spotted.



Contact the following people and let them know you are looking for your bird. If a person finds your bird they may contact one of these organizations.



Call animal control

Call the SPCA/humane society

Call local veterinarians

Call local zoos

Call local pet shops

Call local police





Place an ad in the classified section of the paper for a “lost” bird.



Note: Don’t give out the bird’s band number. If your bird accidentally falls into the wrong hands this could lead to removal of the band.





Check the classified section of the paper for “found” bird. Answer all ads. People are sometimes unaware of what they have found. A Congo African grey may be mistaken for the mythical red tailed pigeon by a helpful stranger who is unfamiliar with parrots.

Post flyers that state “lost bird” in the areas you last saw your bird. You may also wish to offer a reward as incentive for people to call.

Often times a bird is found within 24 hours of his disappearance. The trick is to find the person who found your bird before you.



 

Do not give up

The key to getting a bird back is perseverance. Do not accept that you will not get the bird back once you have lost sight of him or her. As a professional bird trainer that free flys many types of birds on a regular basis, I can attest that parrots are often the easiest type of bird to locate and recover. Trust me - nothing is more frustrating than searching for the silent, but observant owl who has buried himself in the bushes and has watched you walk by 100 times! Thankfully our parrots often seek out human or bird companionship if and when they have a big flight adventure.

 

Copyright 2005 © Good Bird Inc. First appeared in Good Bird Magazine Volume1 Issue1 Spring 2005.

 

To learn more about products and services to help you train your parrot visit www.GoodbBirdInc.com

 

Barbara has been a professional in the field of animal training since 1990.  

She owns and operates a company, Good Bird, Inc., (www.GoodBirdInc.com)) that provides behavior and training products to the companion parrot community. These products include Good Bird Magazine, books, videos, and training/behavior workshops. Barbara has provided behavior workshops and/or animal training presentations at the Association of Avian Veterinarians conference, The American Federation of Aviculture conference, The International Parrot Conference at Loro Parque, Parrot Festival, The International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators conference, American Association of Zoo Keepers conference, Association of Zoos and Aquariums conference, The Parrot Society of Australia conference and many more. She is the past president of the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators (www.IAATE.org) and has been on the Board of Directors since 1997. Her expertise has been utilized by the US Dept. of Agriculture, Fish and Wildlife Service and numerous international professional organizations. In the past 4 years she has met and trained over 600 parrots at her workshops.



She is the author of “Good Bird! A Guide to Solving Behavior Problems in Companion Parrots” by Avian Publications and also “The Parrot Problem Solver. Finding Solutions to Aggressive Behavior” by TFH Publications. She is also the producer of the Good Bird Parrot Behavior and Training DVD series.



Barbara’s experience also includes consulting on animal training in zoos and other animal related facilities. She has been a part of the development and production of more than 15 different free flight education programs. Barbara continues to provide consulting services to zoos, nature centers and other animal facilities through her other company Animal Training and Consulting Services (www.ATandCS.com). In her career she has trained animals, trained staff, and/or presented shows at facilities around the world.



 

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